Did you pay $189 for Clear? You may have to show your ID at TSA anyway, threatening one of the program's biggest selling points

• All Clear members will have their identity verified by the TSA in the future, the agency says.
• The company's screening process was called into question following a security breach last summer.
• For $189 a year, Clear members can cut airport security lines with "touchless" ID verification.

Clear, a privately-owned security program available in most major airports, allows members to cut security lines with its "touchless" ID verification system. 

In other words, you pay $189 a year to scan your eyeballs or fingerprints instead of pulling out your driver's license. Then, you get escorted to the front of the airport security line (while receiving a fair amount of jealous glares). 

But this summer, more Clear members will be required to show their ID, according to a recent report from the Washington Post — creating a pain in the neck for travelers paying top dollar for the expedited airport service amid peak travel season. 

While it may seem like a minor change, increasing ID checks for Clear members could upend the company's already fragile competitive edge. TSA PreCheck, which costs $78 for five years, is more affordable and also gives travelers expedited screening options, like the ability to keep your shoes on.

The random ID checks are part of a growing push to enhance Clear's screening protocols. The company's verification process was called into question by lawmakers in December following a security breach involving the program that took place last summer. 

TSA declined to elaborate further on the incident due to its classification as Sensitive Security Information (SSI), defined as "information that, if publicly released would be detrimental to transportation security." 

A spokesperson for Clear said the company has an "extraordinary security track record." 

"In the summer of 2022 there was a single case of human error, which was addressed immediately," she added. "In the rare event of a human error we take immediate personnel, policy and retraining action similar to TSA."

TSA to verify the identities of all Clear members going forward

In the future, all Clear members will have their identity verified by the TSA, either physically or digitally, a spokesperson for the agency told Insider. The agency has not yet determined when the new ID requirement will be implemented, the TSA said. 

In order to comply with the TSA's verification standards and keep its "touchless" screening process, Clear is working with the DHS and TSA to develop new digital identity technology, a company spokesperson told Insider.

"The implementation of these new standards will digitally transmit a passenger's identifying information from CLEAR to next-generation TSA hardware at airport checkpoints and avoid any need for passengers to show their IDs," she told Insider. "We look forward to rolling this out in the future to create an even more seamless, secure traveler experience while avoiding disruption for passengers as travel continues to surge."

But until that technology is available, TSA will continue to randomly check members' IDs. Clear did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about when the new digital identity standards will roll out in airports. 

A TSA spokesperson said the agency is working with Clear to ensure compliance with TSA security requirements for Registered Traveler programs, including the future use of Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) units for passenger identity and flight screening status verification. 

"TSA is responsible for ensuring that all systems and programs, including those provided by private companies, meet requisite standards and will take necessary steps to ensure security needs are met," the spokesperson said. "Accurate and reliable verification of passenger identity is foundational to aviation security and effective screening by TSA."

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