Why Is No One Using the Mobile Passport Control App?
Joe Cortez March 23, 2018
While many travelers expedite their arrival into the United States with Global Entry, another program is available for everyone else travelers – and it’s free to use. Mobile Passport Control allows flyers to fill out forms and answer common customs questions prior to landing. So why aren’t more flyers using it?
When many frequent flyers enter the United States, their first stop is to the Global Entry kiosk where they quickly fill out information about their trip before speaking with a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officer. However, what those who aren’t signed up for a trusted travel program don’t realize is that another option is available to quickly pass through the customs inspection.
Launched in 2014, Mobile Passport Control is a smartphone app authorized by CBP, with partners including Airports Council International-North America and Boeing. Using the app, travelers can do most of the administrative work upon landing at the airport, making their stop at the checkpoint easier.
On the plane, flyers answer five questions about their trip abroad. Once on the ground, those questions are sent to CBP via the cell phone data plan or wi-fi connection. If successful, the flyer will then get a QR-code receipt to hand to the inspecting CBP officer in dedicated Mobile Passport Control lines. The officer scans the code and may follow up by asking for additional information. If everything clears, the passenger is allowed entry while bypassing long customs lines.
According to Mobile Passport Control app developer Airside, their program was downloaded by over 3.2 million travelers using both Apple and Android devices. So why aren’t more flyers using the app?
First, Mobile Passport Control is only available to U.S. and Canadian flyers, while Global Entry is available to citizens of 11 nations (as long as they pass the background check and pay the $100 fee). Another potential hurdle is the limited number of airports where Mobile Passport Control is available. Currently, 24 airports participate in Mobile Passport Control, ranging from the nation’s largest to some smaller ports of entry, such as Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) and Sacramento International Airport (SMF). That is less than half of the number of airports that support Global Entry around the world.
Finally, there is the issue of flyer education. Although Mobile Passport Control has 3.2 million downloads, a 2014 press release from CBP claimed Global Entry had 1.8 million members, with the program receiving 50,000 new applications per month. In regards to popularity, Global Entry is much more visible and has the attention of more flyers.
Mobile Passport Control is free and available on Apple’s App Store and the Google Play store. Travelers who wish to use Mobile Passport Control are advised to download the app prior to departure.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
After trying to use it several times and having my form rejected, I learned that if you declare any food -- chocolate, a jar of mustard, ANYTHING--you have to go through the regular line. So for me it's useless.
I"m sorry that you feel that this extremely useful timesaver is "poorly thought out." I typically answer the five questions quickly and get the barcode before the plane is parked. I have never had an issue, and often beat folks with Global Entry out of the airport by using this free app. ExplorerWannabe, I'm curious how your (very well?) thought out project would be superior to this app? Perhaps you need improved cell phone or service before criticizing the government and this very good app because your phone doesn't work.
I found it was rather useless when I tried to use it. By the time I got a cell phone signal (no Wifi to speak of near debarkation) to use the app, I was already in line and had to put the phone away. Another poorly thought-out project from a generation of federal government that thought they could just throw IT at things.
If nobody uses Mobile Passport, it will not be funded in the future and disappear. So please do use it. The first time I used it, I cruised right through immigration. So did everyone using the kiosks--until the kiosks became full. So advantage: Mobile Passport. But---after a long wait for my bags to appear at the carousel, a long line had materialized to exit customs. Everyone had to wait in the same customs line, including Mobile Passport users. And when I finally made it through the line, the officer needed to see my mobile passport bar once more. This meant I had to find my IPad in one of my bags (where did I put it after showing it to the immigration officer earlier), and dig it out. Not terrible, but they could make it clear how many people need to look at the exact same thing, and when. The next time I used it, I cruised right through immigration again. There wasn't a line to exit customs, but this time I was ready, and had the iPad in my hand (and my bags in my hands too). But the officer didn't want to see it and just said continue out the door. So did the policy change, or is there really no policy about showing your bar code to customs (in addition to the immigration officer)?
It appears to be just another half thought out waste of time. No different than the previous attempts to speed things along with a patched up system instead of correcting the problem. If the WiFi works and if the semi trained monkeys direct you to the correct line it’s great. So far in eleven attempts I have successfully used it ONCE! Spotty WiFi in SFO and EWR, mis directed in SFO and LAX even after explaining the system to the trained monkeys.