Originally Posted by
rylan
Ok, yeah thats the CAT I'm thinking of and have experience with... and how poorly it works with IDs.
Normally I don't have an issue since I go through clear and they tap their device to the tsa CAT system and it recognizes me... but last time I got 'randomly selected' for an ID check and they inserted my license into the reader and it would not match my license picture to the picture it was taking from the camera. TSA guy then asked if I had another ID on me. Seriously? No this was a domestic flight I don't have my passport nor should I need it.
Had the same issue at other airport locations that don't have clear... if they inset my license its a crap shoot if it'll work or not. Then the TSA guy wipes my license, fiddles with it and it'll eventually work, or goes to another machine and it works. Said its because the one of the holograms on the license is lined up over my face. Seen other pax have same issues with these things as well.
If you have an iPhone, once iOS 26 rolls out in the fall there will be an option to add your passport to your Apple Wallet which in turn, will allow you to use it at TSA Checkpoints by tapping your phone on the reader just like the Clear agents do to verify yourself with the CAT system.
Clear is continuing to become more useless over time as more technology rolls out that’s better and faster than Clear.