Using KTN/PASSID before Global Entry Final Approval?
 

I noticed after submitting my GE application on GOES that a PASSID is assigned even though my app is "pending review" (submitted yesterday).

Anyone tried using it as KTN for domestic pre-check prior prior to advancing to "conditional approval / pending interview" or even just prior to interview and approval.

I didn't but I'm not too sure I knew back then that the PASSID was going to be my KTN. I'd guess if you put it in your airline profile before approval and it was submitted for a flight it would just get kicked out as not a valid or active KTN. I suppose the risk, and I think it's slight, is that the KTN would somehow be labelled as invalid and that would stick even if you were subsequently approved. Probably a no harm no foul situation.

You can use the number, but don't expect it to be the factor that increases PreCheck LLL outcome frequency -- it won't be until sometime after final approval.

Been there, done that. Doesn't get you PreCheck until interview/final approval.

Mrs. K was reading this thread over my shoulder and reminded me of what happened/happens with the DoD generated KTN. TSA is supplied the whole list of every DoD employee's traveler number, uniformed or civilian, but until the individual goes through DoD's activation routine it just sits in the database. Not every DoD employee travels so many have not bothered to activate the number that's on the back of their ID card. So you have in essence a good or valid number but it can't be used or at least nothing happens if you try to use it.

Why would active uniformed military need to go through an individual activation routine for TSA PreCheck? The CAC's DOD ID numbers for such people need to be activated by such individuals for PreCheck even though they don't need to opt-in, unlike other DOD CAC users? This seems like a TSA propaganda exercise.

For those who may not know, DOD employees aren't issued a KTN per se for PreCheck purposes; rather the existing ID number on the DOD CACs are eligible to be used as a KTN once activated by the employees/contractors (an opt-in being required from many but not all with a CAC).

Beats me but that's the process that's in place. Now the activation process is no big deal and once it's done an individual can start populating their airline profiles with their DoD ID number in the KTN field. I suppose DoD could have auto populated the Defense Travel System themselves but they didn't for whatever reason.

Interestingly you can't use the DoD ID "KTN" for other trusted traveler programs. For example, Mrs. K has her DoD ID number, she activated it, put it in her profiles, and was/is getting PreCheck pretty much 100% of the time for official and personal travel. We go to get me GE, mostly for PreCheck though we do some personal foreign travel, and we ask the CBP agent about her "KTN" and GE. Turns out you can't share that number with other programs and have to go through the whole process. We validated that with other sources....I love me my government employees as I was one for 42 years but they make mistakes:rolleyes::)....and she enrolled in GE and now has a "real" KTN.

Using KTN/PASSID before Global Entry Final Approval?
 

I am conditionally approved for Global Entry, and have an interview almost 3 months from now, due to circumstances.

The conditional approval letter provided what will become my KTN (Known Traveler Number).

Can I begin using it now, even though I haven't had my interview? I've seen some say that it can be a problem to schedule reservations and later add the KTN - in some cases I'm scheduling or have scheduled trips beyond the interview date, but of course the date hasn't yet occurred.

Should I enter the KTN into the airlines I book with? Or do I need to wait until the interview has actually happened and I have been approved?

Thanks.

If you use a KTN before you are approved and are a KT / trusted traveler isn't that essentially a falsehood? I'd certainly not risk it. (I'd try to get an earlier interview, perhaps on a drop in basis.)

You actually get your future KTN as soon as you register on GOES and receive a membership # / PASSID. (Even if you never apply for anything you still get assigned these digits)

your PASSID # will be used as your KTN if approved. It will NOT WORK for TSA Pre until you are fully approved.

I doubt anything negative will happen if you attempt to try to input it before you're approved, they just won't find a match in their system for it and won't give you precheck. No different than if you put in random numbers or typoed a number. But there's no point trying it since it won't work.

This is my experience, needed the # activated with the physical card before use.

I'll move this to another forum with more insight.

~beckoa, co-moderator Information Desk

I think GE approval is required, but not the GE card. When I applied for GE, there was no GE card. CBP started to distribute GE cards around mid-2011 (?), but they did not automatically send GE cards to those who had GE before cards were issued.

I think that even if you entered it now it would do you no good and might even cause trouble. What you need to do is to add it when you have been granted GE and have the airline "refresh" your reservation to make sure that it has been added to the record.

Could be... I didn't get mine until 2014. But IIRC the letter did indicate we needed to register the card with a code pre-printed on the back of the card before it would work (could be wrong).

The card itself will not be valid until it has been activated; however, the GE membership and its ancillary benefits (PreCheck) are active as soon as approval is indicated in GOES.