Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker Talks TSA Delays, Competition

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bloomberg Talks — Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker Talks TSA Delays, Competition
Date: April 6, 2026
Guest: Caryn Seidman-Becker, Chairman and CEO of Clear
Host: Bloomberg (plus co-host)

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Overview

This episode dives into how Clear, the biometric identity verification company, is navigating a period of increased travel chaos—fueled by uneven TSA wait times and operational challenges—while doubling down on innovation, partnerships, and expansion into new sectors. Caryn Seidman-Becker discusses Clear’s evolving product line, the company’s wins during recent TSA issues, expansion beyond airports, pricing strategy, public-private partnerships, and how Clear is building the future of secure, frictionless identities in travel and beyond.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Surging Demand for Frictionless Travel ([00:40]-[02:55])

• TSA Issues Driving Demand:
  • The recent TSA chaos (partially due to government shutdowns) has underlined travelers’ need for predictable, seamless solutions—creating a surge in Clear’s visibility and user adoption.
  • “Travel is hard and getting harder and travelers want solutions…we introduced a lot of new products right ahead of this.” – Caryn Seidman-Becker [01:29]
• New Offerings:
  • Clear rolled out a relaunched mobile app, ‘home to gate’ capabilities, popular eGates (now in 40 airports), and expanded concierge and pre-check products.
  • Clear holds a significant share in the pre-check enrollment market.
• Trust and Security:
  • Seidman-Becker emphasizes the critical importance of a secure, trusted identity platform, not just for travel but across sectors like critical infrastructure and healthcare.
  • “This is a really massively important time to be a secure identity platform… Trust is massively important.” [02:17]

2. Global Expansion and Inclusion ([02:55]-[03:46])

• International Users Now Welcome:
  • Clear now allows 42 visa waiver countries (including Canada, UK, South Korea, Japan) to enroll using their passports via mobile—timely ahead of large international events like the World Cup.
  • “This is a really transformational time in travel… we should lead in travel experiences and security.” [03:09]
• Calls for U.S. Innovation:
  • Seidman-Becker points out that competing global cities (Singapore, London, Tokyo) already surpass the U.S. in travel experience and innovation.

3. Privatizing TSA and the Role of Public-Private Partnerships ([03:46]-[05:08])

• Advocacy for Privatization:
  • Seidman-Becker strongly supports a public-private partnership approach, citing Clear’s ability to rapidly deploy new technology at no taxpayer cost.
  • She clarifies it's not just about privatization: successful models blend government intelligence/oversight with private sector speed and customer experience.
  • “You can't let us travelers be a political football… I'd call it public-private partnership.” [04:08]
• Examples of Success:
  • Airports like Kansas City and San Francisco, with strong public-private setups, coped better during shutdowns.

4. Partnering with Airports: What Sells Clear? ([05:08]-[05:58])

• Convincing Airports:
  • Clear covers ~75% of the U.S. network, aiming for the final airports by demonstrating customer experience wins and significant revenue sharing.
  • “This year we’ll pay over $130 million to our airport partners that they can use for infrastructure… It’s a no-brainer at this point.” [05:19]

5. Beyond Airports: Healthcare Expansion ([05:58]-[06:57])

• New Use Cases:
  • Clear is now used in hospitals—patients can skip desk security, a process praised by the host’s real-life experience.
  • Seidman-Becker sees healthcare as a massive, transformative opportunity: from compliance and privacy to interoperability and payments.
  • “Killing the clipboard… enroll once and use everywhere for check-in for your electronic health record.” [06:21]

6. Pricing Strategy in a Stretched Consumer Market ([06:57]-[07:46])

• Flexibility in Pricing:
  • Despite the headline $209/year price, average revenue per user is lower due to partner deals/discounts.
  • Future pricing increases hinge on delivering more value, new services, and improved experiences—such as concierge features.
  • “Pricing is about bringing consumers and partners value… as we drive value, you can continue to drive the price.” [07:12]

7. Expansion Gaps & Persistent Advocacy ([07:46]-[08:11])

• Terminal Holdouts:
  • Listener asks when Clear will come to JetBlue’s JFK Terminal 5—Seidman-Becker says she is “indefatigable” and optimistic, noting persistence (“Indefatigable is one of our core values. Persistent and tireless.”) [07:58]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the value of Clear during TSA delays:
  • “People’s love of Clear grew significantly during this time period.” – Caryn Seidman-Becker [02:08]
• Expanding global access:
  • “42 visa waiver countries can now enroll in Clear... this is all ahead of the World Cup. You can do it all on your mobile phone with your passport.” [03:09]
• On public-private innovation:
  • “We’ve got to let the private sector do what they do well, which is innovation, speed, and customer experience, whereas the government is great at intelligence and analysis.” [04:08]
• On transforming healthcare check-in:
  • “Killing the clipboard... being able to enroll once and use everywhere for check-in for your electronic health record.” [06:21]
• Core value of persistence:
  • “Indefatigable is one of our core values. Persistent and tireless.” [07:58]

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Timeline of Important Segments

• [00:40]–[02:55]: TSA chaos fuels Clear’s growth; new product launches
• [02:55]–[03:46]: Expansion to international travelers, U.S. lag in travel innovation
• [03:46]–[05:08]: Privatization debate and public-private partnership advantages
• [05:08]–[05:58]: How Clear gets airports on board; revenue-sharing incentives
• [05:58]–[06:57]: Clear’s move into healthcare and broader identity solutions
• [06:57]–[07:46]: Pricing philosophy and ARPU strategy
• [07:46]–[08:11]: The push for Clear in JetBlue JFK terminal, company persistence

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Conclusion

Caryn Seidman-Becker positions Clear as a crucial player at the intersection of travel, technology, and secure identity management, advocating for deeper private sector involvement and continuous innovation. The conversation reveals Clear’s aggressive expansion both within and outside airports, its attention to pricing amid consumer pressure, and its resilience-driven company culture. For anyone invested in the future of travel, secure identification, or digital health, this episode offers both practical insights and a passionate vision for transformation.

Transcript

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[Karen Seidman Becker]

Bloomberg Audio Studios podcasts Radio

[Podcast Host]

news let's talk travel. The worst of the TSA chaos may be easing, but wait. Times remain uneven, especially at major hubs like Newark and jfk. The question now is whether that surge in demand for services like Clear can last for more. We're joined by Karen Seidman Becker, Chairman and CEO of Clear. And I say services like Clear, but is there anything else like Clear? I don't think other than tsa, broadly

[Karen Seidman Becker]

speaking, I don't think so. I think we're one of a kind.

[Podcast Host]

So you must have gotten a big boost from your initial agreement with American Express. At least everybody in this office started to use Clear when that came through and I know you've renewed that. How much have you gained from the TSA issues that we've had during this government, partial government shutdown?

[Karen Seidman Becker]

I think what you saw in this government shutdown is that travel is hard and getting harder and that travelers want solutions. And so we introduced a lot of new products right ahead of this. I would say, coincidentally, that got a lot of awareness from this shutdown, whether it be our relaunched mobile app and the home to gate capabilities, whether it be our beloved Egates, which we're still rolling out and are in 40 airports today and are totally magical, or whether it be our concierge and precheck products. We have a significant percentage of the pre check enrollment market. And I think what's important travelers want predictable, frictionless experiences. This was anything but.

[Podcast Co-host]

So did you get a lot of big boost to subscriptions over this period then?

[Karen Seidman Becker]

I think people's love of Clear grew significantly during this time period.

[Podcast Host]

Surely you see the numbers. Don't you see the numbers? I don't say bring them to your desk every day.

[Karen Seidman Becker]

I do see the numbers. I do see the numbers. And, and I think we reported a very strong fourth quarter before this happened. And I think the strength that we saw, and broadly speaking, the need to have a secure identity platform for travel. But also we're seeing growth, significant growth. We called it escape velocity in the last quarter in our enterprise Business. So workforce security and keeping North Koreans out of critical infrastructure, health care, and fighting fraud, waste and abuse in Medicare and other areas. This is a really massively important time to be a secure identity platform and to be a trusted brand. And trust is massively important.

[Podcast Host]

And you're knocking down, it seems like, barriers left and right. I just heard that some people from other countries who previously couldn't use Clear because they don't have a US ID or passport can now use Clear.

[Karen Seidman Becker]

That is true. So 42 visa waiver countries can now enroll in Clear. So we're seeing a lot of Canadians, uk, South Koreans, Japanese, and this is all ahead of the World cup. And they can do it all on their mobile phone with their passport. And so this is a really transformational time in travel. And I also think that this administration has been really focused on having the US Lead in travel and innovation, because today we don't. Singapore, London, Tokyo, they all have better travel experiences than we do in the US and being that we are a leader in innovation, we should lead in travel experiences and security.

[Podcast Host]

What do you think about privatizing the tsa? Because in my experience, and it's obviously only anecdotal, clear brings me straight through to the X ray machine and then I'm stuck waiting forever in a lot of instances, right. If, if, if we privatize the tsa, does that part of the equation get even? Even better?

[Karen Seidman Becker]

So certainly in the budget that was released last week, the Trump administration talked about privatization. It is something that we advocate very strongly for. The power of public private partnership is really important. These gates we were able to roll out, or we are rolling out at no cost to taxpayers. So we've got to drive innovation and we've got to let the private sector do what they do well, which is innovation and pro and speed and customer experience, whereas the government really is great at intelligence and analysis. And so I think the two together and adding more capital to your point to the physical screening piece, to the home to gate experience is really important. And I think there's so much more that we can be doing there. And I think privatization and public, it's not just privatization, because you see Kansas City and San Francisco places where you do have stronger public private partnerships, and they functioned much better during the shutdown. You can't let us track travelers. Be a political football. So I do think I'd call it public private partnership.

[Podcast Co-host]

What are conversations with airports like when you want to get clear added? What do they need to see? What does it take to convince them is it money is it spending, what is it to get it rolled out in more places?

[Karen Seidman Becker]

So innovation is about bringing people what they did not know they wanted. And for a long time people didn't know they wanted biometrics. Today we cover about 75% of the US network. So we're trying really hard to get those last airports on board. You know, I think that they need to see the customer experience, experience in other markets. I think they need to see the revenue share in other markets. Because clear this year we'll pay over $130 million to our airport partners that they can use for infrastructure which is badly needed or other investments that they want. And so each airport is different and we are working real hard on each one because customers want it, security is enhanced, efficiency is enhanced. You just saw that. It's a no brainer at this point.

[Podcast Host]

By the way I went for recently, I can't remember what it was like a blood test or something at a hospital here in New York. And I was surprised to hear them ask me if I had clear. And then I was just whisked straight through to, to the doctor's office rather than, you know, going through all the rigmarole at the security checkpoint at the front desk. How much are you expanding beyond airports? How much of your business is that?

[Karen Seidman Becker]

We think health care is an enormous opportunity. You look at compliance, privacy, security and customer experience, they have their own challenges and interoperability. So killing the clipboard and being able to enroll once and use it everywhere for check in for your electronic health record, those are records, you should be able to share them with anybody instantly. Just like you can wire money and, and then also payment. And so health care is a huge opportunity. We are partnered at the hospital level, we're partnered at the EPIC and the EHR level, we're partnered at the government level. Rural health transformation, it's a huge opportunity.

[Podcast Co-host]

How are you thinking about pricing? Clear +209 a year. Can you move that up? Are people willing to pay it? Are you? How do you think about different tiers? How, how is pricing existing in America when such a big conversation is happening right now that the consumer is stretched

[Karen Seidman Becker]

so our average revenue per user is less than 209 because there's lots of different ways that people can enroll. And so the way we think about driving ARPU or pricing is really through new services. And so we have taken pricing over the past few years because the service has massively improved. I believe that pricing is about bringing consumers and partners value. And as we've continued to drive the value. You can continue to drive the pric. So things like concierge and other partnerships really bring value to our customers and then drive our pricing as well.

[Podcast Host]

I have a viewer writing in and says when can we get clear at the JetBlue JFK terminal? And by the way, I wonder if naming and shaming works right? Because they're supposed to be a cutting edge airline, right? And they've got this whole new terminal.

[Karen Seidman Becker]

So we agree. We love Terminal 5 and I remain very hopeful. Indefatigable is one of our core values. Persistent and tireless. And so we Love New York. JetBlue is a new York company and I agree.

[Podcast Host]

All right, well we love having you on. Thanks so much for joining us. Hope you can come back. Karen Seidman Becker There she is, the Chairman and CEO of Clear.

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