The agreement provides that each company will pay the other an Interoperability Cost Sharing Fee (ICSF) each time one of their cardholders uses a lane operated by the other company. The ICSF is based on the cost of operating RT lanes. Both companies' kiosks at the RT lanes are programmed to record the company that issued the card being used, but in order to adhere to strict privacy protections and avoid tracking RT members' travel, the kiosks do not record the identity of an individual.

"This is a landmark step in the growth of this industry," said Clear founder and CEO Steven Brill. "When the program was first conceived," Brill explained, "the American Association of Airport Executives convened an 'interoperability consortium' of industry participants that created a model for this interoperability fee based on the sharing of the costs of operating the RT lane, divided by the number of people using them, which produces a number that is called a 'cost-per-verification.' The Clear-Vigilant agreement puts that model in action," Brill continued, "and in doing so, ensures the growth of a competitive national industry whose customers will be able to use the national network regardless of which of the competitors' cards they have purchased, while also ensuring that each company is compensated fairly for its costs in building and maintaining the national network."

The fee and the details of the agreement are being kept confidential between companies.

"We're delighted to be able to assure our Preferred Traveler members that they can use their cards at all of the airports where the lanes are equipped and staffed by Clear," said Julie Venditti, CTO of Vigilant. "The interoperability of the program among many airports will allow travelers to leave from one airport and return through another as seamlessly as possible. With long waits at security check-in lines at many of the busier airports, this program will greatly improve the travel experience for all travelers. This is a great step forward for Vigilant Solutions, Clear and also for our industry," Venditti added.

Clear and Vigilant members are pre-screened and, after application completion which involves providing iris and fingerprint images, receive a card that allows access to fast security lanes at participating airports nationwide.  

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