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Clear Secure, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 25 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and bookings both grew: Fourth quarter revenue was $240.8 million, up 16.7%. Total Bookings were $287.1 million, up 25.4%, as reported in the release. Source
  • Bookings growth reaccelerated this quarter: Management described bookings growth as reaccelerating from prior quarters. The prior release showed Q3 2025 Total Bookings up 14.3%. Source
  • Total CLEAR Members reached 38.0 million: Total CLEAR Members were 37,998 thousand at year-end, up 31.5% year over year, per the Key Performance Indicators table. Source
  • Active CLEAR+ Members grew 6.0%: Active CLEAR+ Members were 7.6 million in the fourth quarter on the recast basis described in the release, up 6.0% year over year. Source
  • Q4 Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 33.2%: Adjusted EBITDA was $79.9 million, a 33.2% margin, 870 basis points higher than a year earlier, per the release. Source
  • Annual CLEAR+ retention declined: Annual CLEAR+ Gross Dollar Retention was 86.4% in Q4 2025, against 88.5% in Q4 2024, and below 88% in each quarter of 2025. Source
  • Q4 free cash flow of $187.4 million: Operating cash flow was $198.4 million in the quarter and Free Cash Flow $187.4 million, against $133.9 million of Free Cash Flow a year earlier. Source

“We exited the year with accelerating top line growth, delivered record full year profitability and free cash flow”

Caryn Seidman Becker, CLEAR’s CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFirst quarter 2026$242-245 millionNew
Total Bookings SourceFirst quarter 2026$248-253 millionNew
Free Cash Flow SourceFull year 2026at least $440 millionNew
Quarterly dividend SourcePayable March 24, 2026$0.15 per shareRaised from $0.125 per share
Special dividend SourcePayable March 24, 2026$0.20 per shareNew
Share repurchase authorization SourceAggregate remaining authorizationapproximately $250.3 million after a $125.0 million increaseRaised

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First quarter 2026 revenue and Total Bookings guidance given in this release. Source
  • New guidance: Full year 2026 Free Cash Flow guidance given in this release. Source
  • Ended: Full year 2025 Free Cash Flow guidance period closed; the prior release had raised it from at least $310 million to at least $320 million.
  • New: Multi-year partnership with American Express renewed, continuing CLEAR+ as an embedded benefit on Platinum Card and other card products. Source
  • New: Total Cumulative Enrollments renamed Total CLEAR Members, with no change to calculation methodology. Source
  • New: Prior period Active CLEAR+ Members recast to remove certain lapsed accounts identified in a 2025 billing system project. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and bookings both grew: Fourth quarter revenue was $240.8 million, up 16.7%. Total Bookings were $287.1 million, up 25.4%, as reported in the release. Source
  • Bookings growth reaccelerated this quarter: Management described bookings growth as reaccelerating from prior quarters. The prior release showed Q3 2025 Total Bookings up 14.3%. Source
  • Full-year revenue and bookings grew: Full-year 2025 revenue was $900.8 million, up 16.9%, and Total Bookings were $977.2 million, up 17.2%. Source

Members and CLEAR+ subscriptions

  • Total CLEAR Members reached 38.0 million: Total CLEAR Members were 37,998 thousand at year-end, up 31.5% year over year, per the Key Performance Indicators table. Source
  • Active CLEAR+ Members grew 6.0%: Active CLEAR+ Members were 7.6 million in the fourth quarter on the recast basis described in the release, up 6.0% year over year. Source
  • Platform uses reached 295.9 million: Total Cumulative Platform Uses were 295,907 thousand at quarter end, against 234,842 thousand at the end of Q4 2024. Source

“The momentum we are seeing across CLEAR Travel and CLEAR1, combined with rising demand for secure, high-fidelity identity, underscores that we are at an inflection point for both CLEAR and our industry.”

Caryn Seidman Becker, CLEAR’s CEO

Airports, partners and CLEAR1

  • EGates now at 37 airports: eGates launched across 37 airports as of the release date, up from 10 airports in the prior release, with network-wide rollout planned for 2026. Source
  • CLEAR+ at 60 airports, 340 retail sites: CLEAR+ operated at 60 airports and 340 retail locations offering TSA PreCheck enrollment provided by CLEAR as of December 31, 2025. Source
  • CLEAR Concierge at 27 airports: CLEAR Concierge, a premium on-demand airport service, is offered at 27 airports, up from 23 in the prior release. Source
  • CLEAR1 posted record enterprise signings: CLEAR1 delivered its largest bookings quarter to date and set another record for new enterprise customers signed in the quarter. Source

Margins and costs

  • Q4 Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 33.2%: Adjusted EBITDA was $79.9 million, a 33.2% margin, 870 basis points higher than a year earlier, per the release. Source
  • Full-year Adjusted EBITDA margin 29.1%: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $262.2 million, a 29.1% margin, up 480 basis points year over year. Source
  • Q4 operating margin of 22.4%: Operating income was $53.9 million in the quarter, a 22.4% operating margin, against $34.1 million a year earlier. Source
  • Prior-year tax benefit shaped net income: Q4 2024 net income of $116.6 million included a $165.8 million income tax benefit; Q4 2025 included $10.3 million of income tax expense. Source
  • Revenue share fees and D&A rose: Revenue share fee cost was $35.4 million, against $29.1 million a year earlier; depreciation and amortization was $13.9 million, against $7.0 million. Source

“With a robust balance sheet, expanding partnerships and a compelling innovation roadmap, we are entering 2026 from a position of strength.”

Caryn Seidman Becker, CLEAR’s CEO

Demand, retention and usage

  • Annual CLEAR+ retention declined: Annual CLEAR+ Gross Dollar Retention was 86.4% in Q4 2025, against 88.5% in Q4 2024, and below 88% in each quarter of 2025. Source
  • Five-quarter Total Bookings trend: Total Bookings were $228.9 million in Q4 2024, $207.2 million in Q1 2025, $222.9 million in Q2, $260.1 million in Q3 and $287.1 million in Q4. Source
  • Annual CLEAR+ usage held near 7.0x: Annual CLEAR+ Member Usage was 7.0x in Q4 2025, against 7.1x in Q4 2024, per the release's Key Performance Indicators table. Source

Cash, balance sheet and capital returns

  • Q4 free cash flow of $187.4 million: Operating cash flow was $198.4 million in the quarter and Free Cash Flow $187.4 million, against $133.9 million of Free Cash Flow a year earlier. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow of $343.1 million: Full-year operating cash flow was $372.5 million and Free Cash Flow $343.1 million, against $283.7 million of Free Cash Flow in 2024. Source
  • Class A buybacks fell in 2025: Repurchases of Class A Common Stock were $126.3 million in 2025, against $272.9 million in 2024, per the cash flow statement. Source
  • Cash, securities and deferred revenue balances: Cash and cash equivalents were $85.7 million and marketable securities $614.4 million at December 31, 2025. Deferred revenue was $516.2 million. Source
  • Q4 capital returned to shareholders: About $16.7 million was returned to shareholders in Q4 2025 through the regular quarterly dividend of $0.125 per share and distributions. Source

Coming up, as management said on 25 February 2026

  • Dividends payable March 24, 2026: Quarterly and special cash dividends are payable March 24, 2026, to holders of record as of the close of business on March 10, 2026. Source
  • Network-wide eGates rollout in 2026: Management said the eGates network-wide rollout is planned for 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Active CLEAR+ Members (subscriptions) Source7,616 thousand
Total CLEAR Members (customer count) Source37,998 thousand
Total Bookings (billings) Source$287.1 million
Annual CLEAR+ Gross Dollar Retention Source86.4%

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said eGates are on track for a network-wide rollout in 2026. Source
  • Not stated: Reaffirmed in the prior release. This release reports 480 basis points of full-year Adjusted EBITDA margin expansion, with no status stated.
  • Not stated: Raised in the prior release. This release does not state whether the target was met.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.