Playing Catch-Up In the Fast Lane

Brill has been aggressive in developing and adapting his Clear program. He's pushed for new technologies such as shoe scanners at Clear checkpoints and each day reads 100 comment cards from Clear members who review the service and suggest improvements.

And like FLO, it has started carting its enrollment kiosks to office buildings.

Clear intends to stick with its current model, Brill said. When it first began testing its card, the company asked participants in a focus group if they would like their smart card to act as a credit card.

"People got up and left the room," Brill said. "I've never seen such a negative reaction. When you start raising the idea of linking financial transactions, it gives people the willies."

Although FLO does not link to credit cards either, it has the added-benefits niche to itself.

At a recent Association of Corporate Travel Executives convention in Washington, a steady stream of corporate executives lined up to register for a FLO card.

"Do you want the State Department look," joked Duane Futch, director of Wal-Mart's global travel services, as he smiled for the camera, "or the I'm-really-enjoying-security look?"

The week before the convention, the company sent out an e-mail reminding attendees to bring their passport and driver's license for registration. The conventioneers had heard of Verified's Clear card. But the fact that they could sign up with FLO between workshops? Well, that was just too convenient.

At the end of the three-day conference, FLO had enrolled about 100 new members.

"The market will determine the winner -- or winners," Thomas said.