Living near the border between Canada and the U.S, we found having a NEXUS card to be highly rewarding as we passed between the 2 countries. It's great to not have to be in long line-ups of traffic at the border, but it's also been outstanding when traveling overseas and returning back into either the U.S. or Canada! We're able to enjoy the benefits of the T.S.A. PreCheck and Global Entry at no extra cost and the cost of the Nexus card is an affordable $50.00 U.S. for 5 years. Children under the age of 18 do not have to pay an application fee for NEXUS.
The only challenge with NEXUS is that it takes about a month for a NEXUS application to be conditionally approved and the NEXUS interviews need to be conducted at a place where both CBP and CBSA officers are present, which mostly limits you to offices at US-Canada land border crossings or at the Canadian airports which have US preclearance facilities.
Check out this link, https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/nexus, for further information on the Nexus card.
For $100.00, if you're a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident you can get Global Entry as an alternative to the Nexus program that allows pre-approved travelers to skip the paperwork and processing lines when returning from international trips. Members are able to go directly to a kiosk to make any customs declarations and have their passport and fingerprint scanned before heading to baggage claim and the exit. They are also automatically enrolled in T.S.A. PreCheck. Travellers must undergo a background check, after applying online, and are given an appointment for an interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center to answer some questions, have fingerprints scanned and have a photo taken. Children traveling with parents are also required to have an interview and pay a separate fee for Global Entry.
Global Entry offers more for the money vs. the T.S.A. Pre-check considering it's just an extra $15.00 for Global Entry especially if you do any international travel within the 5 year time frame of the status. Clearly though, NEXUS offers even greater value than Global Entry at just 1/2 the cost and you don't necessarily have to regularly travel between Canada and the U.S. to make it worth your while.