United credit cards

  Chase Credit Cards, Airline Credit Cards

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Business Version Available

Annual Fee

$95, waived first year

Current Offer

45,000 miles, with $3,000 initial spend, plus 5,000 miles for an authorized cardholder, plus a $100 statement credit Offer Link.

Or 50,000 miles, with $3,000 initial spend, but no credit and no authorized user bonus Offer Link.

($620 net value, 21/$)

Typical Signup Offer

40,000 United miles, plus 5,000 for authorized user

$2,000 initial spend

($510 net value, .26/$)

Signup Bonus Chart

Bonus Categories

2x United Purchases

2x Restaurants

2x Hotels (booked directly)

1x Everywhere Else

No Foreign Transaction Fee

If you frequently fly on United Airlines, you should get one of the United Airlines cards, to take advantage of free checked bag, priority boarding privileges, and increased access to United award space.

Jump to

• United Card Options
• Signup Bonus
• Other Notable Benefits
• Extra Benefits from the United Club Card
• Bonus Categories

United Credit Card Options

There are five different United Airlines credit cards.

• United Explorer Card. The normal version of the card is the main focus of the guide, and will typically be the first choice of anyone who wants the card for its ongoing benefits and/or signup bonus.
• Explorer Business version. The business version provides a few extra benefits, that are unlikely to be very valuable. Every year you spend $25,000 with the card, you'll earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles. And you can earn 2x miles at restaurants, gas stations, and office supply stores (rather than at restaurants and hotels). Chase Webpage. United Webpage.
• United Club Card. The premium version of the United Card includes a membership in the United Club, but has a $450 annual fee. It is only interesting to people who would otherwise have considered purchasing a United club membership. Chase Webpage. United Webpage.
• Club Business version. The business version is essentially identical to the personal version of the Club card, except for the signup bonus. The normal signup bonus on this card is only a $100 statement credit. Chase Webpage.
• United TravelBank Card. The no-annual-fee version doesn't come with the any valuable United travel benefits, and doesn't earn useful reward rates. As a result, there is little reason to get the card other than a small signup bonus ($150), and a 25% discount on inflight food and beverage purchases. Chase Webpage. United Webpage.

Collecting the Signup Bonus

• It is worth signing up for this card, just to collect the signup bonus. After subtracting the annual fee and the opportunity cost of using the card for $mile of spending, the calculated net value for the initial year is $40000 ( cents per dollar spent). You can earn an additional 5,000 points, by adding an authorized cardholder, as long as they make their first purchase within the first three months after you sign up for the card.

After subtracting the opportunity cost of using the card for $2,000 of spending, the calculated net value of the sign-up is $510 (26 cents per dollar spent). Your value may be higher or lower, depending on how much you value the United miles. How Much are Points Worth?

• You may be able to earn the signup bonuses from both the personal and business version of the card. If you have any kind of side business, you are entitled to apply for business cards. If so, you can earn the signups from either or both versions. Unlock Extra Reward Points with Business Credit Cards.
• Higher 50,000 mile signup offers are currently available. You can get 50,000 versus 40,000 points on the business version (via the regular webpages) and the personal version (via a special link). A 50,000 point offer is also available for the United Club versions, which normally only offer a $100 sign-up.
• You don't usually want to sign up for the United Club card, unless you really want the Club access. You would wind up paying a very high annual fee, in order to earn the same or worse signup offer as the regular version of the card, and all of these cards are still affected by the Chase 5/24 rule.
• It is difficult to collect a signup bonus a 2^nd time, because of the Chase 5/24 rule. Normally, you are eligible for a Chase signup bonus, if you haven't already earned the bonus from the same card during the last two years. However, due to the Chase 5/24 rule, if you've been signing up for other cards, you won't be able to get approved when you reapply. You'll need get under the 5/24 limit before you can earn one of the bonuses again. Dealing with the Chase 5/24 Rule.

Other Notable Benefits

• Free checked bags. The first checked bag is free for the primary cardholder and up to one companion. Get Free Checked Bags with Airline Credit Cards.
• Expanded award availability. Increased availability for "saver" level awards. You can also book any available seats as award tickets, if you are willing to pay enough miles.
• 25% inflight discount. Good for the purchase of wi-fi, food, and drinks.
• Free roadside assistance. The roadside assistance benefit that comes with most credit cards simply connects you a to nearby service provider. But this card actual pays for your roadside assistance services, including towing, lockout assistance, spare tire installation, jump starts, or emergency fuel. Up to $50 per incident. Get Free or Discounted Roadside Assistance with these Credit Cards.
• "Primary" rental car insurance. If you use this card to pay for your rental car, you'll get primary rental car insurance. Unlike the "secondary" insurance you get from most other cards, if you damage your rental car, you don't need to involve your personal auto insurance company. Credit Cards That Provide “Primary” Rental Car Coverage.
• $100 TSA fee credit. Every 4 years, you can receive an automatic reimbursement of your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee (up to $100).
• Access to Chase's Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection. Along with other Chase cards, you'll get access to Chase's luxury hotel program. When you use the program to book one of the participating hotels, you'll receive a set of valuable benefits, including free breakfast, late check-out, and a hotel-specific amenity (which is typically a $100 hotel, restaurant, or spa credit). Take Advantage of Luxury Hotel Programs for Valuable Extra Perks.
• Two United Club passes per year. Each one can be used one time (to admit a single person).
• Priority boarding.
• Access to the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. As with all Visa Signature cards, you'll get access to Visa's luxury hotel program. Whenever you book one of the 900+ participating hotels, you'll receive a set of valuable benefits, including free breakfast, late check-out, and a $25 food and beverage credit. The Visa program has slightly weaker benefits than the other luxury hotel programs, but includes a larger number of more affordable hotel options and a best price guarantee. Take Advantage of Luxury Hotel Programs for Valuable Extra Perks.
• Access to Visa Signature Offers. Your card entitles you to a set of special offers available from Visa.

Extra Benefits from the United Club Card

The $450 annual fee United Club card comes with a bunch of additional benefits.

• United Club membership. You can bring in your family, or up to two other adults. The full cost of purchasing a membership starts at $550. However, United elites get a discount on membership fees, so the real value of the membership is usually lower.
• "Premier Access". Cardholders and their companions get access to priority check-in, security, boarding, and baggage handling. However, most people who would be considering paying $450 per year for this card, in order to get the United Club membership, are likely to fly United enough to already have these benefits through their United elite status.
• Second bag free. The cardholder, and up to one guest, get two free checked bags, instead of just one.
• Waived close-in booking fees.
• Automatic Hyatt Discoverist status. This normally requires staying for 10 nights. You'll get access to a preferred room (upon availability), late checkout, enhanced internet service, and a bottle of water. Unfortunately, the card doesn't provide any boost to the much more interesting Explorist and Globalist status levels. Hyatt Status Benefits.
• Automatic Hertz President's Circle status.
• 1.5x miles on non-bonus category spending. This is not quite as good as earning 1.5x Ultimate Reward points with the Freedom Unlimited card, but it is close.

Bonus Categories

• You are better off making your United Airlines purchases with a card that earns a higher reward rate for airfare spending. 2x United miles is okay but not as good as what you'd earn from one of the better cards.Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending.
• There are better options for your hotel and restaurant purchases. The bonus category rewards from the personal version of this card are more valuable than what you would earn from a good general-purpose reward card, but you can earn even more valuable rewards from other cards. Best Credit Cards for Travel Spending. Best Credit Cards for Restaurant Spending.
• There are better options for your restaurant, office supply, and gas purchases. The bonus category rewards from the business version of this card are more valuable than what you would earn from a good general-purpose reward card, but you can earn even more valuable rewards from other cards. . Best Credit Cards for Restaurant Spending. Best Credit Cards for Gas Spending.
• You don't want to use these cards for your everyday spending. You'll earn higher rewards from a good general-purpose reward card. Get a Great General Purpose Reward Card and Use It for All of Your Spending.

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