United credit cards: Perks and benefits explained
Quick insights
- You can earn United MileagePlus® miles on eligible United purchases, which can be redeemed for future flights on United and its partner airlines.
- There are four United personal credit cards: United Gateway℠ Card, United℠ Explorer Card, United Quest℠ Card and United Club℠ Card.
- Chase United credit cards can be a great option for travelers who value perks like free standard checked bags (terms apply), statement credits and more.
If you're a frequent flyer or just want to travel more, a travel credit card can be a good way to earn rewards toward your next trip while also enjoying a range of travel perks. Selecting an airline credit card, such as one of the United credit card options from Chase, can help enhance your travel experience through rewards, travel perks and airport lounge access.
There are a variety of benefits for travelers and many ways to earn miles through the United MileagePlus® ProgramOpens overlay. Learn more about the Chase United credit cards and their benefits to help find the right card for you.
United credit card offers and perks
Across the suite of United credit cards, cardmembers may enjoy a variety of offers and perks, including:
- Earn miles: Each United card offers great opportunities to earn miles on travel, dining and everyday purchases. While every card has everyday earning capabilities, certain cards have accelerated earning opportunities. Go to the United Credit Cards site for the latest information.
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit: Some United cards qualify for a statement credit every four years after cardmembers complete either the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application and charge the application fee to their eligible United card.
- Bonus miles: United credit cards provide new cardmember welcome bonus offers. Eligible cardmembers must meet spending minimums in a specific amount of time to earn the bonus offer. Go to the United Credit Cards site for the latest information about bonus miles for each card.
- MileagePlus Program benefits: The United credit cards offer cardmembers MileagePlus benefits, including the opportunity to earn Premier® qualifying points (PQP) on eligible cards.
- 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases: The United credit cards offer 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your United Card.
- Travel protections: United cards provide certain travel protection benefits, including Auto Rental Coverage and Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance. Coverage types and amounts vary by card.
United credit card options
There are four United personal credit cards, each with a unique set of perks and ways to earn miles when making purchases.
All United cards maximize rewards on United flights and earn at least 1x miles on other purchases. Of note, mileage earning differs for Basic Economy tickets on United flights, and Premier members may earn even more.
Benefits and annual fees vary for each credit card.
United Gateway℠ Card
Benefits of the United Gateway℠ Card include:
- 5x total miles on eligible United flights (3x miles on the Primary Cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 2x miles on entire United purchase with the United Gateway℠ Card)
- 2x miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2x miles at gas stations and on local transit and commuting
- Two free checked bags per flight after you spend $10,000 in a calendar year (terms apply)
United℠ Explorer Card
Benefits of the United℠ Explorer Credit Card include:
- 9x total miles on eligible United flights (6x miles on the Primary Cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 3x miles on entire United purchase with United Explorer℠ Card)
- 3x miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2x miles on dining, including eligible delivery services, and on hotel stays when booked directly with the hotel
- 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year after account opening and on each anniversary
- Free first standard checked bag (terms apply)
- Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 on purchases each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight
- Earn a $100 United® travel credit after you spend $10,000 on purchases with your United℠ Explorer Card within a calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit
- Priority boarding on United flights
- 1 Premier® qualifying point (PQP) for every $20 spent on purchases with your Explorer Card, up to 1,000 per year
United Quest℠ Card
The following rewards and perks are included with United Quest℠ Card:
- 10x total miles on eligible United flights (6x miles on the Primary Cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 4x miles on entire United purchase with United Quest℠ Card)
- 4x miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2x miles on all other travel, dining (including eligible delivery services) and select streaming services
- 5x miles on hotel accommodations when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- A $200 United travel credit after account opening and on each account anniversary
- A 10,000-mile discount to use toward an eligible award flight, starting on your first anniversary and every year thereafter
- A 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 on purchases each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight
- Two global Economy Plus® seat upgrades after spending $40,000 on purchases each calendar year
- Free first and second standard checked bags (terms apply)
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit
- Priority boarding on United flights
- 1,000 Card Bonus Premier® qualifying points (PQP) each year
- 1 Premier® qualifying point (PQP) for every $20 spent on purchases with your Quest Card, up to 18,000 PQP per year
United Club℠ Card
In addition to United Club℠ membership (at least a $750 annual value), United Club℠ card benefits include:
- 11x total miles on eligible United flights (6x miles on the Primary Cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member, plus 5x miles on entire United purchase with United Club℠ Card)
- 5x miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2x miles on other travel and dining including eligible delivery services
- Free first and second standard checked bags (terms apply)
- A 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 in purchases to use toward an eligible award flight—up to two times each calendar year
- Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS statement credit
- 1,500 Card Bonus Premier® qualifying points (PQP) each year
- 1 PQP for every $15 spent on purchases with your Club Card, up to 28,000 PQP per year
- Premier Access® travel service which includes additional perks like priority check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage handling services (where available)
Are the United credit cards worth it?
United credit cards can be a way to earn travel rewards for both frequent and occasional United flyers. These credit cards come with useful benefits when flying with United which may include free checked bags (terms apply), priority boarding, seat upgrades and statement credits for inflight purchases. Additionally, you can also redeem your earned miles to fly with United Airlines partners.
United cards earn rewards miles at different rates, but all cards earn the most rewards for United flights as well as at least 1 mile per dollar spent on most purchases. In addition, United cards provide travel protection benefits and new cardmember welcome bonus offers. If you decide to apply for a United credit card, evaluate the card benefits to determine if it's a good fit. Annual fees and benefits vary by card.
