Review
Updated
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
Offer status
This offer is unavailable on The Ascent. The information related to United℠ Explorer Card has been collected by The Ascent and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
If you find yourself taking flights with United often, you could save money and get some helpful travel benefits with the United℠ Explorer Card. The card is one of the airline's more affordable credit cards, but that's not for a lack of features. Learn more about its perks and how it compares with the best credit cards in this United℠ Explorer Card review.
2024 Award Winner
United℠ Explorer Card
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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Credit Score
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Intro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
21.99% - 28.99% Variable
Rewards Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
N/A
Annual Fee $0,First Year
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Earn 60,000 bonus miles
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With a big sign-up bonus and rewards for United and dining purchases, the miles will accumulate quickly if you're a frequent traveler.
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- Big sign-up bonus
- United, restaurant, and hotel rewards
- Free first checked bag
- Travel statement credits
- United travel benefits
- Annual fee
- No access to Polaris lounges
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- Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United® purchases
- Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- 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 Explorer Card
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United ClubSM with 2 one-time passes each year
- Member FDIC
The information related to United℠ Explorer Card has been collected by The Ascent and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
Credit card comparison
We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.
| Offer | Our Rating | Welcome Offer | Rewards Program | APR | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. N/A | 1% - 5% Cashback Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically. |
Intro: Purchases: 0%, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months Regular: 17.24% - 28.24% Variable APR |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
= Good
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Up to $300 cash back Earn an extra 1.5% on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) — worth up to $300 cash back. That's 6.5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 4.5% on dining and drugstores, and 3% on all other purchases. | 1.5% - 5% cash back Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases |
Intro: 0% Intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months Purchases: 0% Intro APR on Purchases, 15 months Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR on Balance Transfers, 15 months Regular: 20.49% - 29.24% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
On Chase's Secure Website. |
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Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
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= Excellent
= Good
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60,000 bonus points Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. | 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. |
Intro: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A Regular: 21.49%-28.49% Variable |
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
Full United Explorer Card review
This credit card is a good fit for: Rewards enthusiasts who fly with United multiple times a year. The airline's frequent flyers can both save money and improve their travels with this card's benefits.
Top perks
The United℠ Explorer Card is a feature-packed airline credit card, especially considering its affordable annual fee.
Earn 60,000 bonus miles
Earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. That's enough for multiple domestic or even international tickets. United miles are generally worth about $0.01 to $0.015 each, so 60,000 miles are about $500 to $750 in value. With the value and the reasonable spend requirement, this is in line with many of the top sign-up bonuses.
SEE MORE: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses
Up to 2 miles per $1
The United℠ Explorer Card earns 2 miles per $1 on:
- Purchases from United
- Dining, including eligible delivery services
- Hotel accommodations purchased directly with the hotel
It earns 1 mile per $1 on other purchases. The bonus categories give this card a decent rewards rate among airline credit cards, as it earns more back in multiple areas where travelers often have high spending.
Free checked bag
Both the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation get a free checked bag. United's standard fee is $35 for a passenger's first checked bag, so this benefit could save you $35 to $70 per flight and double that per round-trip. You must book the reservation with your United℠ Explorer Card for this benefit to apply.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
If you sign up for either the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck program and pay the fee ($100 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck) on your United℠ Explorer Card, it will be automatically reimbursed. Global Entry is the clear choice, because a membership to that also gets you a TSA PreCheck membership. You can get this credit once every four years, allowing you to renew your membership free of charge, as well.
Complimentary United club passes
United will give you two passes to its United Club℠ when you open your account and every year thereafter on your account anniversary date. One-time passes cost $59 otherwise.
United travel benefits
This United Airlines credit card provides the following benefits to improve your travel experience:
- Priority boarding: You and any companions on your reservation will get to board before the general boarding group.
- 25% back on United in-flight and Club Premium drink purchases: When you use your United℠ Explorer Card to buy in-flight food, beverages, or wifi on United-operated flights, or premium drinks in United Clubs, you'll receive a 25% statement credit.
- Premier upgrades on award tickets: If you have MileagePlus® Premier® status and you're traveling on an award ticket, you and one companion traveling on the same reservation are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United-operated flights.
No foreign transaction fee
The United℠ Explorer Card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. That's the case with most travel credit cards, but this is still an important perk. If you travel abroad, you won't get dinged with extra charges on every purchase.
What could be improved
This United card does have a couple minor problems to note.
Annual fee
The United℠ Explorer Card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, but after that, it's $95 per year. This is a reasonable fee based on all the card's benefits. A free checked bag can save you $70 per round-trip flight, and the two United Club℠ passes are worth $108 per year. But if you won't use those perks, then you might not get your money's worth from this card. In that case, it's better to check out other options.
READ MORE: Expert Credit Card Reviews
No access to Polaris lounges
United Polaris lounges are the best the airline has to offer, but you can't access them with the United Club℠ passes this card offers. To be fair, this is a small complaint about a card that offers quite a few useful benefits.
Suggested credit score
We recommend having a FICO® Score of 670 or above when you apply for the United℠ Explorer Card. Your credit score isn't all that matters on your application, but like other top travel cards, the United℠ Explorer Card is targeted at consumers with good credit.
Chase issues this card, which means your application will be subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. If you've opened several credit cards in recent years, make sure you check that you'll be under Chase's limit (fewer than five in the last 24 months) so you don't get an instant denial.
LEARN MORE: A Guide to Chase's 5/24 Rule
The United Explorer Card is right for you if:
You fly multiple times per year with United and you want to earn MileagePlus miles to use for award bookings.
The United℠ Explorer Card is a great pick for the airline's frequent flyers. In fact, you could make the case that it offers the most value of all the United credit cards, given its reasonable annual fee and long list of benefits.
Our credit card methodology
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
FAQs
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Credit limits for the United℠ Explorer Card range from $5,000 to over $20,000. The minimum credit limit is $5,000, but you may be approved for a higher limit depending on your income and credit history.
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The United℠ Explorer Card typically arrives within seven to 10 business days after the application is approved.
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Yes, purchases made by authorized users on the United℠ Explorer Card earn miles. These miles are credited to the primary cardholder's MileagePlus® account.
Our Credit Cards Experts
Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Fact Checked
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman has worked with The Motley Fool since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As The Ascent's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.
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