Review
Updated March 6, 2023
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.
2023 Award Winner
United℠ Explorer Card
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00 stars
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = PoorIntro APR N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
20.99% - 27.99% Variable
Rewards Earn 2 miles per dollar on United purchases, at restaurants, and on hotel stays booked with the hotel. Earn 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
1x - 2x miles
Annual Fee $0,First Year
$95
Welcome Offer Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Earn 50,000 bonus miles
-
With a big sign up bonus and rewards for United and dining purchases, the miles will accumulate quickly if you're a frequent traveler.
-
- Big sign-up bonus
- United, restaurant, and hotel rewards
- Free first checked bags
- Travel statement credits
- Annual fee
- No access to Polaris lounges
-
- Earn 50,000 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 Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Get one-year complimentary DashPass, a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. Activate by 12/31/24.
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 one of the most feature-packed airline credit cards.
Sign-up bonus
You can earn 60,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.
Those miles could get you multiple domestic or international tickets. United miles are generally worth about $0.01 to $0.015 each, so 60,000 miles is $600 to $900 in value. The reasonable spending minimum on this bonus makes it easy to get, putting it in line with many of the top sign-up bonuses.
Rewards
The United℠ Explorer Card earns 2 miles per dollar on the following types of purchases:
- United airlines purchases
- Hotel accommodations purchased directly with the hotel
All other spending earns the standard 1 mile per dollar. The bonus categories give this card a competitive 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.
25% back on United in-flight purchases
When you use your United℠ Explorer Card to buy in-flight food, beverages, or wifi on United-operated flights, you'll receive a 25% statement credit.
Priority boarding
You and any companions on your reservation will get to board before the general boarding group.
No foreign transaction fees
As with most travel cards, the United℠ Explorer Card is a no foreign transaction fee credit cards.
Alternatives to consider
If you fly with United all the time and want more perks: The United Club℠ Infinite Card is made for you. It includes a United Club℠ membership, allowing you and up to two guests to visit the airline's lounges every time you fly, and 4 miles per dollar on United purchases. The annual fee is much steeper, but frequent United flyers will get that back and more in value.
If you want rewards you can use with more airlines: You should look at the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card. Chase Ultimate Rewards® points can be transferred to a huge roster of airline and hotel partners, including United. You'll also be able to redeem them at a fixed rate of $0.0125 apiece through the Chase travel portal.
Read more: Best Credit Cards
As of Mar. 24, 2023
|
|
|
United Club℠ Infinite Card |
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card |
|
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50 stars
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.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair = Poor |
|
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
|
Credit Rating Requirement:
Good/Excellent (670-850)
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. |
Credit Rating Requirement:
Good/Excellent (670-850)
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. |
|
Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn 80,000 bonus miles |
Welcome Offer: 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 Ultimate Rewards®. 60,000 bonus points |
|
Rewards Program: Earn 4 miles per dollar on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar on all other travel and dining, 1 mile per dollar on all else 1x - 4x miles |
Rewards Program: Enjoy benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3x on dining and 2x on all other travel purchases, plus more. 1x - 5x points |
|
Intro APR: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
Intro APR: N/A Purchases: N/A Balance Transfers: N/A |
|
Regular APR: 20.99% - 27.99% Variable |
Regular APR: 20.49% - 27.49% Variable |
|
Annual Fee: N/A $525 |
Annual Fee: N/A $95 |
|
Highlights:
|
Highlights:
|
|
Apply Now for Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
On Chase's Secure Website. |
|
Show More
Show Less
|
|
The information related to United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected by The Ascent and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.
What could be improved
This United card does have a couple minor problems to note.
Annual fee
After the first year when the annual fee is $0, the United℠ Explorer Card costs $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.
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
For a solid chance of an approval when you apply for the United℠ Explorer Card, we recommend having a FICO® Score of 670 or above. 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.
See more: Best Chase Credit Cards
This 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 any card in United's lineup, given its reasonable annual fee and long list of benefits.
For anyone who isn't particularly loyal to United, it's better to compare credit cards that offer a greater variety of reward redemption options.
Read more: Best Rewards Cards
FAQs
-
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.
-
The United℠ Explorer Card typically arrives within seven to 10 business days after the application is approved.
-
The primary cardholder of the United℠ Explorer Card earns miles on purchases made by authorized users.
Our Credit Cards Expert
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.
Share This Page
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends DoorDash, JPMorgan Chase, and Target. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa.
The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
Copyright © 2018 - 2023 The Ascent. All rights reserved.
About The Ascent
Legal