United Explorer Card
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Affiliate link, we may earn a commission. Terms, rates, and sign-up bonuses are set by the issuer and can change. See the issuer site and our advertiser disclosure.
View OfferEarn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months, plus an additional 10,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user in the first 3 months. $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150.
Benefits and fees last verified Jun 2026against the issuer's published terms.
Solid for United flyers. The free checked bag and 2 United Club passes per year add up, and the 50k + 10k AU bonus is a great starting point for domestic award flights. $0 intro annual fee, then $150.
Earning Rates
At a glance
- Free checked bag
- 2 United Club passes/year
- Priority boarding
- 25% back on inflight purchases
Earning rates
4- 9x
9x total miles per dollar on eligible United purchases when booking standard United fares, structured as 6x miles per dollar earned on the United fare as a MileagePlus member plus 3x miles per dollar earned on the entire United purchase with the United Explorer Card (per Chase issuer page; per One Mile at a Time, basic economy fares earn at least 6x and standard fares earn at least 9x)
- 3xflights
3x miles per dollar on all other eligible United purchases beyond flights (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
- 2xdining
2x miles per dollar at restaurants worldwide (including eligible delivery services) and 2x miles per dollar on hotel stays booked directly with the hotel; 1x mile per dollar on all other purchases (per Chase issuer page)
Earn 1 Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $20 spent on purchases, up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year, applied toward MileagePlus Premier status (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
Statement credits
7- $0United Club PassesYearly
2 one-time United Club passes per year
- $30Global Entry/TSA PreCheckYearly
Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, every 4 years.
- 25% back as a statement credit on inflight food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases on United-operated flights, and on premium drinks at United Club locations, when paid with the United Explorer Card (per Chase issuer page)
- $120Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees, available once every 4 years when the application fee is charged to the card (per Chase issuer page)
- $120Up to $120 in annual Instacart credits, delivered as up to $10 in monthly statement credits on Instacart purchases through 12/31/2027; enrollment required (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
- $100Up to $100 in annual United Hotels credits on hotel bookings through United Hotels, plus up to $100 in annual JSX credits on JSX semi-private jet flight purchases (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
- $60Up to $60 in annual rideshare credits, delivered as up to $5 in monthly statement credits on eligible rideshare purchases; annual enrollment required (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
Perks & memberships
5- Airline perkFree first checked bag on United-operated flights for the primary cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation when the card is used to purchase the ticket (up to $200 value per roundtrip per Chase issuer page; One Mile at a Time documents same coverage for cardholder plus one companion)
- Airline perkPremier Access priority boarding in Group 2 on United and United Express flights for the cardmember and companions on the same reservation (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
- Lounge access2 United Club one-time passes per year (issued on account anniversary; usable at United Club locations and select Star Alliance partner lounges per One Mile at a Time review)
- Status earningExpanded MileagePlus award availability: cardmembers have access to more saver-level award seats on United-operated flights than non-cardholders, with no blackout dates on award bookings and MileagePlus miles that never expire while you remain a cardmember (per Chase issuer page and One Mile at a Time review)
- No foreign feesNo foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the United States (per Chase issuer page)
Travel & purchase protections
6- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable travel expenses canceled or cut short by a covered reason, plus trip delay reimbursement up to $500 per covered traveler when common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay (per Chase issuer page)
- Baggage delay insurance up to $100 per day for up to 3 days for essential purchases when checked baggage is delayed, and lost luggage reimbursement up to $3,000 per covered traveler for checked or carry-on bags that are lost or damaged by a common carrier (per Chase issuer page)
- Auto rental collision damage waiver: primary coverage up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage when you decline the rental company's CDW and charge the entire rental to the card (per Chase issuer page)
- Purchase protection covers eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft, up to $10,000 per item (per Chase issuer page)
- Extended warranty protection adds one additional year to eligible U.S. manufacturer warranties of 3 years or less, for total coverage up to 4 years from the date of purchase (per Chase issuer page)
- Visa Signature card network benefits including roadside dispatch (pay-per-use, no membership required) and travel and emergency assistance services (per Visa Signature network reference; the card is a Visa Signature product)
Before you decide, weigh alternatives
Lower-fee cards in the same category. A cheaper card can be the better fit if you will not use enough perks to earn back a bigger fee.
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How to Earn the Bonus
Spend $3,000 in the first 3 months to earn the 50,000 miles + 10,000 AU bonus bonus.
See the Current Offer
Earn 50,000 miles + 10,000 AU bonus
View OfferAffiliate link, we may earn a commission. Terms, rates, and sign-up bonuses are set by the issuer and can change. See the issuer site and our advertiser disclosure.
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