United Credit Card Guide

Signing up for a United credit card is one of the easiest ways to earn a lot of United MileagePlus miles quickly — and the cardholder benefits go well beyond just earning miles. United cardholders now get at least 10% off every award flight, free checked bags, and expanded award availability that non-cardholders can’t access.

This post is a roundup of all the United cards so you can easily compare and contrast the options. We’ll show you a breakdown of all the benefits and annual fees to help you pick the card that’s right for you.

Looking for a deep dive on how to earn and redeem United miles beyond just credit cards? Check out our full United MileagePlus guide here.

Key Updates for 2026

As of April 2, 2026, United revamped its cardholder award pricing. Here’s what changed:

All cardholders with an annual-fee United card now get at least 10% off every United award flight. Premier members with a card get at least 15% off. Previously, the benefit was more vague — cardholders saw “expanded Saver Award inventory” but there wasn’t a clear discount. Now the savings are concrete and apply even to Saver pricing.

The no-annual-fee Gateway Card and the Debit Rewards Card both require $10,000 in annual spend to unlock cardholder pricing, with up to 4 weeks to activate after hitting that threshold.

New family benefit: Starting April 2026, cardholders can link up to eight children’s MileagePlus accounts to share the cardholder earn rate and award pricing discount. Both the parent and child need a date of birth saved on their accounts. When a linked child turns 18, they automatically stop receiving the cardholder rates. This is mostly useful if you’re paying cash for United flights for your kids.

Key Differences Between Cards

All of these are Chase-issued cards linked to your MileagePlus account.

The most notable differences on the United cards are:

• Annual fee
• Number of free checked bags (first bag only vs. first and second)
• United Club access and passes
• Award pricing discount (10% vs. 15% with Premier status)
• Seat selection and upgrade benefits
• Credits and perks (rideshare, Instacart, TSA PreCheck/Global Entry, United Hotels)
• Premier status earning head start (PQP boosts)
• Welcome offers

Annual Fees

Annual fees range from $0 to $695 on the personal United cards. The Explorer and Business cards both sit at $150, with the Explorer often waiving the fee for the first year.

Checked Bags

All United cards with an annual fee give you at least your first checked bag free for the cardholder plus one companion on the same reservation. The Quest and Club cards bump that up to the first and second bag free — though it’s still limited to the cardholder plus one companion, which I think is a bit stingy.

The no-annual-fee Gateway Card only unlocks free checked bags after $10,000 in annual spend.

Cardholder Award Pricing

This is one of the biggest reasons to hold a United card. As of April 2026, eligible cardholders get at least 10% off every United award flight. Premier members with a card get at least 15% off.

Cardholder pricing should activate within a few days of approval — not instant, but usually within a few days after your account is linked.

United Club Access

Only the United Club℠ Card gives you ongoing United Club access. That access includes the cardholder and one adult guest plus all dependent children under 18 traveling with you. Authorized users do not get club access on their own.

The Explorer Card comes with just 2 United Club one-time passes per year, which can be used by the cardholder, authorized users, or companions.

Instacart Benefits

Like all Chase co-branded cards, the United cards give you a complimentary three-month Instacart+ membership, followed by 25% off an annual membership and $10 off each month at Instacart while you have Instacart+ or more — depending on the card. This is an underused perk — I have a full article on how to maximize it.

Which United Card Is Best?

For most people who fly United at least once a year, the United℠ Explorer Card is the sweet spot. The annual fee is $150 (often waived the first year), and you get the cardholder award pricing discount, free first checked bag, two Club passes, and a TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit. The small credits for rideshare, United Hotels, and car rentals add up if you use them, though individually they’re not that exciting.

If you don’t fly United often but want to keep the door open for cardholder pricing, the United Gateway℠ Card costs nothing to hold — but you need to spend $10,000 on it in a calendar year to unlock the real benefits. For most people, that’s a hard sell when you could just get the Explorer.

The United Quest℠ Card at $350 makes sense if you fly United regularly and value the second free checked bag and higher credits. It also gives you a head start toward Premier status each year.

The United Club℠ Card at $695 is really only worth it if you’re flying United frequently enough to get real use out of club access. The family access policy — cardholder plus one adult plus kids under 18 — is decent, but unless you’re flying United almost exclusively, you’re probably better off with a card that gives you access to a broader lounge network like Priority Pass.

Strategy Tips

If you already hold a higher-fee United card and want to take a break from flying United, you can call Chase and downgrade to the no-annual-fee Gateway Card. This keeps your MileagePlus account linked to a card and preserves your credit history on that account.

If you’re deciding between the Explorer and Quest, the real question is whether you consistently check two bags. If you’re a one-bag family, the Explorer gives you almost everything the Quest does at less than half the annual fee.

If you’re considering the Club card for lounge access, compare it against other lounge options first. Cards like the Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture X, and the Ritz-Carlton Card all offer broader lounge networks. The United Club card only makes sense if United Clubs are specifically the lounges you’d use most.

For families: The new children’s account linking feature (April 2026) means your kids get your cardholder earn rate and award pricing, which makes holding at least the Explorer card even more valuable if you’re buying cash tickets for your family on United.

Personal Credit Cards

United offers four personal credit cards, ranging from a no-annual-fee starter card to the premium United Club card. All are issued by Chase.

Standard benefits across all the annual-fee cards include:

• At least 10% off every United award flight (15% for Premier members)
• Free first checked bag for cardholder + one companion
• TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit (except Gateway)
• Instacart+ membership perks
• No foreign transaction fees
• Auto rental collision damage waiver
• Purchase protection and extended warranty
• Travel accident insurance
• Baggage delay insurance
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance

United Gateway℠ Card

This card doesn’t have many great benefits unless you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year. At that point, you unlock cardholder award pricing and free checked bags — though it might take about 4 weeks for that pricing to activate.

Most people will want to skip this card because you’re not getting a lot unless you’re putting serious spend on it. It’s best used as a downgrade option — if you have a higher-fee United card and want to take a break, you can product-change down to the Gateway and keep your account open at no cost.

United℠ Explorer Card 

The Explorer Card is the sweet spot for most occasional-to-moderate United flyers. The annual fee is often waived the first year.

Here’s what you get beyond the standard benefits:

• First checked bag free for the cardholder plus one companion on the reservation
• Two United Club one-time passes per year — usable by the cardholder, authorized users, or people flying with the cardholder. With only 2 passes per year, this isn’t the most useful benefit for a family, but it’s handy if you’re at a hub like O’Hare that doesn’t have a good Priority Pass lounge.
• Up to $60/year in rideshare credits — doled out $5/month, so not the most exciting
• Up to $100 on United Hotels purchases — split into two $50 credits that must be booked through United Hotels
• Up to $50 toward Avis or Budget car rentals
• TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit

I don’t think most of those small credits are that valuable for most people on their own — the rideshare credit at $5/month is easy to forget, and the hotel credit requires booking through United Hotels specifically. But collectively they do chip away at the annual fee.

United Quest℠ Card

The Quest Card steps things up with a higher annual fee and more benefits. The most notable upgrade over the Explorer is that you get your first and second checked bags free (still for cardholder + one companion).

Additional benefits beyond the Explorer:

• First and second checked bags free for the cardholder + one companion
• Higher rideshare and Instacart credits
• Premier qualifying point (PQP) head start toward earning Premier status each year
• Up to $125 United purchase credit

This card makes the most sense if you fly United regularly and consistently check bags. The PQP head start is also appealing if you’re working toward earning Premier status, since Premier members get the 15% award pricing discount instead of 10%.

United Club℠ Card

The United Club℠ Card is the premium offering. Its standout benefit is United Club lounge access — not just passes, but actual ongoing membership.

Club access includes the cardholder plus one adult guest plus all dependent children under 18 traveling with you. That’s decent for a family, but just note that authorized users don’t get club access on their own at all.

You also get:

• First and second checked bags free for cardholder + one companion
• Higher rideshare and Instacart credits
• Larger PQP head start toward Premier status
• TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry credit

Unless you’re flying United almost exclusively, you’re probably better off with a card that gives you access to a broader lounge network. But if you’re really all in on United and you fly through their hubs regularly, the Club card can make sense — especially for families, since the kids-under-18 access policy is more generous than a lot of lounge programs.

Business Credit Cards

Business credit cards are a useful part of an overall credit card strategy. You don’t need to have a large business or an LLC to get a business credit card. Small businesses and side hustles count! Things like selling items on Facebook Marketplace, tutoring, babysitting, consulting, and selling on Etsy all qualify you for a business credit card.

To learn more about business cards and how to apply, check out our post on business credit cards.

United℠ Business Card

The United Business Card loosely mirrors the Explorer Card in benefits, though the annual fee is usually not waived for the first year. The trade-off is that it often comes with a higher welcome offer in terms of miles.

You get the same core benefits — first checked bag free for cardholder + one companion, cardholder award pricing, TSA PreCheck/Global Entry credit, and Instacart perks. Since it’s a business card, it won’t show up on your personal credit report as an account.

United Club℠ Business Card

The business version of the Club card generally mirrors the personal version with United Club access and the higher tier of benefits. If you need a United Club card but want to keep your personal 5/24 slots open, this is the way to go.

The MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card

There’s also a MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card, though I don’t think it’s really worth opening for most people. You’d have to keep $2,000 or more in the account to keep it fee-free and you have to spend $10,000 a year to unlock cardholder pricing. It’s administered by the same bank that does the Southwest Debit card and customer service isn’t great.

You do get bonus miles for keeping money in the account over the course of a year. So if you have bills that can only be paid by debit card and you want to really go all in with United miles, this could be a niche way to earn more — but for most people, it’s a pass.

Table Comparing United Personal Cards

Table Comparing United Business Cards

United Card Eligibility

United cards follow Chase’s standard eligibility rules, which are simpler than something like the Marriott card family — but there are still a few things to be aware of.

The Chase 5/24 Rule

Chase has something that the points and miles world calls the “5/24 rule.” If you’ve opened 5 or more new credit cards in the last 24 months (from any issuer), Chase will very likely deny you for any of their cards, including the United cards.

Most business cards don’t count toward that 5, though there are some exceptions. Being added as an authorized user to someone else’s personal card does count.

I have a full guide on the Chase 5/24 rule that you can read here.

Holding Multiple United Cards

You can hold multiple United cards at the same time — for example, an Explorer and a Business card, or an Explorer and a Club card. There’s no restriction like Southwest’s one-personal-card-at-a-time rule.

Welcome Offer Eligibility

Pay attention to the terms on each card’s welcome offer. Chase typically won’t approve you for a welcome bonus if you currently hold the same card or received a bonus on it within the last 24–48 months (terms vary by card). Always read the fine print before applying.

How to Pick the Right United Card

If you’re not sure which card makes sense for you, here’s a quick way to think about it:

I fly United once or twice a year and want the basics → Explorer Card. The checked bag alone can save you $70+ round trip, and the 10% award pricing discount pays for itself quickly.

I fly United regularly and check multiple bags → Quest Card. The second free checked bag and PQP head start make the higher fee worth it if you’re a frequent United flyer.

I’m all in on United and want lounge access → Club Card. But only if United Clubs are the lounges you’d actually use — otherwise, a broader lounge card is a better investment.

I want to keep a United card at no cost → Gateway Card. Best used as a downgrade destination, not as a card to apply for fresh.

I want a United card that won’t affect my personal credit → Business Card. Mirrors the Explorer benefits and keeps a 5/24 slot open.