United Explorer Card
$150 annual fee · $530/yr in printed statement credits · 1x on everything else · no foreign transaction fees
Terms verified 2026-08-21 against issuer terms · welcome offer re-checked 2026-10-23
Earn rates · how we got this
| Category | Rate | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | 2x 2.5¢ per $1 |
uncapped |
| Dining | 2x 2.5¢ per $1 |
uncapped |
| Everything else | 1x 1.3¢ per $1 |
uncapped |
| Flights at United only — anywhere else in this category the card earns its base rate, so it is excluded from every ranking on this site |
3x | uncapped |
What we have watched change
Differences between one check of the issuer's page and the next — not a reconstruction of the card's history. We only know what we were watching when it moved.
- Welcome offer United Explorer Card welcome bonus rose from 60,000 to 70,000. 2026-10-13
Signup bonus: 70,000 points after $3,000 in 3 months. We never count unearned bonuses in savings math — a bonus you don't clear is worth zero. Chase advertises 'up to 80,000' (60,000 struck through): 70,000 after $3,000 in 3 months plus 10,000 for adding an authorized user in the first 3 months (not counted here). No end date published. Bonus figure confirmed on the issuer's page 2026-10-23.
Statement credits — $530/yr on paper · how we got this
Two of the six pay out in pieces through the year, and two must be enrolled in first. A month you miss is gone, not banked.
Monthly and quarterly credits expire if unused — that's where most of their printed value quietly disappears.
Non-cash perks
- First standard checked bag free for primary Cardmember and one companion (90-day waiver on ticket-purchase requirement after account opening)
- Priority boarding (before general boarding, after Premier members/Premier Access/special assistance)
- Earn 1 PQP per $20 spent, up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year
- 2 United Club one-time passes deposited after account opening and each account anniversary
- 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 calendar-year spend (limit 1/year)
- 10% (15% for Premier members) discount on award flights booked with miles
- 25% back statement credit on inflight food/beverage/Wi-Fi and United Club premium drink purchases (uncapped)
- No blackout dates on United-operated award flights
Does the fee earn out? · how we got this
The printed statement credits ($530/yr) cover the $150 fee on paper — if you'd spend that way anyway. Credits you have to remember, enroll in, or change behavior for are worth less than face value. Our app tracks each one against your actual charges.
Is this $150 fee worth it? See the break-even math →
Check the current offer on the issuer's site → Where a card link will appear once available — no link on this page pays us today.
Who this card is not for
Every point below is a term the issuer prints, read off this card's own row in our database — not an opinion about the card. One thing on this card rules out a kind of spender:
- Anyone who doesn't spend at United. Its largest printed rate, 3x on flights, pays only at United. Anywhere else it earns its base 1x, so the headline number is a loyalty rate rather than a category rate — which is why no ranking on this site counts it.
Compared head-to-head
Don't want the fee any more?
United Explorer Card can normally be product-changed to one lower-fee card in the Chase United MileagePlus family instead of being closed — which keeps the account, its age and its credit line.
Comparing cards in the same currency? See the best cards that earn United miles →
More from Chase
- United Gateway Card
- United Quest Card $350/yr
- World of Hyatt Business Card $199/yr
- World of Hyatt Credit Card $95/yr
- Aer Lingus Visa Signature Card $95/yr
- Aeroplan Card $95/yr
Which card should this spending actually be on? The demo re-scores a year of realistic spending against every card in a wallet — free, no signup. See it on sample data →
Verified 2026-08-21 against issuer terms · sources: creditcards.chase.com · www.nerdwallet.com. Spot an error? Tell us.