United℠ Explorer Card
The starter card for United flyers. You get a free first checked bag, priority boarding, two United Club one-time passes a year and up to 60,000 bonus miles. The first year costs $0, then $150. The partner statement credits can outweigh the fee, but only if you actually use Instacart, rideshare and United's hotel portal.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- Up to 60,000 bonus miles in the welcome offer
- Free first checked bag for you and a companion, a saving Chase pegs at up to $160 per roundtrip
- 2 United Club one-time passes every account anniversary year
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit every 4 years
- $100 United travel credit after $10,000 of spending in a calendar year
- 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 of spending in a calendar year
- 25% back on United inflight food, drinks and Wi-Fi
- Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $150
- Purchase APR: 19.99% - 28.49% Variable
- Intro APR: N/A
- Balance transfer APR: 19.74% - 28.24% Variable; fee: Either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater
- Cash advance APR: 28.49% Variable; fee: Either $10 or 5% of each transaction, whichever is greater
- Late payment fee: Up to $40
- Foreign transaction fee: None
- Rates and offers verified on the issuer's website on October 26, 2026 and may change.
- You fly United a few times a year and check a bag; two roundtrips can cover the fee by themselves
- You want occasional United Club access without a $695 club card
- Your household already spends on Instacart, rideshare or JSX, so the partner credits are money you would spend anyway
- You are building toward Premier status slowly; the card adds 1 PQP per $20 spent
- You should skip it if you fly United rarely and never check bags; a flexible travel card earns more per dollar
Score guess
Guess your credit score
Drag the dial to your best guess. Then see which cards people around that score got approved for.
A guess, not a credit check: nothing here touches your credit. Score ranges from FICO.
Your guess: 700
Approved at 670 to 739
United℠ Explorer Card Review
The United℠ Explorer Card is the volume seller in United's lineup, covering bags, boarding and occasional lounge visits. This review weighs the travel perks and partner credits against the $150 fee that starts in year two.
How You Earn
Flight purchases stack card miles on top of MileagePlus member miles, which is where the 9x headline comes from.
- Up to 60,000-mile welcome offer
- 1 Premier qualifying point per $20 of card spend
| Category | Earn rate |
|---|---|
| Eligible United flights (total incl. member miles) | 9x miles |
| Other eligible United purchases | 3x miles |
| Hotel stays | 2x miles |
| Dining | 2x miles |
| All other purchases | 1x miles |
How You Redeem
Miles redeem through United MileagePlus for United and Star Alliance awards, with no award chart and dynamic pricing.
- United and Star Alliance award flights
- 10,000-mile award flight discount after $20,000 of annual spend
- Seat upgrades and extras through MileagePlus
Benefits and Protections
Bags, boarding and club passes carry the everyday value; the insurance package matches Chase's mid-tier travel cards.
- Free first checked bag for cardmember and one companion
- Priority boarding on United flights
- 2 United Club one-time passes each year
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit every 4 years
- Partner credits: up to $100 United Hotels, up to $120 Instacart through 12/31/27, up to $100 JSX, up to $60 rideshare, up to $50 Avis and Budget
- Trip and baggage protections plus auto rental coverage
Who This Card Is For
This card fits the two-to-six-trips-a-year United flyer. Frequent flyers chasing status or lounge time outgrow it and move to Quest or Club.
- Occasional United flyers who check bags
- Travelers who want cheap entry to United Club visits
- MileagePlus members starting to accumulate PQP
Comparison
| Feature | United℠ Explorer Card | Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card | Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 intro first year, then $150 | $0 intro first year, then $150 | $0 intro first year, then $99 |
| Welcome Offer | Up to 60,000 miles (50,000 + 10,000) | As high as 80,000 miles plus $250 credit | 50,000 miles ($2,500 in 3 mo) |
| Rewards Rate | 9x total United flights, 2x hotels, dining | 2x Delta, dining, U.S. supermarkets | 2x AA, restaurants, gas stations |
| Intro APR | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None | None | None |
| Best For | United flyers who check bags | Delta flyers | American Airlines flyers |
Issuer Comparison
| Feature | United℠ Explorer Card | United Quest℠ Card | United Club℠ Card |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 intro first year, then $150 | $350 | $695 |
| Welcome Offer | Up to 60,000 miles | Up to 70,000 miles + 500 PQP | Up to 90,000 miles |
| Rewards Rate | 9x total United flights, 2x hotels, dining | 10x total United flights, 2x travel, dining | 11x total United flights, 2x travel, dining |
| Key Credits | 2 Club passes, $100 GE credit, partner credits | $200 United credit, two 10,000-mile discounts | United Club membership, $925+ partner credits |
| Best For | Occasional United flyers | Regular United flyers | United Club regulars |
Approval results for this card
131 results: 125 approved, 6 denied. Approval rate 93% of decided applications.
| Result | Score | Bureau | Income | State | Applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approved | 800 and above | Not sure | $150k and above | NJ | Jul 2026 |
| Approved | 670 to 739 | Not sure | - | - | May 2026 |
| Approved | 740 to 799 | Not sure | $50k to $75k | NY | May 2026 |
See all 131 results · Add your result
Reported by Banrox readers or cited from public data points, never issuer data. Not a prediction of your result. Ranges only.
