United℠ Explorer Card

Chase

$150

Annual Fee

visaGoodNo Foreign Transaction Feeairline2 months ago

Welcome Offer

60,000 pts(≈ $810)Spend $3,000 within 3 months

OpenCard editorial analysis

Our take

A mid-tier United card for travelers who fly the airline often enough to use checked-bag, boarding, or other carrier-specific benefits. The strongest value comes from replacing fees on flights you would already book. United miles and airport perks are secondary if another carrier consistently offers better schedules or prices.

Best for

✓ Occasional United flyers who check bags
✓ Travelers near a United hub
✓ Cardholders who can use carrier benefits on planned trips

Not ideal for

— Travelers who rarely fly United
— People who always buy the cheapest carrier
— Anyone valuing miles without checking award availability

Conservative break-even test

Count bag-fee and trip benefits only for United flights you expect to take, then add conservatively valued miles and subtract the annual fee. Include any fare premium paid to choose United over a better itinerary.

First year vs. ongoing year worksheet

Annual fee hurdle

$150

Issuer-data bonus estimate

$810

First-year net before credits

$660

For year two, remove the one-time welcome offer entirely. To recover a $150 fee from rewards alone, this card must produce that much more value than your best no-fee alternative. At a 1% incremental return, that would require about $15,000 in eligible annual spend before counting credits you would genuinely buy anyway.

Data reviewed 2026-07-01. Estimate is not cash and depends on redemption. Confirm current issuer terms through the cited sources below.

Compare alternatives

United Quest →

Higher-tier United option for more frequent flyers.

Chase Sapphire Preferred →

Airline-neutral transferable points and broader travel use.

Earning Rates

9×United Flights6x member + 3x card for MileagePlus member's fare.

3×United PurchasesOn all other United purchases.

2×Hotel DirectOn hotel stays when booked with the hotel.

2×DiningOn dining, including delivery services.

1×DefaultOn all other purchases.

Benefits & Credits

$50

United Hotels Credit

$50/half ($100/yr) on hotels booked through United.

/6mo

$100

Renowned Hotels & Resorts Credit

Up to $100/year statement credit on Renowned Hotels and Resorts bookings via United for cardmembers.

/year

Rideshare Credit

$5/month ($60/yr) on rideshare purchases.

/month

$50

Avis/Budget Credit

Up to $50/yr ($25 × 2) United TravelBank cash for booking Avis or Budget rentals via United.

/year

$10

Instacart Credit

$10/month ($120/yr) on Instacart. Requires Instacart+ membership ($75/yr after 3-month free trial).

/month

$100

JSX Credit

$100/yr on flights booked directly through JSX.

/year

$10

DoorDash Non-Restaurant Credit

Up to $10 off one qualifying non-restaurant DoorDash order each calendar quarter (DashMart, 7-Eleven, CVS, Safeway, etc.). Requires active DashPass enrollment. Per Chase cobrand-doordash terms.

/quarter

Other Benefits

United Club Passes

2 one-time passes every account anniversary year.

Free 1st Checked Bag

Primary cardmember and one companion save up to $160 per roundtrip.

Priority Boarding

Board United-operated flights prior to general boarding.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck

Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.

Insurance

Trip Delay

Rental InsurancePrimary

Purchase Protection

Extended Warranty

Application Rules

Sources

Last Updated: Jul 1, 2026