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One way to earn MileagePlus miles is through the
Here's an overview of the United MileagePlus Dining program and how you can use it to earn the most miles.
The United MileagePlus Dining Program Overview
Airline dining programs are a great way to earn miles while doing something you need to do anyway: eating. Even if you dine out infrequently, you can still earn bonus miles at participating restaurants.
Similar to the
How to sign up for United MileagePlus Dining
Signing up for United MileagePlus Dining is easy and free. Simply join using this link and enter your name, zip code, email address, MileagePlus number, and phone number. Normally, you can get a new member bonus when you join. Link up to 12 credit cards to your dining account — preferably ones that offer bonus points at restaurants — and you're ready to go.
Keep in mind that you can link each card to only one dining rewards program at a time. For instance, you can earn 4X Membership Rewards points at restaurants (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year) with the
Earning miles with United MileagePlus Dining
Once you link a credit card to the United MileagePlus Dining program, you will automatically earn rewards when dining at participating restaurants. The program includes over 10,000 restaurants and bars across the U.S., so there's a good chance you will land in one of them.
You can also search United MileagePlus Dining for restaurants near you or along your travel route, filtering by cuisine and price. Select the restaurant to see available reviews, average cost, and opening hours. Most importantly, you will see what days benefits are available. You will earn rewards at all participating restaurants whether you dine in or order takeout.
If you don't opt in to email communications, members earn 1 mile per $2 spent through United MileagePlus Dining. If you opt in to email communications, you will earn 3 miles per dollar spent on dining.
You can become a VIP member by completing 11 qualified purchases within a calendar year. VIP members earn 5 miles per dollar on dining starting with their 12th dining experience in that calendar year, and they have access to more restaurants than non-VIP members. Status remains active through the end of the following calendar year. You must still opt in to receive email communications to maintain VIP status.
United MileagePlus Dining Promotions
2,000 bonus miles for new members
All dining programs offer bonuses for new members, and United is no exception. Typically, new members earn 500 bonus miles when they sign up for United MileagePlus Dining.
Currently, a limited-time promotion offers 2,000 bonus miles when you join the dining program. To claim the bonus miles, you must spend at least $50 at a restaurant, either dining out or ordering takeout, pay with your linked card, and leave a review within 30 days of joining. This promotion ends on November 2, 2026, and the bonus will revert to 500 bonus miles.
Spend $200 and earn 200 bonus miles
Another promotion from United offers MileagePlus members 200 bonus miles after spending $200 on eligible dining purchases through November 5, 2026. This essentially adds an extra bonus mile per dollar on top of all other rewards earned through United MileagePlus Dining and any
Just like the new member bonus, you'll need to review the experience before you can receive your bonus miles.
Which Credit Cards To Use With United MileagePlus Dining
United MileagePlus Dining rewards stack with credit card rewards. So, use the best credit cards for dining purchases. Here's a quick summary of some of our top picks:
- Amex Gold: Earn 4X Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
Marriott Bonvoy - Citi Strata Elite℠ Card: Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants, including Restaurant Delivery Services, on CitiNights purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Go
Visa
$325Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X)
- 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com
- 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through amextravel.com
- 2X Membership Rewards® points on cruises booked and paid through amextravel.com
- 1X on other eligible purchases
$250Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)
- 6X points on purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
- 4X points on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per year at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets
- 2X points on all other eligible purchases
$595Rates & Fees
- 12X – Earn 12 Points per $1 spent on Hotels, Car Rentals, and Attractions booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
- 6X – Earn 6 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants including Restaurant Delivery Services on CitiNights℠ purchases, every Friday and Saturday from 6 PM to 6 AM ET. Earn 3 Points per $1 spent any other time.
- 1.5X – Earn 1.5 Points per $1 spent on All Other Purchases.
Many cards also offer 3X rewards or cash back on dining purchases. Here are some of the best:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Earn 3% cash back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services.
Capital One - Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Earn 3X points on dining worldwide.
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card: Earn 3X points at restaurants worldwide.
- Earn 5% on purchases through Chase Travel℠
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1.5% on all purchases
$0
- 8% cash back on purchases made via the Capital One Entertainment ticketing platform
- 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 3% cash back on dining and entertainment
- 3% at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®)
- 3% on popular streaming services
- 1% on all other purchases
$795Rates & Fees
- 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠
- 4x points on flights and hotels booked directly
- 3x points on dining worldwide
- 1x points on all other purchases
How To Maximize Your Earnings With United MileagePlus Dining
After you join, claim your new member bonus by completing a dining experience valued at over $50 (eating in or ordering takeout) and leaving a review within 30 days of joining. If you join by November 5, 2026, you will earn 2,000 bonus miles. Thereafter, you will earn 500 bonus miles.
When you join, opt in to email communications. Many email providers can automatically filter these emails into the promotions folder so they won't be too much of a nuisance. Once you opt in, you'll move up from earning 1 mile per $2 spent to 3 miles per $1 spent through the program.
Link your best credit card for dining purchases to United MileagePlus Dining. Remember that you can only link each credit card to one dining rewards program at a time. Which cards you link depends on your preferences and the rewards you want to focus on.
Finally, take advantage of other promotions, such as the current offer to earn 200 bonus miles after spending $200 on eligible dining purchases through November 5, 2026.
Is the United MileagePlus Dining Program a Good Value?
On average, Awardwallet users redeem United MileagePlus miles at 2.09¢ each. If you are a VIP member and you spend $50 on a meal, you would earn 250 miles outside of any promotions. Those miles are worth roughly $5.22, which means you're getting a 10% return on your dining purchase.
If you used your Amex Gold, you'd earn 200 Membership Rewards points. According to recent redemptions, these are worth another $4.08. Roughly $9.30 worth of rewards on a $50 purchase is nothing to scoff at.
However, it all comes down to how you value your points and which
Our Take
Dining rewards programs are a great way to maximize your rewards when dining out or ordering takeout. If you are a United MileagePlus member, consider joining the United MileagePlus Dining program to earn miles at over 10,000 participating restaurants, bars, and clubs across the U.S. Signing up is easy, and you can currently earn 2,000 bonus miles on your first dine if you sign up by November 2, 2026.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), Marriott Bonvoy Bevy® American Express® Card (Rates & Fees), Citi Strata Elite℠ Card (Rates & Fees), Chase Freedom Unlimited® (Rates & Fees), and Chase Sapphire Reserve® (Rates & Fees)
