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The past few years have brought major changes to the United MileagePlus program. From increased spending and flying requirements to positive updates like increased Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) earnings through credit card spending, United has kept MileagePlus members on their toes.
In January 2025, earning United Premier elite status became more challenging, making spending on United credit cards an even more integral part of earning status. Thankfully, United has now increased members' opportunities to earn more PQPs through its co-branded cards, raising the maximum amount of points earned on most of its cards.
All that said, let's look at the latest details on how to earn Premier Qualifying Points through credit card spending.
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United MileagePlus Miles vs. Premier Qualifying Points (PQP)
You can earn two types of rewards through the United MileagePlus program: MileagePlus miles and Premier Qualifying Points (PQP).
MileagePlus miles are the miles that can be redeemed for flights and upgrades. Miles are earned through credit card welcome bonuses and everyday spending, flying on United or partner airlines, or transferring points from select bank rewards programs. Learn more about how to earn United miles in our complete guide to MileagePlus.
Meanwhile, Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) solely count toward achieving United Premier elite status. In addition to earning United PQPs from flying, PQPs can be earned in the following ways:
- Economy Plus seat purchases or Economy Plus subscriptions
- Preferred seat purchases
- Paid upgrades on flights operated by United and United Express
- MileagePlus Upgrade Awards
- Spending on United credit cards
Requirements for Earning United Premier Elite Status
You can earn elite status through a combination of PQP and PQF or by earning a higher amount of PQP as a standalone path to status. The requirements are as follows:
| Eliter Tier | Path 1: Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) and Premier Qualifying Flights (PQFs) | Path 2: Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) |
|---|---|---|
| Premier Silver | 5,000 PQPs + 15 PQFs | 6,000 PQPs |
| Premier Gold | 10,000 PQPs + 30 PQFs | 12,000 PQPs |
| Premier Platinum | 15,000 PQPs + 45 PQFs | 18,000 PQPs |
| Premier 1K | 22,000 PQPs + 60 PQFs | 28,000 PQPs |
When flying on United, you'll earn one PQP for every eligible dollar spent on airfare (including carrier-imposed surcharges but excluding government taxes and airport fees).
On United's partners, calculating your PQP is as follows: Earn 1 PQP for every 5 MileagePlus miles gained when flying with preferred partners and 1 PQP for every 6 MileagePlus miles gained from partner airlines.
However, United caps how many PQPs you can earn on each partner flight as follows:
| Class of service | Preferred partner PQP maximum | Non-preferred partner PQP maximum |
|---|---|---|
| First/business class | 1,500 | 1,000 |
| Economy/premium economy | 750 | 500 |
Earning United Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) Through Credit Cards
If you carry a United co-branded credit card with an annual fee, you can earn PQP from spending on that card. PQP earning rates vary by card. In addition, United caps how many PQPs you can earn with your card each year.
While you can earn enough PQPs to hit elite status thresholds, United still requires MileagePlus members to fly four segments with United or United Express to earn United elite status. Unlike some other airlines, this means you can't earn elite status without flying.
Here are your card options and how much they earn:
Cards that earn up to 1,000 Premier Qualifying Points
The The New United℠ Explorer Card now earns 1 PQP for every $20 spent up to a maximum of 1,000 PQP in a calendar year.
- Limited-Time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
- Earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 on purchases with your United℠ Explorer Card within a calendar year
- Over $400 in partner credits each year
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 2X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Additionally, the First Hawaiian Bank United® and the First Hawaiian Bank United® World Elite Business Card earn 1 PQP for every $20 spent (up to 1,000 PQP annually).
Cards that earn up to 4,000 Premier Qualifying Points
The The New United℠ Business Card also earns 1 PQP for every $20 spent but allows you to earn up to a maximum of 4,000 PQP in a calendar year:
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150.
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining including eligible delivery services, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting.
- 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster.
- Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United℠ Business Card and a personal Chase United® credit card.
- Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges.
- Receive a $125 United travel credit after making 5 United® flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year with your United℠ Business Card.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 2x on United® purchases
- 2x on local transit and commuting — including train tickets, taxicabs, mass transit, tolls and ride share services
- 2x at gas stations, restaurants and office supply stores
- 1x on all other purchases
Cards that earn up to 18,000 Premier Qualifying Points
After recent improvements, the The New United Quest℠ Card earns 1 PQP for every $20 spent up to a maximum of 18,000 PQP in a calendar year:
- Best Offer Ever: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 3,000 PQP
- 3x miles on United® purchases
- 2x miles on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel
- 1x mile on all other purchases
- Receive a $200 United® travel credit and 10,000-mile award flight discount on each account anniversary
- Earn a 10,000-mile eligible award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year
- Earn 2 global Economy Plus® seat upgrades after spending $40,000 on purchases each calendar year
- Get a jump start on earning Premier status with 1,000 Card Bonus PQP each year, awarded within 6 to 8 weeks after February 1 each year, starting in 2026.
- Member FDIC
- Rates & Fees
- 5 miles per $1 spent at Renowned Hotels and Resorts
- 3 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2 miles per $1 spent at restaurants
- 2 miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Starting in 2026, this card will also begin to award cardholders with a jumpstart of 1,000 bonus PQPs annually.
Cards that earn up to 28,000 Premier Qualifying Points
These cards earn 1 PQP for every $15 spent up to a maximum of 28,000 PQP in a calendar year:
- Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining
- Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
It's worth noting that the personal United Club card will also begin offering cardholders a jumpstart of 1,500 PQPs each year, starting in 2026, but the business version will not.
Cards that earn Premier Qualifying Points but aren't open to new applicants
Multiple United credit cards are no longer open to new applicants but still earn PQPs at a rate of 1 PQP per $20 spent. Here are the PQP caps for each one:
- United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card: up to 10,000 PQP per calendar year.
- United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Business Card: up to 10,000 PQP per calendar year.
- United MileagePlus® Select Card: up to 3,000 PQP per calendar year.
- United MileagePlus® Awards Card: up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year.
- United MileagePlus® Business Card: up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year.
- United℠ Explorer Business Card: up to 1,000 PQPs per calendar year.
Can You Earn United Premier 1K via Credit Card Spending?
Because of recently enhanced PQP-earning rules, you can now reach Premier 1K through credit card spending alone, if you have the United Club or the United Club Business Card. However, it will require spending around $400,000 on your United card in a single year, plus the four-flight minimum for earning United elite status. So, the answer is yes, but this could be a very expensive path to top-tier United elite status.
Bottom Line
As you can see, achieving status with United requires a large amount of spending — on flights, on United co-branded credit cards, or a combination of both.
Earning United status through card spending alone isn't easy, but it's not impossible. Thankfully, you can use multiple card options to help make it happen. If you're a frequent United flyer, then the spending may be worth it.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The New United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), The New United℠ Business Card (Rates & Fees), The New United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), and The New United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees)
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