{"id":232252,"date":"2025-11-06T20:10:01","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T20:10:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/?p=232252\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T14:27:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T14:27:21","slug":"united-debit-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/united-debit-card\/","title":{"rendered":"United Launches a Debit Card: Earn Miles on Purchases, Score a Welcome Bonus, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Fresh off the heels of the launch of the rewards-earning <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/news\/southwest-rapid-rewards\/southwest-debit-card\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Southwest Airlines debit card<\/a>, United Airlines launched a debit card of its own. And if you like to earn <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/united-mileageplus\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United MileagePlus<\/a> miles, you might actually find this new product pretty exciting.<\/p>\n<p>Here's what to know about the new United debit card, including its earning rates, benefits, and welcome offer.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"United_Airlines_Launches_Rewards-Earning_Debit_Card\">United Airlines Launches Rewards-Earning Debit Card<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We previously reported on leaked information suggesting that a United Airlines rewards-earning debit card could be on the way. Twitter\/X user \u201c<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SoFi_Insider\/status\/1978788971023884644\/photo\/1\" rel=\"noopener\">SoFi_Insider<\/a>\u201d stumbled upon details of the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.united.com\/en\/us\/fly\/products\/united-debit-card.html\" rel=\"noopener\">United MileagePlus<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> Debit Rewards Card<\/a> in October. And many of these details came to fruition; United Airlines officially launched its miles-earning debit card in early November 2025.<\/p>\n<p>This card is now open for applications!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_232255\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/548\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-232255 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G3YQRqCXgAAvU4K.jpg\" alt=\"united airlines debit card\" width=\"750\" height=\"548\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G3YQRqCXgAAvU4K.jpg 1224w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G3YQRqCXgAAvU4K-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G3YQRqCXgAAvU4K-1024x749.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G3YQRqCXgAAvU4K-768x562.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Credit: SoFi_Insider \/ X<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>Now that we have official details of the debit card, we'll introduce you to the new product. First and foremost, it's issued by Sunrise Banks, N.A. Galileo Financial Technologies, the tech arm of SoFi Bank, powers rewards-earning debit cards like this one.<\/p>\n<p>On the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.united.com\/en\/us\/fly\/products\/united-debit-card.html\" rel=\"noopener\">debit card's application page<\/a>, you'll see in big, bold print that the card offers a sign-up bonus. New sign-ups can earn a 10,000 United Mile sign-up bonus when you spend $500 on purchases in the first four months of account opening.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_234058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"750\/495\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-234058 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-9.03.16-AM.png\" alt=\"united airlines debit card\" width=\"750\" height=\"495\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-9.03.16-AM.png 1954w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-9.03.16-AM-300x198.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-9.03.16-AM-1024x676.png 1024w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-9.03.16-AM-768x507.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-05-at-9.03.16-AM-1536x1014.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><center><em>Credit: United<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<p>On top of the new cardholder bonus, you'll earn United miles on your debit purchases. Here are the earning rates:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on United.<\/li>\n<li>Earn 1 mile per $2 spent on all other qualifying transactions.<\/li>\n<li>Earn 2,500 bonus miles when you spend $10,000 each calendar year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>While not as lucrative as earning with a <a href=\"\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-credit-card-pqp\/\">United credit card<\/a>, it's the card's &#8220;Balance Rewards&#8221; feature that might be more enticing. For those holding a balance in their debit account, here's the scoop:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Earn up to 70,000 bonus miles each year on your average account balance. You'll earn miles every month on this balance.<\/li>\n<li>No monthly fee if your average account balance is at least $2,000. Otherwise, the monthly fee is $4. That's $48 over the course of a year.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So, you'll be able to earn United miles as a dividend of sorts on your account balance. Rewards are earned in tiers based on your average account balance. You'll earn 1\/12 of the annualized rewards each month. The tiers are:<\/p>\n\n<table id=\"tablepress-1147\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-1147 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n\t<th class=\"column-1\">Average Daily Balance<\/th><th class=\"column-2\">Miles Earned Each Month<\/th><th class=\"column-3\">Miles Earned Over the Course of a Year<\/th><th class=\"column-4\">Monthly Fee<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$0-$2,000<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">N\/A<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">N\/A<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">$4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$2,000-$2,499<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">N\/A<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">N\/A<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Waived<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$2,500-$4,999<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">208<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">2,500<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Waived<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$5,000-$9,999<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">416<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">5,000<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Waived<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$10,000-$24,999<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">1,250<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">15,000<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Waived<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$25,000-$49,999<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">2,500<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">30,000<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Waived<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n\t<td class=\"column-1\">$50,000+<\/td><td class=\"column-2\">5,833<\/td><td class=\"column-3\">70,000<\/td><td class=\"column-4\">Waived<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<p>If maximized, you can earn up to 1.4 United miles per dollar saved per year. That's solid for a checking account, but you can earn a higher rate via the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/airlines\/american-aadvantage\/bask-bank\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Bask Mileage Savings Account<\/a> &#8212; which currently earns 1.75 miles per dollar saved per year.<\/p>\n<p>No credit check is required to sign up, and balances are FDIC-insured up to $250,000.<\/p>\n<p>To apply for the United debit card, <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uniteddebitrewards.com\/?CELL=UD002&alm=15970&asset_position=mpdcp1&asset_type=debit_page&int_campaign=10k500&int_content=launch&int_medium=dotcom&int_source=loyalty&launch_date=2025-10-28&mode=d&partner_category=dc&partner_name=3239_acq&promo_code=ud002&targeting=general\" rel=\"noopener\">click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Why_It_Makes_Sense_for_United_to_Launch_a_Debit_Card\">Why It Makes Sense for United to Launch a Debit Card<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Debit cards are used for more than <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.frbservices.org\/news\/research\/2024-findings-from-the-diary-of-consumer-payment-choice\" rel=\"noopener\">30% of payments in America each month<\/a>. While credit cards outpace that by a few percentage points, that's still a large untapped market for travel brands to reward debit card holders and keep them loyal to the brand's loyalty ecosystem. So, this card launch makes a lot of sense.<\/p>\n<p>While many reading this post are probably perfectly comfortable using a <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/credit-cards\/united-mileageplus\/united-credit-card-pqp\/\" rel=\"noopener\">United credit card<\/a> &#8212; which rewards users with at least one United mile per dollar on all spending &#8212; some may not be. A debit card can be helpful for those with bad credit or for those who don't want to carry a credit card.<\/p>\n<p>If you can treat your United credit card as if it's a debit card, by paying off the balance in full each month, you'll come out ahead. You'll also have more perks when you travel on the airline, just for holding the card &#8212; such as a free checked bag, priority boarding, and more.<\/p>\n<div class=\"qs-card\" data-id=\"4048117\">\n            <div class=\"qs-data\">\n                <div class=\"qs-view\">\n                    <div class=\"qs-cardname\">United\u2120 Explorer Card<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-image\"><img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.nextinsure.com\/imaging\/opt\/ff6d0beb-04a7-4cc5-9bf4-50bc3f5e5883.png\" alt=\"United\u2120 Explorer Card\" width=\"150\" \/ class=\"lazyload\"><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-apply\"><a class=\"btn-use qs-apply-now\" title='United\u2120 Explorer Card' data-ccid=\"4048117\" href=\"\/blog\/link\/UnitedExplorerCard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow sponsored\">Apply Now<\/a><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-rates\"><span class=\"qs-terms\"><a data-ccid=\"4048117\" href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/fs-bin\/click?id=g3lR0xvjyAU&offerid=1753725.10005119&type=3&u1=baf657511a8db24d367e8bed6710f1e4&subid=639396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rates & Fees<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles after qualifying activities<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"qs-info\">\n                    <strong class=\"qs-cardname\">United\u2120 Explorer Card<\/strong>\n                    <div class=\"qs-offer\"><strong>Limited Time Offer<\/strong> Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles after qualifying activities<\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-fee\"><strong>Annual Fee:<\/strong><b>$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150<\/b><\/div>\n                    <div class=\"qs-tabs\"><a class=\"qs-more\" href=\"#more\">Show more<\/a><a class=\"active\" href=\"\" data-tab=\"wwl\">Why We Like It<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"hl\">Highlights<\/a><a href=\"\" data-tab=\"er\">Earning Rates<\/a><div class=\"qs-tab-wwl active\">The United\u2120 Explorer Card is Chase's mid-tier United card, providing an excellent mix of functional benefits and value. Notable perks include a credit of up to $120 every four years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>, or NEXUS fees\u200b\u200b, priority boarding\u200b\u200b, and a free first checked bag for the cardmember and a traveling companion on the same reservation, offering up to $160 in savings\u200b\u200b. Additionally, cardholders receive 25% back on inflight purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights\u200b\u200b, and two one-time United Club\u2120 passes annually\u200b\u200b.<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-hl\"><?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ??>\n<html><body><ul><li>Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles<\/li><li>$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150<\/li><li>NEW! 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United&#xAE; purchases.<\/li><li>2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.<\/li><li>Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, priority boarding on United&#xAE; flights.<\/li><li>2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value<\/li><li>Over $500 in partner credits each year<\/li><li>NEW! Save at least 10% when booking flights with miles. Premier members earn even more.<\/li><li>Member FDIC<\/li><\/ul><\/body><\/html>\n<\/div><div class=\"qs-tab-er\"><ul>\r\n<li>3X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>*<\/li>\r\n<li>2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel<\/li>\r\n<li>1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n*9X total miles per $1 spent on eligible United<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> flights<\/div><\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n            <a class=\"qs-share\" href=\"\/find-a-card\/UnitedExplorer\/\" title=\"copy\"><svg width=\"12\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 16\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><use href=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/awardwallet\/public\/builds\/icon\/icon-sprite.svg?v2026-4-237fc09228#share-square\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/use><\/svg><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<p>The most interesting feature is the up-to-70,000-mile bonus on your account balance each year. For those with big balances, that could mean a free flight or two every year for with no effort. But members will have to weigh the rewards earned versus the opportunity cost of keeping such a large balance outside of a high-yield savings account.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_206819\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-aspectratio=\"600\/480\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-206819 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/United-Airlines-737-Featured-David-Syphers-Unsplash.png\" alt=\"United Airlines 737 MAX 8 at IAH.\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/United-Airlines-737-Featured-David-Syphers-Unsplash.png 1000w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/United-Airlines-737-Featured-David-Syphers-Unsplash-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/United-Airlines-737-Featured-David-Syphers-Unsplash-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/United-Airlines-737-Featured-David-Syphers-Unsplash-325x260.png 325w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><center><em>Credit: David Syphers\/Unsplash<\/em><\/enter><\/figure>\n<h2><span id=\"Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The United MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card should be exciting news for those who wish to earn United miles for their debit card purchases. While a United credit card will still be more rewarding, earning something is still better than nothing. Plus, the ability to earn a welcome offer, bonus miles on spending, and the potential to earn United miles as a form of interest on your account balance may make this card enticing.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ftoc\"><div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"toc_light_blue no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Page Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#United_Airlines_Launches_Rewards-Earning_Debit_Card\">United Airlines Launches Rewards-Earning Debit Card<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Why_It_Makes_Sense_for_United_to_Launch_a_Debit_Card\">Why It Makes Sense for United to Launch a Debit Card<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Bottom_Line\">Bottom Line<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>United Airlines just launched a rewards-earning debit card. And if you like to earn United MileagePlus miles, you might actually find this new product pretty exciting. Here&#8217;s what to know about the new United debit card, including its earning rates, benefits, and welcome offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":97,"featured_media":188016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[12069],"tags":[12621,12772],"coauthors":[36469],"class_list":["post-232252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-earning-strategy","tag-united-mileageplus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/97"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232252"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":234433,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232252\/revisions\/234433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232252"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/awardwallet.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=232252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}