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Chase just increased the sign-up bonus on the United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees). New cardholders can now earn up to 80,000
Even if you fly United only a few times per year, this card can be surprisingly easy to justify. Checking a bag for yourself and one companion on a single round trip can save up to $200 — more than the card’s ongoing $150 annual fee. You’ll also receive two United Club one-time passes each year, save 10% or more when booking eligible United award flights, and gain access to expanded award availability.
Best of all, you won’t pay an annual fee in the first year. That makes now an especially good time to apply and see if this card is a good fit for you.
- Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases.
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, Group 2 priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
- Earn at least 9X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 3X miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and direct hotel stays
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6x miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 3x miles on United purchases with the United℠ Explorer Card
United Explorer Card Highlights
The United Explorer Card consistently ranks among Chase’s best-value co-branded cards, thanks to a strong list of perks and value in the
Cardholder benefits include a free checked bag for you and a companion, two United Club lounge passes each year, Group 2 priority boarding, and a variety of statement credits that easily offset the ongoing $150 annual fee. However, you can enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150, so you have some time to test out the card before you have to pay anything out of pocket.
The card also offers a unique benefit providing expanded award space available only to United cardholders and Premier status members.
United Explorer Card Sign-up Bonus
New card members can earn up to 80,000 bonus miles – 70,000 miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open, and an additional 10,000 miles after you add an authorized user account in the first 3 months from account opening.
In recent AwardWallet user redemptions, United MileagePlus miles have yielded an average of 2.09¢ per mile. Based on that valuation, this offer is worth around $1,600.
Everyday Earning Potential
The United Explorer Card earns 3x miles on United® purchases (9X total miles per $1 spent on eligible United® flights), 2x miles on dining, and hotel stays when booked with the hotel, and 1x mile on all other purchases.
You'll likely find a higher earning potential on the top cards for everyday purchases. However, the United Explorer Card is a solid choice for booking United flights, and it offers outstanding long-term value, even if it isn't the card you'll use for every purchase.
United Explorer Card Feature Benefits
Even folks who only fly United once or twice per year can leverage excellent value from the benefits on the United Explorer Card. Card benefits include:
Perks when flying United
- Group 2 priority boarding for you and companions traveling on the same United reservation.
- Free first checked bag for you and a companion traveling on the same itinerary.
- 25% back on United in-flight purchases.
- Two United Club one-time passes each account anniversary.
- Save 10% or more when booking United flights with miles.
- Expanded award inventory available only to co-brand cardholders and elite-status members.
Statement credits
- Up to $50 in statement credits on both your first and second prepaid hotel stays purchased directly through United Hotels each year (up to $100 each year).
- Up to $5 back in statement credits each month on rideshare purchases (up to $60 each calendar year). Yearly opt-in is required.
- Up to $25 in United TravelBank cash for your first and second Avis or Budget car rental booked through MileagePlusTravel.United.com (up to $50 each anniversary year).
- Up to $10 in Instacart credits each month through December 31, 2027 (up to $120 each calendar year).
- Up to $100 back when you book flights directly with JSX.
- Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit every four years.
- No foreign transaction fees.
You’ll also earn 1 Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $20 you spend, up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year, which can help you reach United Premier status faster.
You can unlock even more benefits by using your card for your day-to-day purchases. You'll earn a $100 United travel credit when you spend $10,000 on your card in a calendar year, and a 10,000-mile award flight discount when you spend $20,000.
Who’s Eligible for the United℠ Explorer Card?
If you are a current United Explorer Card cardholder or you have received a welcome bonus on this card in the previous 24 months, you won’t be eligible for this card:
“This product is not available to either (i) current cardmembers of this credit card, or (ii) previous cardmembers of this credit card who received a new cardmember bonus for this credit card within the last 24 months.”
If you’ve had the United Explorer Card before, you can earn the current welcome offer. However, make sure it's been 24 months since you last received the sign-up bonus.
Like all Chase cards, the United Explorer Card is also subject to Chase’s 5/24 policy. That means if you’ve opened five or more
Our Take
If you fly United two or three times per year, the cardholder benefits on the United Explorer Card will more than offset the out-of-pocket cost of holding the card long term. In addition to the card's stellar perks and travel protection benefits, new applicants can earn up to 80,000 bonus miles after meeting the minimum spending requirements.
- Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases.
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $200 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, Group 2 priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles. Premier members save even more.
- Member FDIC
- Earn at least 9X total miles on eligible United flights (excluding Basic Economy and other base fares)*
- 3X miles on all other eligible United purchases
- 2X miles on dining and direct hotel stays
- 1X on all other purchases
- 6x miles on the primary cardmember’s fare from United as a MileagePlus member
- 3x miles on United purchases with the United℠ Explorer Card
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees)
