Is a United Credit Card Worth It?
If you fly with United regularly, a United card is well worth getting.
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On March 24, 2025, Chase made several changes to its six United Airlines credit cards, increasing annual fees and adding several new benefits. But what hasn't changed is this: If you fly United regularly, a United card is still well worth getting. And now's a good time to apply: From March 24 to May 7, 2025, all the United cards come with boosted sign-up bonuses.
» Read more: Here are the changes to United cards
United serves six continents and is a founding member of Star Alliance, giving you many ways to redeem miles earned on its co-branded credit cards. And if you live near a United hub airport, like Chicago or San Francisco, it makes even more sense to have one of its mileage-earning cards.
United credit cards
United issues several personal and business co-branded credit cards through Chase. These are the ones that are currently available.
$0.
$0 intro for the first year, then $150.
$350.
$695.
Debut Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Debut Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Debut Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Debut Offer: Earn 95,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, gas stations and local transit and commuting.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 5 miles per $1 on prepaid hotels booked through United.
• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and hotels (when booked directly with hotel).
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 5 miles per $1 on hotel stays through Renowned Hotels and Resorts.
• 3 miles per $1 on United purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants, select streaming services and all other travel.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 5 miles per $1 on hotel stays through Renowned Hotels and Resorts.
• 4 miles per $1 on United purchases.
• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and all other travel purchases.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
No PQP earning.
1 PQP for every $20 spent, up to 1,000 PQP annually.
1 PQP for every $20 spent, up to 18,000 PQP annually.
1 PQP for every $15 spent, up to 28,000 PQP annually.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• Two free checked bags each year after spending $10,000 annually.
• First checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• 2 United Club one-time passes each year.
• Credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• 10,000-mile award flight discount per year after spending $20,000 on purchases.
• Several annual credits, including a $100 United travel credit (after spending $10,000), up to $100 in United hotel credits and up to $60 in rideshare credits.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• $200 United travel credit per year (good on airfare).
• Several annual credits, including up to $150 in Renowned Hotels & Resorts credits, up to $100 in rideshare credits, and up to $180 in Instacart credits.
• 10,000-mile award flight discount each year.
• Credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• Access to United Club airport lounges.
• Several annual credits, including up to $200 in Renowned Hotels & Resorts credits, up to $150 in rideshare credits, up to $100 in Avis/Budget credits, up to $200 in JSX credits (JSX is a semi-private jet service) and up to $240 in Instacart credits.
• Credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
$150.
$695.
Debut Offer: Earn 125,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Earn 125,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• 5 miles per $1 on hotel stays booked through United.
• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, on dining (including delivery services), at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting.
• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• 5 miles per $1 on hotel stays at Renowned Hotels and Resorts when you prepay and book through Chase.
• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting.
• 1.5 miles per $1 on all other purchases.
1 PQP for every $20 spent, up to 4,000 PQP annually.
1 PQP for every $15 spent, up to 28,000 PQP annually.
• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• $125 United travel credit per year (after booking five flights that are $100 or more).
• Several annual credits, including up to $25 in United FareLock credits, up to $100 in United Hotels credits, up to $100 in rideshare credits, and up to $120 in Instacart credits.
• Two continental U.S. Economy Plus® seat upgrades per year.
• Credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
• First and second checked bag free for you and one companion on your reservation.
• Access to United Club airport lounges.
• Four United Club one-time passes annually for employee cardholders.
• Two global Economy Plus® seat upgrades per year.
• Several annual credits, including up to $50 on United FareLock credits, up to $200 in Renowned Hotels & Resorts credits, up to $150 in rideshare credits, up to $100 in Avis/Budget credits, up to $200 in JSX credits, and up to $240 in Instacart credits.
• Credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS.
• Priority boarding.
• No foreign transaction fees.
» Learn more: Is United Airlines good?
How United credit cards work
United credit cards are linked to your United MileagePlus account. This means that any miles earned from your United credit card (including from monthly spend and bonus miles) will be deposited directly into your MileagePlus account and, so long as you add your MileagePlus account number to your United reservation, you’ll receive any flight and lounge benefits that come with your United credit card when you fly United.
According to NerdWallet’s most recent valuations, United MileagePlus miles are worth 1.2 cents per mile if you’re booking a seat in the main cabin.
In addition to being able to redeem United MileagePlus miles on United flights, you can also redeem your miles for flights on 41 other airlines (25 through the Star Alliance, 16 through independent partnerships). United's partner airlines include Swiss Airlines, Air New Zealand, EVA Airways, Avianca Airlines and Lufthansa Airlines.
United cards are worth it if you can use the benefits
One of the key things to think about when signing up for a credit card is balancing the cost of the annual fee with the perks that come with the card. In many cases, the value of those benefits (like lounge access, travel credits or credits for TSA PreCheck) can exceed the card’s annual fee. In essence, you are coming out ahead.
The more you travel, the more value you can get from those perks. Let’s say you travel each month and need to check a bag. A credit card that offers free checked bags could save you $40 in each direction of your trip. That can really add up, but it would only make sense if you usually fly United.
But keep in mind that many benefits aren’t automatic. Consider some of the newly added benefits on The New United Club℠ Card :
Up to 20,000 miles in award flight discounts annually.
Up to $200 in credits on Renowned Hotels and Resorts, a hotel collection curated by Chase that gets you extra benefits like free breakfast.
Up to $150 in rideshare credits annually.
Up to $100 in United travel credits on Avis or Budget purchases annually.
Up to $200 in credits on JSX purchases annually. (JSX is a semi-private jet service.)
Up to $240 in Instacart credits. Terms apply.
If you can remember to use every benefit — and find a way to max them all out — you can get well over $1,000 worth of value on top of the lounge access and other perks. But that takes effort, and you might not be able to do it every year.
The New United Gateway℠ Card, which has an annual fee of $0, comes with much fewer benefits. It offers two free checked bags per year — but only if you spend $10,000 on it in a calendar year.
» Learn more: Your guide to the Star Alliance
Some United cards can make it easier to reach elite status
Some United credit cards help you reach or maintain United Premier elite status by offering free Premier Qualifying Points, or PQPs, which you need to earn to reach United’s higher elite tiers. You earn 1 PQP per dollar spent on United and United Express flights, the airline’s regional network.
Some United cards will also get you closer to elite status:
The New United℠ Explorer Card: 1 Premier Qualifying Point for every $20 spent on up to 1,000 PQP per year.
The New United Quest℠ Card: 1 Premier Qualifying Point for every $20 spent on up to 18,000 PQP per year. 18,000 PQP would get you Premier Platinum status, United’s second-highest tier. You’ll also get 1,000 PQP each qualification year, starting in 2026.
The New United Club℠ Card: 1 PQP for every $15 spent, up to 28,000 PQP per year. You need 28,000 PQP to qualify for Premier 1K status, the airline’s highest elite tier. You’ll also get 1,500 PQP each qualification year, starting in 2026.
The New United℠ Business Card: 1 PQP for every $20 spent each year, up to 4,000 PQP per year.
United Club℠ Business Card: 1 PQP for every $15 spent, up to 28,000 PQP per year.
The lowest tier of elite status, Premier Silver, requires 6,000 PQP. With The New United Club℠ Card, for example, you could reach that status if you charged $4,250 on United flights in a year.
Who should skip a United credit card?
A United credit card can pack in a lot of value, but those perks aren’t perfect for everyone. For example, if you don’t ever check bags, then the checked bag waiver with some United credit cards is not helpful. These are some of the reasons that a United credit card may not be a fit for you:
You don't fly with United or its partner airlines. You won’t be able to take advantage of extra benefits on United flights if you don’t fly with the airline.
You rarely travel. What good are airline miles and travel credits if you don't travel? For those people, perhaps a cash-back card would make more sense.
You prefer to earn flexible travel points that can be transferred to other airline or hotel programs. These types of points, like Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards, are also redeemable like cash when buying travel through the credit card’s portal. United miles can only be redeemed with United and its partners.
You are not loyal to one airline. If you fly several different carriers, opting for the best flight time rather than staying loyal to one carrier to achieve an airline’s elite status, then a United co-branded card may not make as much sense as a more general travel credit card. Perhaps a credit card that awards double or triple points on all travel categories and with any airline is a better way to go.
If you're thinking about getting a United credit card
The increased sign-up bonuses on United cards through May 7, 2025, make it an especially good time to apply for cards in the portfolio. But before you commit, take stock of the card benefits and which ones you could reasonably use each year. Make sure that the value you’ll get out of the card exceeds the annual fee.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2025:
Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Travel
Dining
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