What the United Visa Card Is
The United Visa Card is a co-branded credit card issued by Chase in partnership with United Airlines. It is designed for people who fly United frequently or want to earn rewards on everyday purchases. The card comes in several versions — the United Explorer Card, United Club Infinite Card, and others — each with different annual fees, benefits, and earning rates.
This card is not a debit card or a prepaid card. It is a standard credit card that reports to the three major credit bureaus and requires you to make monthly payments on what you charge. The rewards you earn are miles that you can use toward United flights, seat upgrades, or other travel purchases through United's program.
Key Takeaways
- United Visa Cards earn miles on purchases, but each version has a different annual fee and different earning rates depending on what you spend on.
- You need a credit score in the good to excellent range (typically 670 or higher) to be considered, though approval is not may provide.
- The card comes with a sign-up bonus in miles if you spend a certain amount in the first few months, but you must pay an annual fee to keep the card active.
- Miles can be used for flights, seat upgrades, or transferred to partner airlines, but their value depends on how you use them.
- You can check whether you might be considered without hurting your credit score by using Chase's pre-qualification tool on their website.
Different Versions of the United Visa Card
Chase offers several United Visa products, and they are not all the same. The United Explorer Card is the most common entry-level option. It charges an annual fee (currently $95, though this changes) and earns 2 miles per dollar on United purchases and dining, and 1 mile per dollar on everything else. It also includes a sign-up bonus if you meet a spending threshold in the first three months.
The United Club Infinite Card is aimed at frequent flyers and costs more per year. It includes lounge access, higher earning rates on certain categories, and a larger sign-up bonus. There is also a United Business Card for business owners, which has different earning rates and benefits tailored to business spending.
Before you look into any version, check the current terms on Chase's website or call Chase directly at the number on the back of any Chase card you already have. Annual fees and benefits change, and you want to know what you are actually getting before you proceed.
What You Need to Have Before You Start
To be considered for a United Visa Card, you will need a Social Security number, a current mailing address, and a phone number where Chase can reach you. You will also need to provide income information — this does not have to be from employment alone; it can include retirement income, investment income, or other sources.
Your credit history matters. Chase typically looks for a credit score of 670 or higher, though this is not a hard cutoff and scores vary by product. If you are not sure what your score is, you can check it free through your bank, through a service like Credit Karma or Experian, or by ordering your credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com (the only free source mandated by federal law).
You will also need a valid government-issued ID to verify your identity. Have your driver's license or passport ready when you start the process.
How to Check If You Might Be Considered
Chase offers a pre-qualification tool on their website that lets you see whether you might be considered without a hard credit inquiry. A hard inquiry can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points, so this step can save you that hit if you are not likely to be considered.
Go to Chase.com, find the United Visa Card product page, and look for a link that says "See if you're pre-may have access to" or similar language. You will answer a few questions about your income and address. Chase will tell you whether you are likely to be considered and what offers might be available to you. This check does not may provide approval, but it gives you a realistic sense before you formally explore.
If the pre-qualification tool says you are not likely to be considered, you can still explore, but understand that a formal process will result in a hard inquiry on your credit report. If you have recently applied for other credit, you may want to wait a few months before explore for this card.
The process Process
Once you decide to move forward, you can explore online through Chase.com, by phone, or in person at a Chase branch. The online process is fastest — it usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. You will enter your personal information, income, employment details, and consent to a credit check.
Chase will give you a decision when ready or within a few business days. If you are approved, you will receive your card in the mail within 7 to 10 business days. If you are denied, Chase will send you a letter explaining why, and you can contact them to understand what happened.
If you are approved, your credit limit will be set based on your credit score, income, and credit history. You can request a higher limit after you have used the card responsibly for several months.
Understanding the Annual Fee and Sign-Up Bonus
Every version of the United Visa Card charges an annual fee. For the Explorer Card, this is currently $95, though it may vary. This fee is charged to your account once per year, usually on the anniversary of when you opened the card. You must pay this fee to keep the card active and continue earning miles.
To offset this cost, Chase offers a sign-up bonus: a large number of miles if you spend a certain amount (often $500 to $3,000) within the first three months. For example, you might earn 50,000 miles if you spend $3,000 in the first three months. These miles have a cash value, but that value depends on how you use them — they are worth more if you use them for expensive flights and less if you use them for cheap ones.
Some versions of the card also include a statement credit or other benefit that offsets part of the annual fee. Read the current offer carefully on Chase's website to see what is included this year.
How Miles Work and What They Are Worth
When you use your United Visa Card, you earn miles based on what you buy. These miles are added to your United MileagePlus account (United's frequent flyer program). You can use miles to book flights, upgrade your seat, or pay for baggage fees. You can also transfer miles to partner airlines or hotel programs, though this usually means getting fewer miles' worth of value.
The value of a mile is not fixed. A mile might be worth 1 cent when you use it for a cheap domestic flight, or it might be worth 2 cents or more when you use it for an expensive international flight. This is why the sign-up bonus is not the same as cash — you have to actually use the miles to get value from them, and how much value you get depends on your choices.
Miles do not expire as long as you have some account activity (like earning or spending miles) at least once every 18 months. If your account goes inactive, your miles can be forfeited. Keep this in mind if you stop flying United for a while.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use this card only for United flights?
No. You can use the United Visa Card anywhere that accepts Visa. You will earn miles on all purchases, though the earning rate varies by category. For example, you earn more miles per dollar on United purchases and dining than you do on other categories, but you still earn miles on groceries, gas, and other everyday spending.
What happens if I close the card before the annual fee is charged?
If you close the card before the annual fee date, you will not be charged. However, you will lose access to any miles in your account if you do not have another way to earn or spend them. Check United's rules on what happens to miles when you close a co-branded card.
Can I get the sign-up bonus again if I close the card and reopen it later?
Chase has rules about how often you can earn a sign-up bonus on the same card. Generally, you must wait at least 24 months after closing a card before you can earn the bonus again. Check Chase's current rules before you close the card if you think you might want to reopen it.
Will explore for this card hurt my credit score?
A formal process will result in a hard inquiry, which can lower your score by a few points temporarily. However, the impact is usually small and fades within a few months. If you use the pre-qualification tool first, you can avoid a hard inquiry if you are not likely to be considered.
What if I am denied?
If Chase denies your process, they will send you a letter explaining the reason. Common reasons include a credit score that is too low, recent late payments, or too many recent credit inquiries. You can call Chase to ask for more details, and you can reapply after addressing the issue — for example, by waiting a few months and building your credit score.