What the United Credit Card is and who it's for
The United Credit Card is a co-branded card issued by Chase in partnership with United Airlines. It earns miles on United flights and everyday purchases, and it comes with perks like checked baggage waivers and priority boarding. The card is designed for people who fly United regularly or want to accumulate miles toward future flights.
United offers several versions of this card at different annual fee levels. The most common are the United Explorer Card, the United Club Infinite Card, and the United Gateway Card. Each version has different earning rates, annual fees, and benefits attached. Your choice depends on how often you fly, how much you spend, and whether the card's benefits offset its cost for your situation.
This is not a rewards card that works everywhere equally. The real value comes from United flights and United-affiliated spending. If you rarely fly United or prefer other airlines, a different card will likely serve you better.
Key Takeaways
- United credit cards earn miles on United flights and everyday purchases, with bonus miles offered in the first year for new cardholders.
- Annual fees range from around $0 to $650 depending on the card version, and you pay this fee every year the card remains open.
- Common benefits include a free checked bag, priority boarding, and United Club passes, but these benefits vary by card tier.
- Miles can be redeemed for United flights, seat upgrades, or transferred to United's partner airlines, though redemption rates fluctuate based on demand.
- The card is most valuable if you fly United at least a few times per year and can use the included benefits to offset the annual fee.
Annual fees and what they cover
United credit cards charge an annual fee that you pay once per year to keep the card open. The United Explorer Card typically charges around $65 per year. The United Club Infinite Card charges significantly more—around $650 per year—because it includes premium benefits like United Club passes and higher earning rates. The United Gateway Card has no annual fee but offers fewer benefits and lower earning rates.
The annual fee is not optional. You are charged it automatically each year unless you close the card. Some cardholders offset this cost by using the card's included benefits—such as a free checked bag on United flights, which normally costs $35 to $40 per flight. If you take even two United flights per year, the checked bag benefit alone can pay for the annual fee on the Explorer Card.
Before opening any version of this card, calculate whether the benefits you will actually use are worth the annual fee. If you fly United once per year or less, the annual fee will likely cost you more than you gain.
How miles are earned and what they're worth
United credit cards earn miles in two ways: on United flights and on everyday purchases made with the card. The earning rate depends on which card version you hold. The Explorer Card typically earns 2 miles per dollar spent on United flights and United purchases, and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases. The Club Infinite Card earns higher rates on United spending. The Gateway Card earns lower rates across the board.
New cardholders usually receive a sign-up bonus—for example, 50,000 bonus miles after spending a certain amount in the first three months. This bonus can be substantial, but you must meet the spending requirement to receive it. The bonus miles are added to your account once the requirement is met, typically within a few weeks.
The actual value of a mile varies. United publishes a chart showing how many miles are needed for each flight, and this number changes based on demand, route, and how far in advance you book. A mile is generally worth between 0.5 cents and 2 cents when redeemed for a flight, though this varies widely. Redeeming miles during off-peak times or on less popular routes typically gives you better value than peak times.
Benefits beyond earning miles
The main benefits included with United credit cards are a free checked bag, priority boarding, and baggage fee waivers for when ready family members traveling with you. These benefits are active as long as your card remains open and you use it to purchase your ticket. The free checked bag is the most valuable benefit for frequent flyers, since United charges $35 to $40 per checked bag on most domestic flights.
Higher-tier cards like the Club Infinite include additional perks: United Club passes (which give you access to airport lounges), higher earning rates, and travel credits. These benefits are designed to justify the higher annual fee, but they only have value if you actually use them. A Club pass is worthless if you never visit an airport lounge.
Some cards also offer travel protections like trip cancellation insurance and baggage delay reimbursement. These are secondary benefits—they protect you in specific situations but are not reasons to open the card on their own.
How to redeem miles for flights and upgrades
Miles are redeemed through the United website or mobile app. You log into your account, search for a flight, and choose to pay with miles instead of cash. United shows you how many miles the flight costs, and you can accept or decline. You can also use miles to upgrade a paid ticket to a higher cabin, though upgrade availability is limited and depends on how many miles you have and how full the flight is.
Miles can also be transferred to United's partner airlines, such as Air Canada, Lufthansa, and others. Partner redemptions sometimes offer better value than United flights, especially on long-haul international routes. However, transfer rates are not fixed—United can change how many miles a partner flight costs at any time.
One important limitation: you cannot use miles to pay for taxes and fees on a flight. If a flight costs 50,000 miles plus $50 in taxes, you pay the $50 in cash and the 50,000 miles separately. This means even a "free" award flight has an out-of-pocket cost.
Comparing this card to other airline cards
Other airlines offer similar co-branded credit cards with their own earning rates and benefits. American Airlines, Delta, and Southwest all have multiple card options at different fee levels. The choice between them depends on which airline you fly most often and which card's benefits align with your travel patterns.
If you do not have a strong preference for United, consider whether you fly one airline significantly more than others. A card is most valuable when you concentrate your spending and flying with one airline, because that is how you accumulate miles fastest and use the included benefits most often. Spreading your spending across multiple airline cards usually results in slower mile accumulation and underused benefits.
Some general-purpose rewards cards earn cash back or points that can be transferred to multiple airlines. These cards may be better if you fly different airlines or want flexibility in how you redeem rewards.
What happens to your miles if you close the card
Your miles do not disappear if you close the card. Miles are stored in your United MileagePlus account, which is separate from the credit card itself. You can close the card and still use your miles to book flights, as long as your MileagePlus account remains active.
However, if your MileagePlus account has no activity for 18 months—meaning no flights, no miles earned, and no miles redeemed—United may close the account and forfeit your miles. To keep your account active, you need to either fly United, earn miles through a co-branded card or partner, or redeem miles at least once every 18 months.
This means if you close the United credit card and do not fly United or earn miles another way, you have 18 months to use your accumulated miles before they expire. Plan your redemption accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use the card to get the free checked bag benefit?
Yes. The free checked bag only applies when you purchase your ticket with the United credit card. If you book a flight with cash or miles but do not use the card to pay, you do not receive the free checked bag. You must use the card for each flight to receive the benefit for that flight.
Can I earn miles on flights I book with cash?
No. Miles are earned when you use the card to purchase the ticket. If you pay cash without using the card, you earn no miles from that purchase. You can earn miles separately through United's MileagePlus program if you are a member, but the credit card is not involved in that earning.
What if I have a balance on the card—do I still get the benefits?
Yes. The benefits—free checked bag, priority boarding, and others—are active as long as the card is open and you use it to purchase your ticket. Whether you carry a balance or pay in full does not affect the benefits. However, carrying a balance means you pay interest, which is usually more expensive than the value of the benefits you receive.
Can I transfer my miles to someone else?
United allows you to transfer miles to another person's MileagePlus account, but there are limits and fees. You can transfer up to 25,000 miles per calendar year to another person, and United charges a fee for the transfer. This is useful if you have a spouse or family member with their own MileagePlus account, but it is not a way to give miles to a friend or sell them.
What if I want to cancel the card—when should I do it to avoid the annual fee?
The annual fee is charged on the anniversary of when you opened the card. If you want to avoid paying the fee, you must close the card before that anniversary date. However, closing the card when ready after receiving a sign-up bonus may trigger a clawback, where United cancels the bonus miles. Check the card's terms for how long you should keep the card open to keep the bonus.