Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.
United Airlines recently launched new, increased welcome bonuses on its personal credit cards. If you’re looking to earn United miles with a credit card welcome bonus, now is a great time to get a new United credit card.
Here are the best welcome offers on United Airlines credit cards that we know of.
Current United Airlines personal card welcome bonuses
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: The current limited-time offer matches the best offers we have seen on this card.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards: 2x miles on United purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting. 1x miles on other eligible purchases.
Perks: 25% back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases.
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: This limited-time offer is the best offers on this card we’ve seen in several years, but it does not match the best offer we’ve ever seen..
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Rewards: 2x miles on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays booked with the hotel. 1x miles on other eligible purchases.
Perks: 2 United Club one-time passes per year. Free first checked bag. Trusted traveler credit. Earns Premier Qualifying Points.
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: The current limited-time offer on the United Quest℠ Card is the largest bonus we’ve seen since the card’s launch offer.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $250.
Rewards: 3x miles on United purchases. 2x miles on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel. 1x miles on other eligible purchases.
Perks: $125 in United purchase credits. Up to 10,000 in award flight credits. Free first and second bags. Trusted traveler credit. Earns Premier Qualifying Points.
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: This isn’t the best bonus we’ve seen on this card this year. A previous bonus offered 10,000 more points, but if you’re planning on getting the United Club℠ Infinite Card, this is the largest bonus we’re likely to see in a while.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $525.
Rewards: 4x miles on United purchases. 2x miles on dining and all other travel. 1x miles on other eligible purchases.
Perks: Untied Club membership. Free first and second bags. Trusted traveler credit. Earns Premier Qualifying Points.
Current United Airlines business card welcome bonuses
card_name: bonus_miles_full
Our take on the welcome bonus: Chase periodically increases the welcome bonus on this card and recently ended a bonus offering almost 50% more miles for new cardmembers. It’s probably best to wait on this one.
The link above is our affiliate link. We always show you the best offer, and this is the best offer we know about on this card.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
Rewards: 2x miles on United purchases, dining, gas stations, office supply stores and local transit and commuting. 1x miles on other eligible purchases. 5,000 mile anniversary bonus when you also hold a United personal credit card
Perks: First checked bag free, 2 United Club passes per year, can earn Premier Qualifying Points
United Club℠ Business Card: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Our take on the welcome bonus: The United Club℠ Business Card bonus isn’t terribly exciting when compared to the current limited-time bonuses available on personal cards.
The link above is a link directly to the bank’s website. We don’t make money when you use the above link, but we always show you the best offer.
Card highlights:
Annual fee: $450.
Rewards: 2x miles on United purchases. 1.5x miles on other eligible purchases.
Perks: Untied Club membership. Free first and second bags. Earns Premier Qualifying Points.
Other ways to get United miles through welcome bonuses
Chase Ultimate Rewards® is a transfer partner of United Mileage Plus. If you’re collecting Mileage Plus miles, you might also be interested in Ultimate Rewards welcome bonuses. Ultimate Rewards become transferable to United Mileage Plus if you hold a premium Ultimate Rewards credit card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve.
My take on the current welcome bonuses
Generally, if you’re looking to earn miles with a new Untied credit card welcome bonus, the best time to get the new card is when Chase and United offer limited-time increased offers. Currently, the United personal cards are offering increased offers, so it’s likely the best time to apply for a new personal card.
Unfortunately, United’s small business credit cards don’t have increased welcome offers. Chase and United have historically offered increased welcome offers on small business cards periodically. If you’re thinking of applying for one of these cards, it might be best to wait.
Based solely on the welcome bonus, the United℠ Explorer Card is probably the card to get. Since the card offers a $0 annual fee in the first year, then $95, you’ll pay the same in the first year as you will with the United Gateway card and get twice as many miles.
A few notes on applying for Chase cards
- Chase generally won’t approve you if your credit report is showing 5 or more new credit card accounts opened in the last 24 months. This rule is knows as the 5/24 rule. If you’re unsure if you are “under 5/24” you should check your 5/24 status before applying for a Chase card. Note that recently this rule seems to have softened. See our coverage about Chase 5/24 for more.
- How often you can earn a welcome bonus on a Chase card varies by card family.
- Most cards allow you to earn a welcome bonus if it has been at least 24 months since your last received a welcome bonus on the same card.
- Chase Sapphire-branded cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve®, you can only earn a welcome bonus once every 48 months.
- You can only hold one Chase Sapphire-branded card at a time.
- If you apply for a Chase card and the bank offers a higher bonus within 90 days, you can send Chase a secure message or call them to have your welcome offer matched.
- Chase business cards do not report to personal credit reports as long as they are current.
Advertiser disclosure: Cards and Points has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Cards and Points and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on this site are from advertisers. Compensation may affect how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies or all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities. Terms apply to all credit card benefits.