United Airlines offers six credit cards in partnership with Chase. These cards offer cardholders a host of benefits, from increased rewards for United purchases, to free bags, to access to United’s 45 United Club locations. In this post, we’ve collected all of the information you need to compare these cards to find the one that is right for you.
What’s in this post
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- Point earning comparison – A comparison how how many miles each card earns for purchases in various categories
- Benefits of the United Cards
- United Airlines benefits – All benefits that improve your experience flying on United Airlines, from free checked bags, to lounge access.
- Travel benefits of United cards – Travel benefits like trip delay protection, trip cancellation insurance and other benefits that apply whether traveling on United, on another airline, or by bus, boat, or train.
- Consumer and other benefits – Comparisons of non-travel benefits like extended warranty, purchase protection, and roadside assistance.
Point earnings of United credit cards
All of United’s co-branded credit cards earn MileagePlus miles. Each card offers bonus purchases on select categories like United purchases, travel, and dining. Generally, the cards with higher annual fees offer more earnings, but not always. For example, the United Quest℠ Card offers 2x miles on select streaming services, but the higher-priced United Club℠ Infinite Card doesn’t offer a bonus in this category.
Notable standouts include the United Club℠ Infinite Card, which earns four points per dollar on United purchases and the United Quest℠ Card, which earns points in the widest number of categories. See below the table for more on what exactly counts in each category.
 United Gateway℠ Card |  United℠ Explorer Card |  United Quest℠ Card |  United Club℠ Infinite Card |  United℠ Business Card |  United Club℠ Business Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United purchases | 2x | 2x | 3x | 4x | 2x | 2x |
| Dining | – | 2x | – | 2x | 2x | – |
| Hotel stays booked directly with the hotel | – | 2x | (See “all other travel”) | (See “all other travel”) | – | – |
| All other travel | – | – | 2x | 2x | – | – |
| Gas stations | 2x | – | – | – | 2x | – |
| Local transit and commuting | 2x | – | (See “all other travel”) | (See “all other travel”) | 2x | – |
| Select streaming services | – | – | 2x | – | – | – |
| Office supply stores | – | – | – | – | 2x | – |
| All other purchases | 1x | 1x | 1x | 1x | 1x | 1.5x |
Spending category definitions of United credit card bonus categories
Here’s some additional detail on what kinds of purchases count in each category.
- United purchases includes purchases from United, including tickets, Economy Plus®, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, and other United purchases. It also includes United Card Events from Chase purchases. If your card earns an annual United purchase credit, you’ll start to earn United MileagePlus miles after you earn your annual credit.
- All other travel includes airfare, trains, local transit, cruise lines, hotels, car rentals, taxicabs, resorts, rideshare services and tolls.
- Dining includes eligible delivery services
- Local transit and commuting includes ride share services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit.
Benefits of the United Airlines credit cards
United Airlines credit cards from Chase come with a long list of benefits that will enhance your experience when flying with United Airlines, protect you when you travel, and provide a few perks when you’re closer to home. Below are the major benefits of United Airlines credit cards, broken out into tables so that you can compare and find the card that is right for you.
United credit card benefits when flying on United Airlines
One of the reasons you might pick up an airline co-branded credit card is for the perks. All of the United credit cards with an annual fee offer a free checked baggage benefit, plus an opportunity to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) toward Premier status with the airline. The United Club℠ Infinite Card and United Club℠ Business Card both offer a United Club membership, which can get you into the United Club and select partner clubs when traveling on United.
Here are the details of the benefits each card offers when flying on United Airlines.
United Gateway℠ Card | United℠ Explorer Card | United Quest℠ Card | United Club℠ Infinite Card | United℠ Business Card | United Club℠ Business Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United ClubSM access | – | 2 one-time passes per year | – | United Club membership | 2 one-time passes per year | United Club membership |
| Annual United credit | – | – | $125 United purchase credit | – | $100 United travel credit after 7 United flight purchases. | – |
| Award flights credits | – | – | 5,000 miles, 2 times per year | – | – | – |
| Better-together anniversary bonus | – | – | – | – | 5,000 miles (Must also hold a personal United card) | – |
| United saver award discount (U.S. and Canada) | – | – | – | 10% | – | – |
| Free checked bags | – | First checked bag | First and second checked bags | First and second checked bags | First checked bag | First and second checked bags |
| Priority boarding and Premier Access | – | Priority boarding | Priority boarding | Premier Access | Priority boarding | Premier Access |
| Premier upgrades on award tickets | – | |||||
| 25% back on United inflight and club premium drink purchases | ||||||
| Earn Premier qualifying points (PQP) | – | Up to 1,000 PQP/year | Up to 6,000 PQP/year | Up to 8,000 PQP/year | Up to 1,000 PQP/year | Up to 1,000 PQP/year |
Details of credit card benefits when flying on United Airlines
Here are the details on the United travel benefits. Not every benefit is included with each card. Refer to the table above to see which benefits are included with each card.
United Club℠ one-time passes – If your card includes United Club℠ one-time passes, you’ll receive your passes after account opening and on each account anniversary. A one-time pass will allow one person entry into a United Club℠ when traveling on a same-day United Airlines-operated flight.
United Club℠ membership – If your card includes United Club℠ membership, you’ll receive a complimentary membership to the United Club℠. Your membership includes access to 45+ United Club locations and participating Star Alliance™ affiliated lounges worldwide when you are traveling on a same day United- or United Express-operated flight. Membership includes access for the primary cardmember, and either two guests or one guest and children under 21.
Annual United credit ($125 annual United purchase credit) – With the United Quest℠ Card, you will automatically receive up to $125 in statement credits as reimbursement for United purchases charged to your eligible each account anniversary year.
Annual United credit ($100 United travel credit) – Once you purchase seven United flights of $100 or more on your United℠ Business Card account within each account anniversary year, you’ll get a $100 United travel credit.
Award flights credits – Starting with your first anniversary with the United Quest℠ Card, you’ll automatically get 5,000 miles back in your MileagePlus® account after you take a United® or United Express-operated award flight booked with your miles – up to 2 times every anniversary year.
Better-together anniversary bonus – When you hold both a personal United card and the United℠ Business Card, you will earn a 5,000 mile “better together” anniversary bonus on your United℠ Business Card anniversary. This bonus is a benefit of the United℠ Business Card and you’ll only earn one bonus, awarded to that card.
United Saver Award discount – As the primary cardmember of the United Club℠ Infinite Card, you are eligible to book award flights in United Economy on United or United Express with 10% fewer miles.
Free checked bags – If your card includes a free checked bag benefit, you and one companion receive one or two free checked bags when you book your United-operated flight directly with United. You must use your eligible card to purchase your flight and include your United MileagePlus® frequent flyer number in your reservation. The requirement to purchase your United flight with your card is waived for flights during the first 90 days from account opening. How many free checked bags you receive depends on which card you have. Refer to the chart above for details.
Priority boarding and Premier Access – Many of United’s credit cards offer priority boarding, which allows you and your companions on the same reservation boarding on all United-operated flights prior to general boarding. If your card offers Premier Access, you will receive preferential treatment to ease your way through the airport with priority check-in, security screening, boarding, and baggage handling privileges. Refer to the chart above to see which benefit each card carries.
Premier upgrades on award tickets – When you have United Premier frequent flyer status and hold an eligible card, you become eligible to receive complimentary upgrades on award tickets.
25% back on United inflight and club premium drink purchases – When you purchase food, beverages, and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights, or premium drinks within the United Club and pay with your eligible card, you’ll get 25% back as a statement credit.
Earn Premier Qualifying Points – Premier Qualifying points are one of the requirements to earn Premier status with United Airlines. If your card allows you to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs,) you can earn 500 PQPs for every for every $12,000 you spend on the card, up to the limit specified in your card agreement. See the chart above for annual PQP earning limits.
United credit card general travel benefits
Some of the travel benefits provided by United Airlines credit cards are useful whenever you’re traveling, be it on United, another air carrier, or even by ship, train, or bus. Here are the general travel benefits of United credit cards.
United Gateway℠ Card | United℠ Explorer Card | United Quest℠ Card | United Club℠ Infinite Card | United℠ Business Card | United Club℠ Business Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit | – | – | – | |||
| Auto rental collision damage waiver | Secondary | Primary | Primary | Primary | Primary when renting for business | Primary when renting for business |
| Trip cancellation/ interruption insurance | $1,500/person $6,000/trip Covers pre-paid passenger fares. | $1,500/person $6,000/trip Covers pre-paid passenger fares. | $1,500/person $6,000/trip Covers pre-paid passenger fares. | $10,000/person $20,000/trip Covers pre-paid passenger fares, tours, and hotels. | $1,500/person $6,000/trip Covers pre-paid passenger fares. | $10,000/person $20,000/trip Covers pre-paid passenger fares, tours, and hotels. |
| Baggage delay insurance | – | |||||
| Lost luggage reimbursement | – | |||||
| Trip delay reimbursement | – | |||||
| Travel accident insurance | – | – | – | – | – | |
| IHG nenefits | – | – | – | IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite Status $75 IHG credit | – | – |
| Avis benefits | – | – | – | Avis President’s Club® | – | Avis President’s Club® |
| No foreign transaction fees |
Details of general credit card travel benefits
$100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit – Receive a statement credit of up to $100 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS when charged to your card.
Auto rental collision damage waiver – Decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage provides reimbursement up to the actual cash value of the vehicle for theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad. Coverage is primary outside the United States. Whether coverage inside the United States is primary or secondary depends on which card you have and, if you have a business card, whether you are renting for business purposes. Refer to the table above or your guide to benefits.
Trip cancellation/ interruption insurance – With trip cancellation and interruption insurance, you can be reimbursed for certain pre-paid, nonrefundable travel expenses if your trip is cancelled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, and other covered situations. Coverage amounts, covered expenses, and covered situations vary. Refer to the table above or see your card’s guide to benefits.
Baggage delay insurance – Reimburses you for essential purchases like toiletries and clothing for baggage delays over 6 hours by passenger carrier up to $100 a day for 3 days.
Trip Delay Reimbursement – If your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket.
Travel accident insurance – When you pay for your air, bus, train or cruise transportation with your United℠ Business Card, you are eligible to receive accidental death or dismemberment coverage of up to $500,000.
IHG benefits – With the United Club℠ Infinite Card, the primary Cardmember is eligible for Platinum Elite status in IHG One Rewards and $75 in statement credits as reimbursement for IHG Hotels and Resorts purchases charged to the card from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2023.
Avis benefits – Enroll in Avis President’s Club and enjoy complimentary two-car class upgrades, guaranteed car availability, expedited rental service and more.
Lost luggage reimbursement – If you or an immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you’re covered up to $3,000 per passenger.
No foreign transaction fees – None of the United credit cards charge foreign transaction fees, meaning you won’t pay anything extra when you use your United credit card to make purchases abroad.
Consumer and other benefits
Finally, the United Airlines credit cards also offer consumer benefits that help you out closer to home. Benefits like purchase protection, extended warranty, and return protection, can protect the things you buy, while a complimentary DoorDash membership can add a bit of convenience to your life. Here are the details on the non-travel benefits of the United credit cards.
United Gateway℠ Card | United℠ Explorer Card | United Quest℠ Card | United Club℠ Infinite Card | United℠ Business Card | United Club℠ Business Card | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase protection | $500 per claim $50,000 per account | $10,000 per claim $50,000 per year | $10,000 per claim $50,000 per year | $10,000 per claim $50,000 per year | $10,000 per claim $50,000 per account | $10,000 per claim $50,000 per account |
| Extended warranty protection | ||||||
| Return protection | – | – | – | – | ||
| Price protection | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Roadside assistance | – | – | – | – | – | |
| DoorDash DashPass Membership |
Benefit descriptions for consumer and other benefits
Purchase protection – Purchase protection covers your new purchases against damage or theft for 120 days from the date of purchase. Coverage limits apply. See the table above and your card’s guide to benefits for details.
Extended warranty protection – Extended warranty protection provides additional coverage on the items you purchase, offering additional warranty coverage after your manufacturer’s warranty expires. Chase extended warranty protection provides an additional year of warranty protection on eligible warranties of three years or less. Exclusions apply. See your card’s guide to benefits for details.
Return protection – You can be reimbursed for eligible items that the store won’t take back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item, $1,000 per year.
Price protection – If a purchase you made in the U.S. with your United Club℠ Business Card is advertised for less in print or online within 90 days, you can be reimbursed the difference up to $500 per item and $2,500 per year.
Roadside assistance – If you have a roadside emergency, you can call for a tow, jumpstart, tire change, locksmith or gas. You’re covered up to $50 per incident 4 times a year.
DoorDash DashPass Membership – Get one-year complimentary DashPass, a membership for both DoorDash and Caviar that provides unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders. After that, you are automatically enrolled in DashPass at the current monthly rate. To take advantage of your free membership, you must activate your membership by 12/31/24.