United Explorer Card
| Annual fee | $150 Fact |
| Foreign transaction fee | None |
| Rewards currency | miles |
| Est. point value | 1.20¢ Estimate |
Last updated Oct 17, 2026
Checked Oct 11, 2026
Before you apply
General Chase policies as commonly reported by applicants, not a prediction about your application.
Sign-up bonus history
5-year best: 80,000 milesView as a table
| Period | Bonus | Spend requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2021 to Jan 2022 · 3 mo | 40,000 miles | $2,000 |
| Jan 2022 to Mar 2022 · 2 mo | 60,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Mar 2022 to Jun 2022 · 3 mo | 50,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Jun 2022 to Sep 2022 · 3 mo | 70,000 miles | $6,000 |
| Sep 2022 to Aug 2023 · 11 mo | 50,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Aug 2023 to May 2024 · 8 mo | 60,000 miles | $3,000 |
| May 2024 to Jul 2024 · 2 mo | 50,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Jul 2024 to Apr 2025 · 9 mo | 60,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Apr 2025 to Jul 2025 · 4 mo | 80,000 miles Best | $3,000 |
| Jul 2025 to Mar 2026 · 7 mo | 60,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Mar 2026 to Apr 2026 · 2 mo | 70,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Apr 2026 to Apr 2026 · 1 day | 80,000 miles Best | $3,000 |
| Apr 2026 to Oct 2026 · 6 mo | 60,000 miles | $3,000 |
| Sep 2026 to Sep 2026 · 3 days | 50,000 miles plus 10,000 bonus miles for adding an authorized user | $3,000 |
| Sep 2026 to Oct 2026 · 9 days | 60,000 miles plus 10,000 bonus miles for adding an authorized user | $3,000 |
| Oct 2026 to Oct 2026 · 9 days | 70,000 miles plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user | $3,000 |
| Oct 2026 to now · 8 days | 70,000 miles plus 10,000 bonus miles for adding an authorized user | $3,000 |
Based on the public offers we have on record over time. Short-lived offers may not appear, and elevated or targeted offers are not shown.
How you earn
| Category | Rate | Currency | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand purchases | 3x | miles | No cap |
| Flights | 3x | miles | No cap |
| Restaurants | 2x | miles | No cap |
| Hotels | 2x | miles | No cap |
| Everything else | 1x | miles | No cap |
Recurring credits
Estimated value| Receive a $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year, for purchases made directly through Instacart with the card. Benefits end 12/31/27. Shared across the account
|
$120/yr (Monthly) |
| Up to $100 back as a statement credit each anniversary year when booking flights directly with JSX using the card. Shared across the account
|
$100/yr (Anniversary) |
| $50 back as a statement credit on both the 1st and 2nd prepaid hotel stays purchased directly through United Hotels, up to $100 each anniversary year. Shared across the account
|
$100/yr (Anniversary) |
| Up to $5 back as a statement credit each month on rideshare purchases, up to $60 each calendar year. Yearly opt-in required. Shared across the account
|
$60/yr (Monthly) |
| $25 in United TravelBank cash for each of the 1st and 2nd Avis or Budget rentals booked directly through cars.united.com, up to $50 each anniversary year. Shared across the account
|
$50/yr (Anniversary) |
| Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee when charged to the card. Shared across the account
|
$30/yr (one-time/annual) |
Credit value depends on whether you use each credit; treat these as potential value.
Certificates
Estimated value| 2 x United Club one-time passes | $100/yr |
Values are our estimate of what each certificate typically saves. Certificates expire, so their value depends on using them in time.
Benefits & protections
Card factsPrimary Cardmember with MileagePlus Premier status traveling on an award ticket, plus one companion on the same reservation, is eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United- and United Express-operated flights, subject to availability.
Earn 1 Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $20 in net purchases, up to a maximum of 1,000 PQP within the calendar year, applying toward MileagePlus Premier status qualification.
Group 2 Priority boarding - the primary Cardmember and companions on the same reservation board United-operated flights prior to general boarding, a value of $48 per person per roundtrip.
Complimentary Visa Signature Concierge Service available 24 hours a day for event tickets, dinner reservations, and gift assistance.
MileagePlus members can use miles to book any United-operated flight, any time, with no restrictions or blackout dates.
Save 10% or more when booking United or United Express award flights with miles; Premier members save even more (15%+).
Earn a 10,000-mile award flight discount after spending $20,000 each calendar year to use toward an eligible award flight on United or United Express.
The primary Cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation can each check a first standard bag for free on United-operated flights, saving up to $200 per roundtrip.
Extends the manufacturer's U.S. warranty by an additional year on eligible warranties of three years or less, up to four years from the date of purchase.
Covers eligible new purchases for 120 days from the date of purchase against damage or theft, up to $10,000 per item.
Covers unreimbursed expenses such as meals and lodging up to $500 per covered traveler when common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay.
Reimbursement up to $1,500 per covered traveler and $6,000 per trip for pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares if a trip is canceled or cut short by a covered situation.
Provides reimbursement up to $3,000 per covered traveler for lost, damaged, or stolen checked or carry-on baggage during a covered trip.
Reimburses up to $100 a day for up to 3 days for essential purchases when baggage is delayed over 6 hours.
Primary auto rental collision damage waiver providing reimbursement up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less, when declining the rental company's collision insurance.
2 United Club one-time passes deposited into the primary Cardmember's MileagePlus account after account opening and each anniversary thereafter, each worth over $100, usable by the primary Cardmember, an authorized user, or accompanied guests.
Get complimentary Instacart+ membership for three months, including unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on eligible orders over $35; afterward automatically enrolled at 25% off the annual rate. Benefits end 12/31/27.
Earn 10,000 bonus miles for each friend approved for any United MileagePlus Card, up to 100,000 bonus miles per year.
Authorized users on the United Explorer
Card factsAuthorized users are free.
Each authorized user gets
- Auto rental coverage
- Baggage delay insurance
- Extended warranty protection
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Purchase protection
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
Shared across the account
- Avis or budget travel credit
- Back on United inflight and Club premium drink purchases
- Global entrytsa prechecknexus credit
- Instacart credit
- Jsx credit
- Rideshare credit
- United hotels credit
- United travel credit
Primary cardmember only
- Premier qualifying points pqp
Only when traveling with you
- Complimentary premier upgrades on award tickets
- Free first checked bag
- Priority boarding
News on this card
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Article Aug 30, 2026Now on The Points Pro: 10 new cards
New cards just joined The Points Pro: see what they earn and credit back, then add yours to your wallet.
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