United℠ Explorer Card review: Worth it for frequent United travelers
Jennifer Doss
Last Updated: April 1, 2024 United℠ Explorer Card
CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons
- Enjoy 25% back on United in-flight purchases.
- Cardholders are eligible for up to $100 as a statement credit for Global Entry, Nexus or TSA PreCheck every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for either program when charged to your card.
- New cardholders can earn 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
- If you are not a devotee of United Airlines or you simply don't travel very often, you'll likely want to consider a more general rewards card instead.
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UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD BENEFITS
If United is your airline of choice, then the CardName is a "must have" for your wallet, if only for the solid travel perks.
The benefits kick in immediately when you arrive at the airport. You get one free checked bag for both you and a companion, as well as free trip cancellation/interruption insurance. (Pro tip: You really don't know how valuable trip cancellation/interruption insurance is until that first time something completely unexpected happens and you need it.) You also get 25% back on all in-flight purchases. If you fly frequently, this can really add up.
Looking to expedite the check-in process? Cardholders are also eligible for up to $100 as a statement credit for Global Entry, Nexus or TSA PreCheck every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for either program when charged to your card.
If you book your rental car using your Explorer card, you also get included auto rental collision damage coverage. Simply decline the collision coverage offered by the rental company. This is good on most rental cars in the United States and around the world.
And the cherry on top? CardName is presently offering 50,000 bonus miles for new cardholders when you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Depending on your travel dates and destination, this bonus alone has the potential to pay for multiple one-way flights.
On an ongoing basis you'll earn two miles per dollar spent on purchases with United as well as on dining and hotel stays, and one mile per dollar on all other purchases.
Top Features
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- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
- $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck®
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
- Member FDIC
UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEE
CardName does not charge foreign transaction fees. If you travel frequently overseas for business or pleasure, this perk can be a huge savings for you or your company.
Many credit card companies charge foreign transaction fees, with many averaging around 3%. So, as an example, if you make monthly trips to Europe on business and spend just $1,000 during each trip on meals, entertainment, etc., you could easily find yourself paying several hundred dollars each year on foreign transaction fees alone. With the CardName, there are no fees, so that money stays in your bank account.
UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES
If you are not a devotee of United Airlines or you simply don't travel very often, this is probably not the card for you. While there is a $0 annual fee for the first year, it jumps to $95 a year after that.
The rewards program is fairly average, offering two miles for every dollar spent on United, hotel, and restaurant purchases, and one mile for each dollar spent on other purchases. It can add up, but only if you travel frequently.
On the outside chance you would use the CardName to transfer a balance from another card, you should be aware there is no balance transfer promotional interest rate and the normal APR is RegAPR. There is also a fee on all balance transfers: BalanceTransferFees
UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD CARDHOLDER SCORES
CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74 | 75.5 |
| Features Satisfaction | 7.2 | 7.7 |
| Customer Service | 7.4 | 7.7 |
| Website/App Usability | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.1 | 7.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 7.3 | 6.9 |
*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.
HOW THE UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD COMPARES TO OTHER CARDS
United℠ Explorer Card vs. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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CardName is the go-to card for loyal United Airlines travelers, but the CardName matches up well if you tend to travel on various airlines. Both have annual fees, but United℠ Explorer waives the fee for the first year.
Sapphire Preferred® offers 60,000 points to new cardholders (earned once spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of opening an account). This bonus is worth $750 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.
On an ongoing basis, the Sapphire Preferred® offers 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
The CardName offers numerous perks specific to United Airlines (detailed above). The CardName might not offer United specific perks, but the real benefit of CardName is that you aren't tied to one specific airline when it comes to redeeming your rewards. This card has a number of travel loyalty partners, including United, offering you more freedom in how you travel.
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
United℠ Explorer Card vs. CardName
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In many ways, the CardName is, for fans of Delta Airlines, what the CardName is for fans of United Airlines. Both offer perks that reward brand loyalty. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
Both cards also offer perks on their respective airlines, such as one free checked bag. They each have decent welcome offers, too. New CardName users can earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new card in your first six months. This compares to United℠ Explorer's offer of 50,000 miles, earned by spending $3,000 in the first three months. Amex Delta takes things a step further with a $200 Delta flight credit, earned once spending $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year.
United℠ Explorer Card vs. Discover it® Miles
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If you tend to fly a variety of airlines or tend to use different modes of transportation to get to your destination, CardName has some features that CardName doesn't offer.
To begin with, CardName has no annual fee. CardName waives the fee for the first year but then it jumps to $95 annually.
The rewards programs and welcome bonuses for the two cards are very different. While CardName has different tiers, offering either two miles or one mile per dollar spent, CardName offers a flat 1.5 miles for every dollar spent on every purchase.
The CardName offers a signup bonus of 50,000 after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. The Discover card offers something rather unique. It will match every mile you accumulate during the first year after you open your account. If you accrue 35,000 miles in your first year, you'll effectively earn a total of 70,000 miles thanks to the match on your first-year anniversary.
With CardName, miles can be redeemed for travel vouchers, statement credits or even cash. There is no limit on how many miles and bonus miles you can earn and no minimum redemption amount.
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
IS THE UNITED℠ EXPLORER CARD A GOOD CARD?
If United Airlines is your airline of choice and you tend to travel frequently on business or pleasure, the CardName is well worth the annual fee of $95 (after the first year) and should be a fine addition to your wallet. The numerous perks, along with the absence of a foreign transaction fee could save you hundreds of dollars a year, as well as time and aggravation.
Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.
See Rates and Fees for the CardName
United℠ Explorer Card Compared to Other Travel rewards Cards
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