Miles · Visa · $150 annual fee
Last verified 2026-09-09. Review issuer source
Chase United Explorer Card is a $150-a-year miles card from Chase. Its best everyday rates are 2x on dining, and 2x on hotels; everything else earns 1x. There is also 2x on United Airlines, a single-merchant rate. Rewards are United MileagePlus miles that only spend inside that program, so we value them at roughly a third of a cent each.
On our reference budget of $24,600 a year its rewards come to $104, $46 short of the annual fee. That is normal at this price; the card only works if the perks replace spending you already do, or your bonus-category spending is far above a typical household's. The welcome bonus, 60,000 miles after $3,000 in 3 months, is the strongest reason to open it in a given year. The annual fee is waived the first year.
Get it if you already fly or stay with United MileagePlus often enough to use the free checked bag. A general travel card earns points that go more places.
2 miles per $1 spent on dining, including eligible delivery services.
2 miles per $1 spent on dining, including eligible delivery services.
2 miles per $1 spent on purchases from United, including tickets, Economy Plus®, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, and other United charges
Earn up to 60,000 bonus miles after qualifying activities.
Earn $100 in United® TravelBank cash after you spend $10,000 on purchases each calendar year with your United Explorer Card. You can use United® TravelBank cash toward future flights on United® or United Express®.
After account opening and on each anniversary - over a $100 value per year. For an updated list of United Club locations and any temporary closures, please visit.
25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card.
Get complimentary Instacart+ Membership for three months, including unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on eligible orders. After that, you're automatically enrolled in Instacart+ at 25% off the annual rate. Service fees and Terms apply. Benefits end 12/31/27.
Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary and 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.
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.
Get one-year complimentary DashPass, 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. Activate by Dec 31, 2027 Plus, DashPass members get up to $10 off quarterly on non-restaurant DoorDash orders through Dec 31, 2027.
You’ll earn 1 PQP for every $20 you spend on purchases with your Explorer Card, up to 1,000 PQP in a calendar year. This can be applied toward your Premier® status qualification.
Extends the time period of the U.S. manufacturer's warranty by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less.
The primary Cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation will each receive their first standard checked bag free (up to $35 value, each way, per person) on United-operated flights when the primary Cardmember includes their United MileagePlus® number in their reservation and purchases their tickets from United with their card. For complete details, please visit .
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.
The primary Cardmember who has MileagePlus® Premier® status and is traveling on an award ticket and one companion that is traveling on the same reservation are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United- and United Express-operated flights, subject to availability.
The primary Cardmember and companions on the same reservation will be invited to board United-operated flights prior to general boarding.
Covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year.
This exceptional group of over 1,000 properties includes many of the world's most exquisite hotels, resorts, lodges and spas, each of which extend you complimentary Cardmember benefits with every stay. Make a reservation through the program using your Chase card to receive the following benefits including daily breakfast for two, a special benefit unique to each property, such as a dining or spa credit, complimentary Wi-Fi, a room upgrade, if available, and early check-in and late checkout, if available. Please visit for more information.
You can be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip for your pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares, if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather and other covered situations.
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.
Pursue more of your passions with United Card Events from Chase. As a Cardmember, you will be delighted with opportunities to purchase private, curated once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Sample select wines and satisfy your palate with culinary events at some of the world's best restaurants, meet a sporting legend or make memories with your family. United MileagePlus® Visa Signature® Cardmembers may also use award miles to enjoy exclusive experiences, such as winemaker dinners and other unique virtual events. Please visit to learn more.
Get up to $100 back as a statement credit each anniversary year when you book flights directly with JSX using your United Explorer Card. JSX is a hop-on jet service that offers a semi-private flying experience at commercial fares. To learn more, visit united.com/JSX.
Receive $50 back as a statement credit on both your 1st and 2nd prepaid hotel stays purchased directly through United® Hotels with your United Explorer Card, up to $100 each anniversary year.
Receive a statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years as reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS when charged to your card.
Receive a $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year, for purchases made directly through Instacart with your United Explorer Card. Terms apply. Benefits end 12/31/27.
Receive $25 in United® TravelBank cash, up to $50 each anniversary year, for your 1st and 2nd Avis or Budget car rental booked directly through cars.united.com and paid for with your United Explorer Card.
Enroll to receive up to $5 back as a statement credit each month on rideshare purchases when you pay with your United? Explorer Card, up to $60 each calendar year.
Get complimentary Visa Signature® Concierge Service 24 hours a day. Find tickets to the top sports and entertainment events, make dinner reservations and even get help sending the perfect gift.
These come from Visa, not from Chase. Every card on the Visa Signature tier carries them, so they should not decide between two cards.
Get free access to Dovly Uplift. Dovly helps you raise your credit score and get more for your money. While Dovly's platform is designed to remove inaccuracies from your credit report, every case is different, and not everyone will achieve the same results.
Enjoy automatic Silver Status when you sign up for Troon Rewards®, for 10% savings on golf fees, merchandise and lessons at over 150 golf courses across the United States and the world.
Eligible Visa cardholders can enjoy special events access to the hottest dining events on OpenTable. Restrictions apply.
This is a pay-per-use roadside assistance program available 24x7. Roadside Dispatch will ask for your location, find out what the problem is, and will remain on the phone with you while arranging a dispatch to a reliable tow operator or locksmith. You pay a set price per service call.
Enjoy a free ticket per show with the purchase of one or more tickets, plus you can access 7-day Visa Exclusive Presale opportunities.
Eligible Visa cardholders can now use the GigSky app to access complimentary or discounted global mobile data, in 175+ countries and destinations worldwide as well as on over 200 of the world’s top cruise ships.
When you are traveling or working anywhere in the world, your covered Visa card gets you access to a multilingual call center 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help get the assistance you need. As a covered cardholder, you, your spouse and dependent children under 22 years of age who are traveling with can call a dedicated toll-free number in the United States, or call collect when traveling abroad.
Get exciting benefits at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort when you pay with your Visa Signature® or Visa Infinite® card.
Enjoy special guest status at 900+ Visa Signature Luxury Hotel properties worldwide.
Book your next road trip with your Visa Signature card to receive up to 25% off base rates on qualifying rentals from Avis and Budget. Your card can also unlock complimentary upgrades (when available), waived Additional Driver Fee and 10% saving on XM Satellite radio during rental.
Benefit descriptions are the issuer’s and network’s own wording, trimmed for length. Limits and exclusions are in the guide to benefits.
2 United Club one-time passes each year
| Card | Annual fee | Rewards earned | Net after fee | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United℠ Explorer CardThis card · 2x on dining | $150 | $104 | −$46 | 1126th of 1,291 |
| Chase Freedom Unlimited® Credit CardChase's most-held other card · 3% on dining | None | $528 | +$528 | 276th of 1,291 |
| Savor RewardsThe strongest no-fee card on this budget · 3% on dining | None | $642 | +$642 | 4th of 1,291 |
| Robinhood Gold CardHighest net return on this budget · 3% on everything | $50 | $798 | +$748 | 1st of 1,291 |
Reference budget: groceries $6,000, dining and restaurants $3,600, gas and ev charging $2,400, travel and transit $3,000, online shopping $2,400, entertainment and streaming $1,200, everything else $6,000. Points are valued at 1¢ unless the program is worth less; statement credits, welcome bonuses, and perks are left out. Run it with your own spending.
