A travel credit card is an excellent method to save up for your next trip and enjoy a wide range of United-specific perks. Anyone who flies with United Club, no matter how often or how infrequently, can earn travel points with a credit card from United. When flying with United, the benefits that come with these credit cards can come in handy. Besides that, you can use your accumulated miles to book flights on partner airlines of United Airlines.
What is a United® Credit Card?
The finest United travel credit card for you will be the one for which you have a need and a willingness to pay an annual fee. Cards that are co-branded with United offer the opportunity to earn MileagePlus miles, which can then be redeemed for travel on United or one of its partner airlines. Even though every card has the potential to earn premier qualifying points daily, select cards also feature additional earning chances that can help you rack up points more quickly.
Types of United® Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred®. For credit cards for making other purchases, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card stands out as a top pick. For just $95 a year, you can get 5 points for every dollar spent on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3 points for every dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases excluding Walmart, Target, and wholesale clubs, and 1 point for every dollar spent on United purchases. The card comes with several perks that will appeal to seasoned rewards enthusiasts, such as a 25% bonus on travel booked through the Chase Travel center and a $50 annual fee credit for hotels booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Chase's Pay Yourself Back program can enhance the value of your rewards by 25%, so even if you have to postpone your trip, you can still use the trip cancellation insurance on your Sapphire Preferred card to help pay for regular expenses.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express is being rebranded as a premium lifestyle credit card that offers a lot of high-end perks to cardholders who will pay an outrageous $695 annual fee. This effort to change the Platinum Card's name is part of American Express's plan to reposition it as a flashy, high-end lifestyle credit card. Up to $500,000 in airfare booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel will reward you 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent. You can also earn 5 points for every dollar spent on prepaid hotel stays when booked through American Express Travel. Also, the card gives you access to the huge airport Global Lounge Collection, which has more lounges than any other credit card program in the United States. The Global Lounge Collection comprises over 1,300 airport lounges in over 500 airports and 140 countries around the world. Several credit card companies offer a sign-up bonus of 100,000 Membership Rewards points to new cardholders who spend $6,000 on their new card in the first six months of membership.
- United® Explorer Card. A co-branded credit card for frequent fliers of United Airlines credit, the United Explorer Card can be used for both United Club access and its partner airlines. When used at restaurants and hotels, as well as when making purchases through United Airlines, it awards two miles per 1 spent. If you open a United Explorer Card account and spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months of having the account, you will be eligible to receive 50,000 bonus miles. Cardholders may enjoy priority boarding privileges, up to a $100 fee credit toward the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees, 25% cash back on United in-flight purchases, and two one-time access to the United Club pass lounge each year. If you and a traveling companion fly round-trip on United at least once a year and check baggage, the checked bag-free benefit that comes with ownership of the United Explorer Card free will outweigh the card's annual fee of $0 for the first year, then $95, making it worthwhile to pay the card's annual fee. Customers of the airline who fly occasionally as well as frequently are eligible for an additional set of benefits, such as priority boarding, a reimbursement of the fees required to apply for TSA Precheck or Global Entry, and two passes to the United Club locations that can be used only once each.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®. Even with its $550 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a terrific card for frequent United flyers. With perks like $300 annual cashback rewards and additional credits that can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio to many loyalty programs, this card is among the best United credit cards out now. However, the best rewards rate is only available when making purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards platform, which can restrict your shopping options. The Sapphire Reserve includes a variety of perks, such as free access to Priority Pass Select Lounges, a reimbursement of the cost of applying for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and discounts at hotels and resorts that are part of the Visa Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection. With a minimum of $4,000 in purchases made during the first three months of account registration, you will receive 60,000 bonus points.
- Business Platinum Card from American Express. With premium travel perks and Membership Rewards points, the American Express Business Platinum Card is the best credit card for businesses with an annual revenue of less than $1 million. The card's annual fee of $695 is more than worth it because it comes with so many travel and shopping perks. If you spend $15,000 on purchases in your first three months as a cardholder, you'll get 120,000 Membership Rewards points. This is a big minimum purchase for an incentive to sign up, but Membership Rewards points are very significant because they can be used. Additional benefits include 1.5 points per dollar spent on eligible purchases and on purchases of $5,000 or more anywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases made per calendar year; and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Ink Business Preferred® credit card®. If you run a business and are in the market for a credit card, the Ink Business Preferred Credit Card is an excellent decision. It comes with a generous sign-up bonus and allows cardholders to earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points on a wide range of other purchases made for their company. If you are approved for the card, you will earn a sign-up bonus of 100,000 Ultimate Rewards points after making a purchase of $15,000 during the first three months of your account being open. This bonus is only accessible to customers who are authorized for the card. According to the most recent valuations performed by TPG, the bonus points themselves are worth a staggering $2,000 on their own. The spending minimum of $15,000 is much greater than the spending minimum required by most other cards, with an annual fee of less than $100 ($95).
- United Quest℠ Card®. With the United Quest℠ Card from Chase, frequent travelers on United Airlines earn more miles and perks than they would with the airline's more fundamental credit cards, all while avoiding the exorbitant annual fee that comes with the most expensive card that offers access to airport lounges. The annual or foreign transaction fee for the other cards ranges from $0 to $95, with $525. If you use the $125 annual credit for other purchases made at United, you can effectively cut in half the cost of the Quest membership fee. When you include in award-flight credits, advancement toward elite status, more free first-checked bags, and a credit toward the application for TSA Precheck or Global Entry or Nexus fee credit free, you quickly realize that you are getting a better value than you bargained for. With the United Quest℠ Card, frequent United passengers should be able to get their money returned, besides additional benefits.
- United℠ Business Card can be a valuable travel companion for business owners who fly United Airlines, offering advantages that far outweigh the card's annual premium. The maximum number of bonus miles you can earn is 150,000. You can get 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months after account opening. After making $20,000 in United purchases during the first six months of account opening, you will be eligible to receive an additional 75,000 miles. Even for occasional United flyers, the United℠ Business Card is a worthwhile option, thanks to all of its perks. You'll obtain 2 miles for every dollar spent on United purchases, restaurants (including eligible delivery services), gas, office supplies, and local transit. In addition, United credit cards offer a $100 ticket credit after spending $700 onboard United-operated flights, as well as a 25% rebate on in-flight purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi.
- United® Gateway Card is United's entry-level credit card, and it does not charge an annual fee. It allows cardholders to earn MileagePlus miles and gives certain travel benefits, but most users will want more from this card. United customers who fly with the airline frequently are encouraged to sign up for the United Quest℠ Card. You get two miles for every dollar spent with United, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting, while you only get one mile for every dollar spent on anything else. The card provides several perks related to travel and primary car rental insurance, which are quite common among credit cards aimed at travelers that do not charge an annual fee. This is one of the most fundamental United credit cards, as it does not require an annual fee. However, you can still rack up miles quickly thanks to a sign-up bonus of 20,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases within the first three months your account is open, as well as earning rates of 2x on purchases made with United, gas stations, and local transits and commuting.
Why do you need a United® Credit Card?
If you fly United® at least once or twice a year,consider someone in your family apply for a United credit card so that your experience can be both more comfortable and more affordably priced. It is a win-win-win situation for many travelers to have a United credit card because not only does it help the cardholder earn miles, but it may also save you money on United flights and give you access to lower-cost United® award tickets.
If you ever spend money while aboard a United aircraft, you need to have a United credit card because all United credit cards offer a 25% cash rebate as statement credit for any onboard purchases made of food, beverages, or Wi-Fi on United flights. If you have a United Business Card, you earn a $100 travel credit with United after making seven purchases of $100 or more in value with that card during the membership year.
You and any companions flying with you on the same reservation are eligible to receive priority boarding in Group 2 if you book your tickets together. If that's not the case, you'll have to wait until the very end of the line to board United operated flights. When you book your tickets using the United credit cards that give that perk, you and one travel companion who is traveling on the same reservation will each receive a free initial checked bag.
How to get a United® Credit Card?
You can apply for a United® credit card on either the United or Chase websites. You should have your Social Security number, current address, and annual gross income ready. An individual's credit score may momentarily drop because of a strong draw when applying for a credit card. A decent credit score, according to FICO, is between 670 and 739. A score of 740-799 is excellent, while a score of 800 or higher is perfect. There are credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the United Explorer Card that could be easy pickings if your credit is good.
Eligibility standards might be affected by factors like as yearly income, total debt, and payment history. Try to get pre-approved before applying for a Chase loan by browsing their website for preapproval offers and/or using their preapproval tool, if available. You can check your credit card eligibility and terms with a reduced quantity of personal information and without risking your credit score. After getting pre-approved, you can always apply formally right away.
How to use a United® Credit Card?
- Submit your MileagePlus number when filling out the application. When applying for a new United credit card, be sure to provide your United MileagePlus number.
- Travel expenses can be paid for with your United card. If you want to take advantage of the various benefits that come with having a United credit card, you have to pay for your ticket with that card. These include privileges such as free checked bag benefits and protections while traveling.
- You can add your credit card from United to a mobile wallet. The majority of credit cards issued by Chase can be attached to mobile wallets such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay. You can continue to use your card in this manner even if you do not have the actual card with you at any given time.
- Be cautious to carefully plan any trips you take with close friends and family members. If you want to inherit all the perks that come with holding a United credit card, it's in your best interest to book all of your flights at once.
