United Explorer Card review: Full details

The United℠ Explorer Card is not your common airline bank card, because it’s filled with premiumlike perks that you just sometimes see with bank cards with a excessive annual charge. This card is a good choice for many who do not fly with United Airways as ceaselessly however need to take pleasure in premium perks once they fly. You must also contemplate the Explorer in the event you do not need to pay as excessive of an annual charge as these discovered on United’s extra premium playing cards. Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

*Card rating is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

The United Explorer Card carries a $0 intro annual charge the primary yr, then $150 and presents large advantages.

Other than the same old airline bank card perks like free checked bags and priority boarding, the United Explorer has a handful of premium-level advantages. It lately underwent a refresh in March that included the addition of assertion credit but additionally elevated its annual charge by virtually 50%.

The really helpful credit score for the United Explorer is a minimum of 670, but it surely’s not exceptional to be permitted with a decrease rating.

Here is what you might want to know concerning the card, its advantages and whether or not it deserves a spot in your pockets.

New candidates for the United Explorer Card can earn a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening. The annual charge is waived for the primary yr; after that, cardholders pays $150 annually.

TPG’s March 2025 valuations peg United miles at 1.35 cents apiece, making this welcome supply price $1,080. That is the perfect welcome supply we’ve got seen on this card’s history. The final time we noticed a comparable welcome supply on this card was practically three years in the past, and it was 10,000 miles much less. When you have been eyeing this card, now could be the perfect time to use.

Associated: The best welcome offers of the month

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The United Explorer Card presents a very good mixture of perks for each frequent and occasional United flyers.

United Membership passes

You will obtain a pair of one-time United Club passes deposited into your United MileagePlus account every cardholder anniversary yr. This profit alone is price $118 per yr, as day passes on the lounge value $59 every with a same-day boarding go.

Notice that if you would like to reward a go to a buddy or member of the family, it may possibly solely be used if the first cardholder or approved person can be coming into the lounge.

Olivia Mittak, a bank cards editor at TPG, finds nice worth within the United Membership passes this card supplies; so long as she flies with United twice a yr, she will get optimistic worth out of the annual charge.

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Elitelike perks

• Two free checked bags: For the first cardholder and one journey companion on the identical reservation paid for with the cardboard
• Premier Entry: Consists of precedence check-in, safety screening, boarding and baggage dealing with the place accessible
• Expanded award availability: Entry to further saver award ticket availability
• Inflight low cost: 25% back on United inflight purchases, together with meals, drinks and Wi-Fi
• Award mileage low cost: Potential to earn a ten,000-mile low cost on award tickets after spending $20,000 every calendar yr with the cardboard (as much as two instances per yr)

If getting free checked luggage and a pair of United Membership passes would elevate your journey expertise with the airline, this card holds loads of worth.

Assertion and journey credit

• Resort assertion credit score: As much as $50 again as a press release credit score on the primary and second pay as you go resort bookings when utilizing the Explorer Card and reserving immediately via United Hotels
• Journey-hailing credit score: As much as $60 for ride-hailing purchases that is given as as much as $5 month-to-month credit (enrollment is required)
• JSX assertion credit score: As much as $100 in JSX assertion credit every anniversary yr when reserving immediately with JSX
• World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus credit score: An software charge credit score each 4 years
• Instacart credit score: A $10 month-to-month Instacart credit score, plus a three-month complimentary Instacart+ membership (ends Dec. 31, 2027)
• United TravelBank money: As much as $25 in United TravelBank money to your first and second Avis and Finances automobile leases booked via vehicles.united.com and paid for with the cardboard
• United journey credit score: $100 in United TravelBank money after spending a minimum of $10,000 on purchases made together with your Explorer Card

Elite standing shortcuts

United elite status qualification is predicated on Premier qualifying points and Premier qualifying flights. You will earn 1 PQP for each $20 you spend on purchases together with your Explorer Card (as much as 1,000 PQPs in a calendar yr) that may be utilized towards your Premier status qualification — however solely as much as the Premier 1K level.

Journey and buy protections

With the Explorer Card, you are getting varied journey and buy safety advantages, together with:

DoorDash

For one yr, get complimentary DoorDash DashPass to obtain limitless deliveries via DoorDash and Caviar with $0 supply charges and decrease service charges on eligible orders. You need to enroll by Dec. 31, 2027, to obtain this profit.

Instacart+ membership

Cardholders obtain a complimentary three-month Instacart+ membership that features limitless supply and $0 supply charges on eligible orders. After three months, you may be mechanically renewed at a decrease annual fee that features a 25% low cost.

Associated: Why I love my United Explorer Card even though it’s no longer my primary credit card

Incomes miles with the United Explorer

As a cardholder, you will earn:

• 7 miles per greenback spent on United flights
• 5 miles per greenback spent on United Accommodations
• 2 miles per greenback spent on all different United purchases, different resort stays and eating
• 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases

In accordance with TPG’s March 2025 valuations, this virtually equates to a 9.5%, 5.4%, 2.7% and 1.4% return on spending, respectively.

These are excellent incomes charges on United flight purchases, a number of the greatest in the marketplace. Nevertheless, the incomes charges are lackluster for different bonus class spending like dining and hotels, and higher card choices exist in the marketplace.

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You possibly can redeem your MileagePlus miles throughout United’s huge community of home and worldwide routes and on the provider’s 24 Star Alliance and 16 nonalliance airline companions.

United makes use of a dynamic pricing construction by itself flights, so the worth of your miles will range when redeeming for United awards. Home awards in financial system sometimes begin at simply 5,000 miles one-way, however we have seen gross sales with tickets as little as 3,900 miles.

To squeeze even more value out of your miles, think about using United’s Excursionist Perk. It primarily lets you add a free flight phase to qualifying round-trip itineraries between two totally different areas at no further value.

We advocate avoiding nonflight redemptions, reminiscent of resort stays or merchandise, together with your United miles, as they provide a poor worth proposition.

Associated: How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program

A number of playing cards compete with the United Explorer:

• If you’d like a premium United expertise: The United Club℠ Card is the best card for United lounge entry — bar none. For any loyal United flyer who spends important cash with the airline annually, this card would make a terrific addition to your pockets. To be taught extra, learn our full review of the United Club Card.
• If you’d like a extra all-around card: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is without doubt one of the hottest journey rewards bank cards in the marketplace. It presents bonus factors in a number of classes, together with journey and eating, and a slew of journey protections in case one thing goes awry when touring. Moreover, you will have entry to Chase’s excellent roster of transfer partners that may present most worth when redeeming your factors. To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
• If you’d like tons of perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express is without doubt one of the prime premium journey rewards playing cards. As a cardmember, you will earn helpful Membership Rewards factors, obtain helpful annual assertion credit and get entry to an intensive community of airport lounges worldwide, as this card presents the perfect lounge entry in the marketplace. For extra data, learn our full review of the Amex Platinum.

For extra choices, try our full record of the best United travel cards and the best airline cards.

Associated: Is the United Club Card annual fee worth it?

Should you fly with United or its companions a minimum of a few times a yr, I like to recommend making use of for the United Explorer. With a number of assertion credit, together with World Entry and TSA PreCheck, lounge passes and a free checked bag, the Explorer Card is jam-packed with perks to boost your journeys from begin to end.

Apply right here: United Explorer Card