United Explorer Card

The United Explorer Card is Chase's mid-tier United card: $0 intro annual fee the first year, then $150 after the 2025 portfolio refresh raised fees across United's cards and stacked on statement credits. It remains the default pick for United flyers who check a bag a few times a year and want priority boarding and the occasional lounge visit without a premium-card fee. As of August 2026 the welcome offer is 50,000 bonus miles after $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 more for adding an authorized user in the same window, up to 60,000 total. Card earning is 3 miles per dollar on United purchases (United markets this as 9x total on flights, folding in the 6x you earn on the fare as a MileagePlus member), 2x on dining and hotels booked directly, and 1x elsewhere. The variable APR is 19.74% to 28.24% and there are no foreign transaction fees. The core perks are concrete: first checked bag free for you and one companion on the same reservation, worth up to $200 per round trip; two United Club one-time passes each anniversary year; priority boarding; 10% off award flights booked with miles; and up to $120 in Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application credit every four years. The 2025 refresh also bolted on a pile of small credits: up to $100 a year at United Hotels ($50 off each of your first two prepaid stays), $60 in rideshare credit at $5 a month, $120 of Instacart credit at $10 a month (currently scheduled to end December 31, 2027), up to $100 toward JSX flights, $50 in Avis/Budget value, and a $100 United travel credit that triggers only after $10,000 of annual spend. Count these as bonuses when they happen to match your spending, not as fee justification: the monthly and per-stay caps mean most cardholders capture a minority of the headline total. Get the Explorer if you fly United two or more round trips a year and check bags; the first-year fee waiver makes the trial free. Skip it if you rarely fly United, if you want real lounge membership (two passes a year is not that), or if you would keep it mainly for the coupon-book credits. An unused Explorer loses to a no-fee 2% cash back card.