The Explorer is the sensible middle of United's personal lineup: $150 a year for a free first checked bag, priority boarding, two United Club one-time passes, and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit up to $120 every four years, which covers the fee for anyone checking a bag more than a couple of times a year. Earning is 3x miles on United purchases, 2x on dining and hotels, and 1x on everything else. Chase trimmed the welcome offer from 60,000 to 50,000 miles after $3,000 in three months in late May, with another 10,000 miles available for adding an authorized user in the first three months. The annual credits are small but real: up to $100 on prepaid United Hotels stays, $120 with Instacart, $100 toward JSX, $60 in rideshare, and $50 at Avis or Budget. It sits at #7 on our Best Airline Credit Cards list, which matches what it is, a solid card for occasional United flyers rather than one to run all your spending through.
Earn rates & credits
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
Airlines On eligible United purchases | 3x |
Dining | 2x |
Hotels | 2x |
Everything Else | 1x |
| Benefit | Value |
|---|---|
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees | $120 every 4 yr |
United Hotels Credit Up to $100 each anniversary year on prepaid hotel stays booked directly through United Hotels | $100 /yr |
Rideshare Credit Up to $5 back each month on eligible rideshare purchases after annual opt-in | $5 /mo |
Avis / Budget TravelBank Credit Up to $50 each anniversary year in United TravelBank cash on Avis or Budget bookings through cars.united.com | $50 /yr |
Instacart Credit $10 monthly Instacart credit through 12/31/27 | $10 /mo |
JSX Credit Up to $100 each anniversary year on flights purchased directly with JSX | $100 /yr |
Inflight Purchase Statement Credit 25% back as statement credit on food, beverages, Wi-Fi on United-operated flights and Club premium drinks | 25% |
Reduced Mileage Awards Save 10% or more on the miles needed when booking award flights on United or United Express | 10% |
| Total annual credits | $460 |
Card details
Regular APR | 19.74%–28.24% variable |
Foreign transaction fee | None |