United announced changes to MileagePlus Premier qualification on October 13, 2026, and one of them links a status perk directly to its Chase co-brand cards. The annual starter Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) deposit for the 2027 qualification year will go only to Premier members who hold an eligible United credit card.
How the starter deposit works
The deposit equals 5% of the PQPs needed for each tier: 300 PQPs for Silver, 600 for Gold and 900 for Platinum. The Points Guy lists 1,600 PQPs for 1K, in line with the new 32,000 PQP threshold. Members who open an eligible card account by December 31, 2026 also qualify, and the card account must still be open and in good standing when United makes the deposit. Debit cardholders and members with trial status are excluded. Coverage of the 2026 deposit described it as based on earned status alone, with no card condition mentioned.
Holders of the United Quest and United Club cards keep their separate annual bonus PQPs and can receive both.
Other 2027 changes
- Premier Qualifying Flights go away. Starting January 1, 2027, PQPs become the only way to qualify, though members still need at least four United flights in the year.
- 1K gets harder. The top tier rises from 28,000 to 32,000 PQPs. Silver (6,000), Gold (12,000) and Platinum (18,000) are unchanged.
- Card spending still earns PQPs. The Explorer earns 1 PQP per $20 spent up to 1,000 a year, the Quest 1 PQP per $20 up to 18,000, and the Club card 1 PQP per $15 up to 32,000.
These rules apply to status earned during 2027 for the 2028 status year.