United℠ Explorer Card review
Loyal to United Airlines? This card rewards that loyalty with a valuable bonus opportunity, miles earned on United Airlines purchases, free checked bags, and more.
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Key Features
descriptionEditor Analysis:
- Enjoy 25% back on United in-flight purchases.
- Cardholders are eligible for up to $120 as a statement credit for Global Entry, Nexus or TSA PreCheck every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for either program when charged to your card.
- Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
- If you are not a devotee of United Airlines or you simply don't travel very often, you'll likely want to consider a more general rewards card instead.
card_name benefits
If United is your airline of choice, then the CardName is a must to consider for your wallet, if only for the solid travel perks.
The benefits kick in immediately when you arrive at the airport. You get one free checked bag for both you and a companion, as well as free trip cancellation/interruption insurance. (Pro tip: You really don’t know how valuable trip cancellation/interruption insurance is until that first time something completely unexpected happens and you need it.) You also get 25% back on all in-flight purchases. If you fly frequently, this can really add up.
Looking to expedite the check-in process? Cardholders are also eligible for up to $120 as a statement credit for Global Entry, Nexus or TSA PreCheck every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for either program when charged to the card.
If you book your rental car using your Explorer card, you also get included auto rental collision damage coverage. Simply decline the collision coverage offered by the rental company. This is good on most rental cars in the United States and in eligible countries around the world.
And the cherry on top? CardName has a limited-time offer of 60,000 bonus miles for new cardholders who spend $3,000 in the first three months. Depending on your travel dates and destination, this bonus alone has the potential to pay for multiple one-way flights.
On an ongoing basis you’ll earn 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays; and 1x mile on all other purchases
card_name foreign transaction fee
CardName does not charge foreign transaction fees. If you travel frequently overseas for business or pleasure, this perk can be a huge savings for you or your company.
Many credit card companies charge foreign transaction fees, with many averaging around 3%. So, as an example, if you travel abroad a couple times of year spending $6,000 total in other countries, you’d find yourself paying an extra $180 in fees. With the CardName, there are no fees, so that money stays in your bank account.
Potential downsides of the card_name
If you are not a devotee of United Airlines or you simply don’t travel very often, this is probably not the card for you as the card carries an annual fee: annual_fees.
The rewards program is fairly average, offering 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays; and 1x mile on all other purchases. It can add up, but only if you travel frequently.
On the outside chance you would use the CardName to transfer a balance from another card, you should be aware there is no balance transfer promotional interest rate and the normal APR is RegAPR. There is also a fee on all balance transfers: BalanceTransferFees
How do cardholders rate the card_name?
CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results for the card_name:
| Current Scores | Past Scores | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 74 | 75.5 |
| Features Satisfaction | 7.2 | 7.7 |
| Customer Service | 7.4 | 7.7 |
| Website/App Usability | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| Likelihood of Continuing to Use | 8.1 | 7.9 |
| Recommend to a Friend/Colleague | 7.3 | 6.9 |
How does the card_name compare to other cards?
card_name vs. card_name
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CardName is a go-to card for loyal United Airlines travelers, but the CardName matches up well if you tend to travel on various airlines.
Sapphire Preferred® offers 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
On an ongoing basis, the Sapphire Preferred® offers 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries; 2x on all other travel purchases; 1x on all other purchases; a $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit; plus more.
The CardName offers numerous perks specific to United Airlines (detailed above). The CardName might not offer United specific perks, but the real benefit of CardName is that you aren’t tied to one specific airline when it comes to redeeming your rewards. This card has a number of travel loyalty partners, including United, offering you more freedom in how you travel.
Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
card_name vs. CardName
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In many ways, the CardName is, for fans of Delta Airlines, what the CardName is for fans of United Airlines. Both offer perks that reward brand loyalty. American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.
Both cards also offer perks on their respective airlines, such as one free checked bag. They each have decent welcome offers, too. New CardName users can earn 50,000 bonus miles once spending $2,000 in eligible purchases on the card in your first six months. Amex Delta takes things a step further with a $200 Delta flight credit, earned once spending $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year.
Is the card_name a good card?
If United Airlines is your airline of choice and you tend to travel frequently on business or pleasure, the CardName is well worth the annual fee and should be a fine addition to your wallet. The numerous perks, along with the absence of a foreign transaction fee could save you hundreds of dollars a year, as well as time and aggravation.
Frequently asked questions
Is the card_name hard to get?
What is the credit limit for the card_name?
Our Methodology
Survey methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents’ scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. Current Scores reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); “Past Scores” reflect scores from the 2022 survey.
Disclaimer:The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.
This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.
See Rates and Fees for the CardName
