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United Explorer Card Review: A Leading All-Around Airline Card

Review Updated
Lyle Daly
Author: Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Lyle Daly
Writer

Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. His work with Motley Fool Money and The Motley Fool has appeared syndicated in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.

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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
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Offer status

This offer is unavailable on Motley Fool Money. The information related to United℠ Explorer Card has been collected by Motley Fool Money and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

If you find yourself taking flights with United often, you could save money and get some helpful travel benefits with the United℠ Explorer Card. The card is one of the airline's more affordable credit cards, but that's not for a lack of features. Learn more about its perks and how it compares with the best credit cards in this United℠ Explorer Card review.

Ratings Methodology

United℠ Explorer Card

United℠ Explorer Card
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good/Excellent (670-850)

Intro APR

Purchases: N/A

Balance Transfers: N/A

Regular APR

21.24% - 28.24% Variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays. 1x mile on all other purchases

N/A

Annual Fee Circle with letter I in it. $0, First Year

$95

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Earn 60,000 bonus miles

  • With a big sign-up bonus and rewards for United and dining purchases, the miles will accumulate quickly if you're a frequent traveler.

    • Big sign-up bonus
    • United, restaurant, and hotel rewards
    • Free first checked bag
    • Travel statement credits
    • United travel benefits
    • Annual fee
    • No access to Polaris lounges
    • Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles
    • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95.
    • 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays
    • Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club℠ with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary
    • Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply.
    • Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS fee credit
    • 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages and Wi-Fi on board United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks when you pay with your Explorer Card
    • Member FDIC
The information related to United℠ Explorer Card has been collected by Motley Fool Money and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.49% - 27.49% Variable APR *Rates as of December 12, 2024.

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.49% - 28.49% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.49% - 28.49% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full United Explorer Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Rewards enthusiasts who fly with United multiple times a year. The airline's frequent flyers can both save money and improve their travels with this card's benefits.

Top perks

The United℠ Explorer Card is a feature-packed airline credit card, especially considering its affordable annual fee.

Earn 60,000 bonus miles

Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. That's enough for multiple domestic or even international tickets. United miles are generally worth about $0.01 to $0.015 each, so 50,000 miles are about $500 to $750 in value. With the value and the reasonable spend requirement, this is in line with many of the top sign-up bonuses.

SEE MORE: Best Credit Card Sign-Up Bonuses

Up to 2 miles per $1

The United℠ Explorer Card earns 2 miles per $1 on:

  • Purchases from United
  • Dining, including eligible delivery services
  • Hotel accommodations purchased directly with the hotel

It earns 1 mile per $1 on other purchases. The bonus categories give this card a decent rewards rate among airline credit cards, as it earns more back in multiple areas where travelers often have high spending.

Free checked bag

Both the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation get a free checked bag. United's standard fee is $35 for a passenger's first checked bag, so this benefit could save you $35 to $70 per flight and double that per round-trip. You must book the reservation with your United℠ Explorer Card for this benefit to apply.

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit

If you sign up for either the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck program and pay the fee ($100 for Global Entry or $85 for TSA PreCheck) on your United℠ Explorer Card, it will be automatically reimbursed. Global Entry is the clear choice, because a membership to that also gets you a TSA PreCheck membership. You can get this credit once every four years, allowing you to renew your membership free of charge, as well.

Complimentary United club passes

United will give you two passes to its United Club℠ when you open your account and every year thereafter on your account anniversary date. One-time passes cost $59 otherwise.

United travel benefits

This United Airlines credit card provides the following benefits to improve your travel experience:

  • Priority boarding: You and any companions on your reservation will get to board before the general boarding group.
  • 25% back on United in-flight and Club Premium drink purchases: When you use your United℠ Explorer Card to buy in-flight food, beverages, or wifi on United-operated flights, or premium drinks in United Clubs, you'll receive a 25% statement credit.
  • Premier upgrades on award tickets: If you have MileagePlus® Premier® status and you're traveling on an award ticket, you and one companion traveling on the same reservation are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United-operated flights.

No foreign transaction fee

The United℠ Explorer Card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. That's the case with most travel credit cards, but this is still an important perk. If you travel abroad, you won't get dinged with extra charges on every purchase.

What could be improved

This United card does have a couple minor problems to note.

Annual fee

The United℠ Explorer Card has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, but after that, it's $95 per year. This is a reasonable fee based on all the card's benefits. A free checked bag can save you $70 per round-trip flight, and the two United Club℠ passes are worth $108 per year. But if you won't use those perks, then you might not get your money's worth from this card. In that case, it's better to check out other options.

READ MORE: Expert Credit Card Reviews

No access to Polaris lounges

United Polaris lounges are the best the airline has to offer, but you can't access them with the United Club℠ passes this card offers. To be fair, this is a small complaint about a card that offers quite a few useful benefits.

Suggested credit score

We recommend having a FICO® Score of 670 or above when you apply for the United℠ Explorer Card. Your credit score isn't all that matters on your application, but like other top travel cards, the United℠ Explorer Card is targeted at consumers with good credit.

Chase issues this card, which means your application will be subject to Chase's 5/24 rule. If you've opened several credit cards in recent years, make sure you check that you'll be under Chase's limit (fewer than five in the last 24 months) so you don't get an instant denial.

LEARN MORE: A Guide to Chase's 5/24 Rule

The United Explorer Card is right for you if:

You fly multiple times per year with United and you want to earn MileagePlus miles to use for award bookings.

The United℠ Explorer Card is a great pick for the airline's frequent flyers. In fact, you could make the case that it offers the most value of all the United credit cards, given its reasonable annual fee and long list of benefits.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • Credit limits for the United℠ Explorer Card range from $5,000 to over $20,000. The minimum credit limit is $5,000, but you may be approved for a higher limit depending on your income and credit history.

  • The United℠ Explorer Card typically arrives within seven to 10 business days after the application is approved.

  • Yes, purchases made by authorized users on the United℠ Explorer Card earn miles. These miles are credited to the primary cardholder's MileagePlus® account.