United Club Card
Chase
$695/yrUnited MileagePlusNo foreign feeVisaUsually needs 750+
View issuer offerComparison brief
United Club Card vs. United Explorer
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United Club Card (formerly United Club Infinite) and United Explorer are both Chase's United co-brand cards, but the step up costs $545/year — from $150 to $695. Modeled credits barely move: the Club card counts $120/year (Global Entry/TSA PreCheck about $30, rideshare $30, Instacart $60, since the Club card includes a complimentary Instacart+ membership through 12/31/27) and Explorer counts $60 (Explorer's Instacart credit needs a paid Instacart+ membership), while every richer-sounding credit unique to the Club card — Renowned Hotels & Resorts, JSX, a bigger rideshare allowance — is merchant-gated or modeled at the same conservative amount, so it adds little beyond Explorer's narrower equivalents. What the fee actually buys is earn rate: United Club bonuses direct United purchases at 5x versus Explorer's 3x, adds a 5x Renowned Hotels portal rate, and widens the flat 2x rate to cover flights, hotels, other travel, local transit, vacation rentals, and car rentals/agencies/cruises instead of just dining and hotels.
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Overview
United Explorer Card
Chase
$150/yrUnited MileagePlusNo foreign feeVisaUsually needs 670+
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Which wins on my spending?
Runs the optimizer on these two cards alone, one card allowed, against your own monthly spending.
Earn rates
Everyday categories
Dining
- United Club Card
- 2x
- United Explorer Card
- 2x
Flights outside issuer portals
- United Club Card
- 2xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
Hotels outside issuer portals
- United Club Card
- 2x
- United Explorer Card
- 2x
Other travel outside issuer portals
- United Club Card
- 2xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
Other United Purchases
- United Club Card
- 5xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 3x
Transit
- United Club Card
- 2xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
Travel - Car Rentals / Agencies / Cruises
- United Club Card
- 2xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
Travel - Vacation Homes
- United Club Card
- 2xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
United Airfare
- United Club Card
- 5xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 3x
Everything else
- United Club Card
- 1x
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
| Category | United Club Card | United Explorer Card |
|---|---|---|
| Dining | 2x | 2x |
| Flights outside issuer portals | 2xHighest | 1x |
| Hotels outside issuer portals | 2x | 2x |
| Other travel outside issuer portals | 2xHighest | 1x |
| Other United Purchases | 5xHighest | 3x |
| Transit | 2xHighest | 1x |
| Travel - Car Rentals / Agencies / Cruises | 2xHighest | 1x |
| Travel - Vacation Homes | 2xHighest | 1x |
| United Airfare | 5xHighest | 3x |
| Everything else | 1x | 1x |
Issuer travel portals 1 category — only earned when you book through that issuer’s portal
United Renowned Hotels & Resorts
- United Club Card
- 5xHighest
- United Explorer Card
- 1x
| Category | United Club Card | United Explorer Card |
|---|---|---|
| United Renowned Hotels & Resorts | 5xHighest | 1x |
Highest marks the highest listed rate, on each card that ties for it; a row where every card ties is not marked. Muted figures are base rates. Listed rates can still be subject to portal, spending-cap, or category-selection rules; review each card's details before deciding.
Credits and benefits
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
- United Club Card
- $30/yr estimated usableEasy to use
- United Explorer Card
- —
Renowned Hotels & Resorts Credit
- United Club Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $200/yrConditional
- United Explorer Card
- —
Rideshare Credit
- United Club Card
- $30/yr estimated usableUp to $150/yrConditional
- United Explorer Card
- —
Avis/Budget Car Rental Credit
- United Club Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $100/yrConditional
- United Explorer Card
- —
Instacart Credit
- United Club Card
- $60/yr estimated usableUp to $240/yrConditional
- United Explorer Card
- —
JSX Credit
- United Club Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $200/yrConditional
- United Explorer Card
- —
Instacart Credit
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $120/yrConditional
Rideshare Credit
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $30/yr estimated usableUp to $60/yrConditional
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $30/yr estimated usableEasy to use
United Travel Credit
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $100/yrConditional
Avis/Budget Car Rental Credit
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $50/yrConditional
United Hotels Credit
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $100/yrConditional
JSX Credit
- United Club Card
- —
- United Explorer Card
- $0/yr estimated usableUp to $100/yrConditional
Estimated usable credit value
- United Club Card
- $120/yr
- United Explorer Card
- $60/yr
Maximum face value
- United Club Card
- $920/yr
- United Explorer Card
- $560/yr
| Credit | United Club Card | United Explorer Card |
|---|---|---|
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck | $30/yr estimated usable Easy to use | — |
| Renowned Hotels & Resorts Credit | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $200/yr Conditional | — |
| Rideshare Credit | $30/yr estimated usable Up to $150/yr Conditional | — |
| Avis/Budget Car Rental Credit | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $100/yr Conditional | — |
| Instacart Credit | $60/yr estimated usable Up to $240/yr Conditional | — |
| JSX Credit | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $200/yr Conditional | — |
| Instacart Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $120/yr Conditional |
| Rideshare Credit | — | $30/yr estimated usable Up to $60/yr Conditional |
| Global Entry / TSA PreCheck | — | $30/yr estimated usable Easy to use |
| United Travel Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $100/yr Conditional |
| Avis/Budget Car Rental Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $50/yr Conditional |
| United Hotels Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $100/yr Conditional |
| JSX Credit | — | $0/yr estimated usable Up to $100/yr Conditional |
| Estimated usable credit value | $120/yr | $60/yr |
| Maximum face value | $920/yr | $560/yr |
Estimated usable value applies the same conservative assumptions used by the optimizer. Maximum face value assumes every listed credit is used in full.
Find your modeled setup
The optimizer searches eligible portfolios against your stated spending—not just two cards at a time—and reports whether the result was proven within the selected catalog and run inputs.
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