Chase
United Explorer Card
United Explorer Card costs $150 annual fee and earns up to 3× on travel booked direct. Everything below comes from the card catalog we check against issuer terms, with the arithmetic spelled out.
Enter a typical month of spending to see what the United Explorer Card returns after its fee next to three cards it is usually compared with, then take those numbers to the full credit card rewards calculator to weigh up everything else in your wallet. No signup, and it runs in your browser.
- Annual fee
- $150 annual fee
- Best earn rate
- 3× travel booked direct
- Points value
- 1.3¢ a point
- Cash back value.
- Welcome bonus
- 70,000 points
- About $1,040 if you redeem at 1.3¢ a point, and only if you clear the spending requirement.
- Foreign transaction fee
- none
What the United Explorer Card earns
Flights and hotels booked direct
3×
Dining
2×
| Category | Rate | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Flights and hotels booked direct | 3× | |
| Dining | 2× |
Rates checked with the issuer in October 2026. Spending outside these categories earns 1×. Confirm current terms with the issuer before you apply.
Is the United Explorer Card right for you?
Enter a typical month. You will see what the United Explorer Card returns after its annual fee, next to three cards it is usually compared with, and the full credit card rewards calculator weighs up everything else you spend.
Estimated rewards per year, after the annual fee
United Gateway Card Top for your numbers
2× gas, 2× transit; 1× everything else. No annual fee.
Rewards $384 · No annual fee
+$384
3× travel booked direct, 2× dining; 1× everything else. $150 annual fee.
Rewards $435 · Fee −$150
+$285
4× travel booked direct, 2× dining; 1× everything else. $350 annual fee.
Rewards $468 · Fee −$350
+$118
5× travel booked direct, 2× dining; 1× everything else. $695 annual fee.
Rewards $482 · Fee −$695
−$213
How we estimate
- Every rate on this page comes from the card catalog. United Explorer Card pays 1× on spending outside the bonus categories listed above, and up to 3× on travel booked direct.
- We value this card's points at 1.3¢ each. Cash back is valued at 1¢.
- Net is a year of rewards minus the annual fee. Credits count only when you tick the box.
- Welcome bonuses are left out of the tool so the numbers read as an ordinary year.
- Rent is not in the boxes: most landlords charge a fee that cancels out the rewards, and only a few cards earn on rent at all. Add rent in the full calculator, where those rules are modelled.
- Travel-portal bookings are not in the boxes, because portal prices differ from booking direct. The portal rates are in the table above.
- Rates checked with issuers in October 2026. Terms change, so confirm with the issuer before you apply. Educational estimate, not financial advice.
One category doesn’t pick a wallet. Add the rest of your monthly spending to see which cards win across everything, fees included.
Find your best wallet for all your spending →{"focus":"","inputs":[{"key":"dining","prefill":"dining","noun":"dining"},{"key":"groceries","prefill":"groceries","noun":"groceries"},{"key":"gas","prefill":"gas","noun":"gas"},{"key":"transit","prefill":"transit","noun":"transit"},{"key":"streaming","prefill":"streaming","noun":"streaming"},{"key":"drugstores","prefill":"drugstores","noun":"drugstores"},{"key":"travel","prefill":"airfare","noun":"travel"},{"key":"other","prefill":"other","noun":"everyday spending"}],"path":"/credit-card-rewards-calculator","picks":[{"key":"united-explorer","name":"United Explorer Card","fee":150,"cpp":0.013000000000000001,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["dining"],"rate":2},{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":3}]},{"key":"united-gateway","name":"United Gateway Card","fee":0,"cpp":0.013000000000000001,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["gas"],"rate":2},{"inputs":["transit"],"rate":2},{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":2}]},{"key":"united-quest","name":"United Quest Card","fee":350,"cpp":0.013000000000000001,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["dining"],"rate":2},{"inputs":["streaming"],"rate":2},{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":4}]},{"key":"united-club-infinite","name":"United Club Infinite","fee":695,"cpp":0.013000000000000001,"base":1,"earn":[{"inputs":["dining"],"rate":2},{"inputs":["travel"],"rate":5}],"credits":750}]}What comes with it
Welcome bonus
70,000 points to 80,000 points
About $1,040 if you redeem at 1.3¢ a point, and only if you clear the spending requirement.
Points and partners
United MileagePlus
No
Where this data came from
Checked creditcards.chase.com 2026-10-05. $150 annual fee ($0 for the first year). 70,000 miles after $3,000 in 3 months, plus 10,000 more for adding an authorized user. 3x on United purchases, 2x on dining and hotels booked direct with the airline, 1x other. $100 United travel credit after $10,000 in purchases in a calendar year. The row previously carried a $125 travel credit, which is the United Business Card figure.
FAQ
The United Explorer Card charges $150 a year. Earning back $150 means about $481 a month on travel booked direct, where it earns 2.6¢ more per dollar than the base rate. Credits and the welcome bonus can cover the rest.
3× on travel booked direct, and 1× on spending outside its bonus categories.
It depends on your mix, not the card. Earning back $150 means about $481 a month on travel booked direct, where it earns 2.6¢ more per dollar than the base rate. Credits and the welcome bonus can cover the rest. Run your own numbers in the calculator above to see where it lands against the rest of the catalog.
The listed welcome offer is 70,000 points, and offers at these cards change often, so confirm the current terms and the spending requirement with the issuer before you apply. At 1.3¢ a point that is about $1,040, before you count the annual fee and whether you would clear the spending requirement for it.
No. The United Explorer Card earns United MileagePlus that you redeem for statement credit or shopping rather than transferring to a partner, so its realistic value is about 1.3¢ a point.
No. The United Explorer Card charges no foreign transaction fee, so spending abroad earns at the same rate as at home, minus what the merchant adds.