United MileagePlus® Explorer Card
Sponsored Card
- Minimum Credit Required:
Excellent, Good - Annual Fee:None 1st yr, $95 after
- Network: VISA
Miles
| Initial Bonus 30,000 miles |
Base Earn 1 mile / $1 |
Max Earn 2 miles / $1 |
Earn / Redeem Limit No |
- Start with 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 in the first 3 months.
- Check your first bag for free - save up to $100 per roundtrip.
- Earn double miles on tickets purchased from United, and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases .
- Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United Club with two one-time-use passes every year.
- Use your miles for any seat, any time, on any United flight.
- Your miles don't expire as long as you're a Cardmember, with no limit to the number of miles you can earn.
| Intro Rate Not Offered |
Intro Period N/A |
Regular Rate 15.24% (V) |
| Intro RateNot Offered | Intro PeriodN/A | Regular Rate15.24% (V) | Balance Transfer Fee 3% |
| Cash Advance Rate 19.24% (V) |
Cash Advance Fee 5% (min $10) |
- NEW! No foreign transaction fees!
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
- Max Late Fee: $35
- Max Overlimit Fee: None
- Max Penalty APR: 29.99% (V)
- Grace Period: 21 days
- Online Response: No
- Foreign Transaction Fee: None
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The card information shown on this page was last updated: June 6th, 2013 at 5:14 EDT
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I love to traveler and I recommend every traveler have one of these type rewards points cards. If you don't, you're missing out. I have had this United MileagePlus® Explorer Credit Card for a while now and can't complain, its been my travel companion period. The travel points cards give you more points toward travel than standard rewards cards. For starters you get 30,000 points and that’s pretty good and double miles if you charge your ticket on United. Word of wisdom, this is provided by Chase, customer service is decent but their fees tend to be a bit high, so stay watchful. My advice for people who travel is to learn about these cards and how to use them. They can save you hundreds of dollars.
April 5, 2013 at 02:33pm
how do I Use my two free club passes, will I get a paper "pass" or show my MP Explorer card?
March 5, 2013 at 08:55pm
The United Mileage Plus Explorer card is a great airline credit card offering many benefits. I always earn miles when I fly on United and get miles even for my daily spending and this has at times reduced the cost of my United flights. Spending $1,000 in the first three months after signing up made me entitled to 30,000 bonus miles straight away. If you buy your United Air tickets directly from the airline or through their website, you will earn 2 miles for every $1 that you spend. You also earn 1 mile for every dollar you spend while making purchases with your card. Their annual fee is waived for the first year but after the first year it is $95. You may find this a little high but if you compare it with the many rewards that you get all year this would not seem much. Basically if your preferred airline is United and you are a frequent traveler, this card is a must have to cut your travel costs.
March 1, 2013 at 07:45pm
First off, the fee on this card is a little on the high side but with Rewards cards it's always best to weigh up the fee against the benefits you'll receive from using it and in my case it's certainly worth the investment. I do a lot of domestic flying and the fact you can use your miles on basically any United flight without restrictions is really handy. The fees are a little on the high side when compared to others so it's best to pay back what you owe asap though the staff on the end of the phone are generally very helpful. Really good card for it's intended audience.
March 1, 2013 at 04:53pm
I have had my United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card for quite a few years now. I do a lot of travelling for my job, so I thought it would only be smart to get a card that I can get rewards for. I use it everywhere to get rewards. I also always use it to book my flights for work, which are often and usually expensive. My job reimburses me for my flights, so I am able to charge it and get the rewards still. This allows me to save a lot of money when it comes to vacation time. Overall I am happy with this card. The couple times I've needed to talk to their customer service, they have been very friendly and helpful. Overall I am happy with my card.
February 21, 2013 at 07:51pm
I got this card because I was frequently flying and wanted more ways to save up miles. But now that I'm unemployed, I just have a credit card bill and not enough miles to use for anything. Chase is a good company as far as communication goes -- they give me plenty of notice about billing, for example. Beyond the fact that I believe their maintenance fees are a little high, I don't have any problems with this credit card. I simply can't use it anymore for the purpose I originally got it, so it's just another credit account at this point.
February 11, 2013 at 06:56pm
I’ve had a United Mileage Plus card for the past 5 years or so and it is by far my go to credit card. I was a little skeptical about get a credit card that gave you airline mileage points because it takes so long to accrue a significant amount of points. I was wrong. Within 2 months I had already spent a couple thousand dollars on the mileage plus card. You gain 1 mile per dollar that you spend. From the day that I picked up the card, we have taken several family vacation and paid zero dollars for air fare. Considering the fact that the average domestic flight cost almost $200 this card has been a godsend.
February 11, 2013 at 04:59pm
I originally got this card because I wanted to transfer money from a high interest credit card to a card with a 0% balance deal. I was able to transfer $3,000 for a 12 months no interest deal. As an added bonus, I got 30,000 miles on United airlines after I spent $1,000. (I spent the money on Christmas shopping). So I wound up with $4,000 in debt. But, I got a free ticket on an airline and set up paying the card back $400 a month before my interest ran out. I cancelled the card once I paid it back and avoided the annual $95 fee. So I feel like a I got a low interest loan, a free airline ticket and got myself out of debt. So it was a win win for me.
February 11, 2013 at 04:58pm
I am lukewarm about this card. Not unlike other reviewers, I have found it a bit of a challenge at times to use my reward miles. More often than not, dates are blacked out for no apparent reason such as holidays or special events. If you do by chance find a range of dates that actually qualify for use with the rewards program, the fees charged add up and you don’t really end up saving as much as you’d hope. Whatever happened to a truly free ticket rewarding you for your business? I guess those days are long gone, unfortunately.
February 8, 2013 at 11:27pm
This card is the BIGGEST SCAM ever! I have so many points with them and they will never be able to get used. There is always some excuse! This time they say there is no room for a Mileage Plus person on that day. Well I just made my real reservation with cash and there seemed to be plenty of room! I would recommend staying clear of this company/card, go for the cash back on American Express. You can't go wrong with cash!
December 20, 2012 at 04:43pm
The United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card si an okay rewards card. I hate cards that charge an annual fee but I guess that happens with rewards cards. In reality are the rewards ever worth it? I would say no but if I would say that the United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card is one of the better cards to get if you want to save up miles. The interest rate is pretty decent and there are no hidden fees to have to deal with. After the first year you have to pay the annual fee and that's it. Customer service is easy to deal with and they actually know what they are talking about!
November 30, 2012 at 05:48pm
I’ve had this card for about six months now, and I love all the features it gives me. The extra miles on sign up, of course are great, and the fact that they’re on United is even better. Since I do most of my flying from Ohare in Chicago, these miles are great, and I can use them to fly directly almost anywhere in the world. But the side perks are at least as important. Priority boarding for my flights, free checked bag for me and a guest, and free United Club passes? This all adds up to make for an amazingly enjoyable and comfortable trip, not to mention fact of having a great credit card from a reputable bank and airline. I highly recommend this card to anyone looking for a new airline rewards card.
August 30, 2012 at 01:24pm
I got this card after the United and Continental Airlines merger and I must say as far as a credit card goes this one is pretty run of the mill. Nothing about it is bad but the miles you earn aren't fantastic either. I plan on canceling this card as soon as its paid off because I've found better offers out there. This was the second credit card I've ever had and for that the online tools made using it incredibly simple. I've never had problems with customer service when I've had questions. All in all I would give this card a 3/5 because the rewards just aren't that great but the online management is extremely simple.
August 15, 2012 at 05:17pm
I have had this card for several years. I got this card before UA and CO were merged, so I have another Chase credit card for Continental. Both cards offered me some sign-in bonus mileages.For one period of time in the past I traveled a lot and I exclusively took UA flights. I had been using this card for almost every purchase, simply to accumulate the mileage. However, recently I have stopped using this card for two reasons: First, I got a Chase Sapphire Preferred card which provided a generous 50k mileage, which can be equally transferred to my UA mileage account. Chase Sapphire provided the same point return for purchase as the United MileagePlus card. However, the Chase Sapphire points can be transferred to any UA mileage account for free, which is very convenient. On the other hand, if I want to transfer my UA mileage to others I have to pay a large amount of money. Second, in recent years, the UA service has deteriorated and it seems there are plenty of UA mileage floating on the market, which significantly increases the amount of mileage points to redeem a flight ticket. I remember four years ago it was easy to book an international round trip ticket with 65k mileages for any time period. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find such a deal and usually 65k mileages can only be redeemed for a one-way trip ticket. I have stopped using the United MileagePlus card for a while, but haven't decided whether or not to cancel it, since I am still flying with UA and have a Premier Gold status. Probably before the next time the annual fee is due, I will cancel this card.
July 25, 2012 at 02:32pm
anyone know if I have to live in the USA to be approved for this card? I travel on United all the time, but live in Australia.
July 18, 2012 at 12:08am
Since I was already a MileagePlus member I got 50,000 miles after the first use which is great. I have good flight status, so having the card always bumps me up as well as having ramped up the miles I have earned. I know that other airline cards might be more competitive, but since I was already a decently high United member, this card has a lot more benefits for me than it does for others, which I find strange. My dad has the same card, and he doesn't get nearly as many perks as I do (free upgrades, drinks, United Club access). I would suggest being a United member before applying, I got tons of emails from them, and only jumped on getting the card when they made an offer with benefits I couldn't really refuse!
July 3, 2012 at 06:27pm
I signed up for the United Mileage Plus Explorer Credit Card a few years ago after I got a job that required lots of traveling. I thought that this would be a great card to have to rack up on much needed miles with all of my traveling. I'n less than two years, I've earn about three plane tickets. The interest rate for this card is very low and I'm overall extremely satisfied with my credit card. This card is also very useful when wanting to earn other travel related rewards like hotels and car rentals. There are a lot of affiliate companies that allows you to earn points on your card with them.
June 22, 2012 at 12:56am
Joe Weider So, I got this card (sorry cardhub, not through you guys) about a month ago, and I have been using it. Now this deals more with United per se, rather than this card, but it ties together, so I want to talk about it. United miles are extremely valuable. They allow one way award, and as long as you bok 3 weeks out (or if you have the club card $395 per yr), then its just $25 per route. WOW! You look at British airlines, and to use their miles to go to Europe, fee comes out to like $800-900 bux, so United is great! The downside of this card, is as Margie pointed out. There are other cards available that competes with this card.... Say like Chase Sapphire Preferred. I got this card for churning purposes. If you look around web, u can find other deals where you get full 40k without spending $25k dollars. not that you shouldn't, if you can, because you'd still get 25,000 miles from those 25k dollar spending, but hey. your mileage may vary. So get this card, get 40k points, and then hold it for 11 months. Dump it down the drain. Unless you fly United more than 5-8 times a year, all domestic, all economy, this card really isn't that worth it.
June 19, 2012 at 11:18pm
DO NOT sign up for this card. I just called to cancel this card and was told that my Continental frequent flier account that I have had for 15 years will be cancelled because that freq. flier number was linked to my Continental (now United) credit card. AND ALL MILES earned with the credit card will be forfeited. Apparently I was sent a letter a few months ago communicating this. DO NOT sign up for this card.
May 12, 2012 at 12:13pm
NOT WORTH signing up for this card... it's a scam to lure you in... Was in the process of booking my flight when the deal for a $50 rebate came up to reduce the total costs... Got approved 30 minutes later but did not qualify at the time of reserving the flight for the $50 rebate and other perks. Spent over an hour on the phone with United and then another 20 minutes with Chase and I just cancelled the card altogether. Will make me think twice using United again for the hassle I went through just for their United Mileage Plus Explorer Card.
April 23, 2012 at 06:47pm
Hey Won Buddy Lee I'd really love to get your thoughts on this card, since you seem to be the resident airline credit card expert!
April 20, 2012 at 02:42pm
I’ve seen a few TV ads for the United Mileage Plus Explorer Card, so I thought I’d take a look at what its got. After all, some of the ads you see on TV are for really great cards while others only make really average cards sound really good. The United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card requires excellent credit for approval, doesn’t have an annual fee in the first year (but charges $95/yr. after that), and offers an interesting initial bonus as well as some decent ongoing rewards and some assorted other perks. I find it easiest to decide on whether a card is good or not by making a pro/con list, so here’s mine for the United Plus Explorer Card: Pros - 25,000 bonus miles after first purchase (enough for a one-way ticket to Hawaii and nearly enough for one to Europe). - United’s deep roster of rewards partners allows you to immediately transfer miles at full value to other travel companies’ rewards programs (e.g. British Airways, Amtrak, Hyatt Hotels). - Assorted perks like Club passes, priority boarding, and free checked baggage not only make travel more comfortable, but less expensive as well. Cons - You can’t get the extra 15,000 bonus points advertised if you don’t add an authorized user or spend a crazy amount each year. - The miles per dollar spent are not competitive with the best travel rewards cards on the market. United has one of the most interesting travel rewards programs around, thanks to its many rewards partners and the deals it has struck with issuers like Chase that allow you to transfer, say, Chase rewards into United Miles and redeem them with any United travel partner. In light of this latter consideration, you can benefit from United’s wide-ranging rewards program even if you don’t get a United credit card like the MileagePlus Explorer Card. For example, you could get the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which has an initial bonus worth $625 in travel, transfer this bonus to a United partner’s rewards program and benefit just the same. You could likewise get any Southwest Airlines credit card, for example, and do the same. With that being said, I’d compare all of the credit cards affiliated with United rewards and pick the most lucrative offer. You could also get a card like the Capital one Venture Card, which offers miles that equate to 2% cash back on all purchases if you redeem them toward any travel-related expenses. Also, if you don’t travel a lot, I’d go with a good cash back card like the Blue Cash preferred from Amex bc it will provide more consistent benefits. Overall, what I hope is clear is the fact that United’s overall rewards program is even more exciting that what exactly the United MileagePlus Explorer Card offers, and those of you who can figure out how to strategically game the system will benefit big!
March 21, 2012 at 04:39pm
One would think that airlines would compete over everything, not just fare rates and baggage fees. I mean, as members of the same industry and direct competitors you’d think that companies like Southwest and United Airlines would strive to outdo each other in every way imaginable. That’s why I was hoping for more out of the United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card. Southwest Airlines is currently offering two free flights to new customers who sign up for the Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card and make a single purchase with it. Unfortunately, the United credit card only offers 25,000 bonus miles after first usage, which a quick look at United’s Miles redemption policy reveals will only get you at most one free roundtrip flight. Now, the United MileagePlus Credit Card doesn’t have a first year annual fee, whereas the Southwest airlines card does ($69). That, I suppose could impact the gap between the two cards in terms of worth, and if you are a frequent flyer of neither airline, your destination of choice and any differences between the two companies when it comes to the cities they fly to would probably be the tie breaker. Even if you are a loyal United patron, there are actually better options out there than the United Credit Card. United recently struck a partnership with Chase that allows cardholders of certain Chase credit cards to freely transfer their rewards points to United MileagePlus Accounts. Seeing as the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card gives users 50,000 bonus points after they spend $3,000 during the first three months, you could simply get that card, transfer your points to a United Airlines account and have a chance at getting two free United flights if you opt for economy moneysaver fares on domestic flights.
October 25, 2011 at 09:17pm