The New United℠ Explorer Card is a good credit card for people with
good credit who are planning at least one pricey plane trip in the near future and expect to spend
$3,000 in the
3 months after getting the card. It offers
60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus a
$0 first-year fee.
A
$150 annual fee kicks in after the first year, but the
United Explorer Card can still be worth the cost if you use the card for United purchases, dining, and hotel reservations and pay the bill in full monthly to avoid interest. Taking advantage of perks such as United Club airport lounge passes helps, too.
For more information that can help you decide whether or not to apply for the
United Explorer Card, continue reading below.
What I Like About the United Explorer Card
60,000-mile initial bonus
New cardholders can earn
60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. Those bonus miles are worth an average of
$702 in United airfare, per WalletHub’s research.
This deal is well above average in terms of how many miles are available and the overall value, and it could score you a free United flight or two. But it’s still well short of the
very best credit card bonuses on the market right now.
1 - 2 miles per $1 spent
This United credit card gives cardholders
2 miles per $1 spent with United and hotel stays, 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, as well as 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Those bonus earning rates could save you a lot of money. But if you don’t plan to use the
United Explorer Card mainly for United purchases, dining and hotel stays you book directly with the hotel, you should probably look for a card with a higher base rewards rate. Earning
1 mile / $1 is the equivalent of getting around
1.17% cash back, on average.
25% back on eligible United purchases
You get 25% back on food, beverages and Wi-Fi charged to the
United Explorer Card during a United flight. The deal also applies to premium drinks in United Club airport lounges.
This discount is great, if you’re planning to purchase these things anyway. You won’t really be saving if you wouldn’t be buying these things without the discount. So, you have to ask yourself: How often do I really expect to make in-flight purchases or opt for top-shelf liquor and other premium drinks in lounges? This will help you determine how much weight to give this benefit when deciding whether to apply for the card.
1st checked bag free
The
United Explorer Card gets you one free checked bag on United flights. One companion traveling on the same reservation as you could get one checked bag for free as well.
That feature could save you up to $160 on a roundtrip flight. This is not the only
United credit card with a free baggage benefit, however. You have several options to choose from. The same goes for the card’s priority boarding perk.
2 United Club passes per year
You get your first passes up to four weeks after opening an account. Then, you get a new pair of passes after each account anniversary to help soften the blow of paying the
$150 annual fee from the second year on. Each pass admits one person into any of the 45+ United Club airport lounge locations for one visit.
Valuable annual credits
You can earn a $100 United travel credit after spending $10,000 with your card within a year. Plus, you can get over $500 in credits each year with various partners. This includes up to $100 in credits on United Hotels purchases, up to $60 in credits on rideshare purchases, up to $120 in Instacart credits every year and up to $100 in credits on JSX purchases each anniversary year.
These annual credits are in addition to the credit you can get once every four years for the TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS application fee.
$0 annual fee the first year
The
United Explorer Card isn’t the cheapest United credit card, but it’s certainly not the most expensive either. Having time to experience the card before committing to pay any annual fees is a benefit, too. It’s kind of like a second initial bonus.
What I Don’t Like About the United Explorer Card
$150 annual fee starting year two
From the second year on, the
United Explorer Card is over six times more expensive than the average credit card offer, according to
WalletHub research. It can still be worth owning, but it’s not a slam dunk.
20.49% - 28.99% (V) APR
Plan to pay your full statement balance by the due date each month if you get the
United Explorer Card. Otherwise, the interest charges produced by the card’s high APR will quickly eat into your savings from rewards.
700+ credit score recommended
The
United Explorer Card requires
good credit for approval. As a result, we recommend applying if your credit score is
700 or higher (and the card’s terms suit you, of course). You can
check your credit score for free right here on WalletHub.
Note: This review is not provided, commissioned or endorsed by any issuer. Opinions and ratings are our own.
