The
United Gateway Card is a good credit card to consider if your credit score is
700 or higher and you want to earn airline miles without paying an annual fee. You can get an initial bonus of
30,000 miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months worth around
$363 in United airfare, plus ongoing bonus rewards on purchases from United, gas stations and transit providers.
You can even avoid interest for a limited time and get 25% back on in-flight purchases. You do need to fly United to get the most from this card, though, as you might expect.
What I Like About the United Gateway Card
30,000-mile initial bonus
New cardholders can earn
30,000 miles for spending $1,000 in the first 3 months. Those bonus miles are worth roughly
$363 in United airfare, per WalletHub’s research.
This deal is
about average, compared to all the other initial bonus offers available from credit cards right now. It’s still quite helpful if you need a way to save on airfare, though. By the way, you can get a bigger bonus from other United cards, but you’ll have to spend more on fees.
1 - 2 miles per $1 spent
The
United Gateway Card rewards cardholders with
2 miles per $1 spent with United, 2 miles per $1 spent on gas station purchases, local transit and commuting, and 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. The minimum rewards rate is about average, but using the card primarily for purchases in its double-miles categories can produce some significant savings.
So, do you spend enough on gas and local transit, in addition to United flights, to justify applying for this card rather than one with a flat rewards rate or different bonus categories? That is one of the key questions potential applicants have to ask themselves, along with whether they’ll be able to comfortably meet the spending requirement for the initial bonus.
25% back on eligible United purchases
When you charge food, drinks or Wi-Fi to the
United Gateway Card during a United-operated flight, you get 25% back. You can also get 25% back on premium drinks in United Club airport lounges – if you decide to purchase a pass or annual membership. This card does not provide complimentary United Club access.
$0 annual fee
The
United Gateway Card is the only United credit card with no annual fee, making it the best option for people who don’t expect to travel very frequently but do plan to keep the card for a long time.
0% introductory APR
The
United Gateway Card offers
0% for 12 months from account opening on new purchases. This is pretty rare for an airline credit card, and it could help you save a lot of money if you’re planning a big purchase that will take months to pay off.
Other 0% cards are interest-free for up to twice as long, however. So, if avoiding interest is your main objective, you may want to shop around.
What I Don’t Like About the United Gateway Card
High regular APR
A high regular APR –
19.74% to 28.24% (V), based on your overall creditworthiness when you get approved for an account – takes effect when the card’s low introductory rate expires. It applies to any balance you have remaining at that time, so it’s best to bring your balance to zero before the regular rate kicks in, then pay your full statement balance by the due date each month to avoid interest charges moving forward.
Few bells and whistles
Unlike other
United credit cards, the
United Gateway Card does not offer free United Club access, or credits for airport-screening application fees.
It does, however, provide perks such as rental car insurance, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, purchase protection, luxury hotel access, and free checked bags on United flights.
700+ credit score recommended
The
United Gateway Card requires
good credit for approval, which means you need a credit score of
700+ to have good odds of being approved. 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.
