United Explorer

New cardholders can earn 70,000 United MileagePlus bonus miles by spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. Miles post to your MileagePlus account and can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and more.

Earn a total of 9 miles per dollar on eligible United-operated flights, combining your MileagePlus membership miles, any status bonuses, and the card's own 3x bonus. Actual earnings may vary based on your MileagePlus Premier status level, and Basic Economy tickets earn differently.

Earn 3 miles per dollar on eligible United purchases that aren't flights — think seat upgrades, in-flight Wi-Fi, and United Club day passes. Use your card on united.com or at the airport to earn this rate.

Earn 2 miles per dollar at restaurants, including eligible delivery services, and on hotel stays booked directly with the hotel. Booking through a third-party site won't qualify for the hotel bonus. There's no cap on miles earned in either category.

Every purchase that doesn't fall into a higher earning category earns 1 mile per dollar spent. This base rate applies to all eligible purchases with no spending caps or category restrictions.

Earn 1 Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $20 spent on purchases with your Explorer Card, up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year. These PQP count toward qualifying for United MileagePlus Premier status.

Get a $10 statement credit each month on Instacart purchases, up to $120 per calendar year. Pay with your Explorer Card directly through Instacart to earn the credit. This benefit is available through December 31, 2027.

Get up to $100 back per anniversary year as a statement credit on flights booked directly with JSX, a hop-on jet service. Pay with your Explorer Card when booking on JSX's website or app to earn the credit.

Get up to $5 back per month as a statement credit on rideshare purchases, worth up to $60 per calendar year. Enroll each year to activate the benefit — yearly opt-in is required.

Get 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverages, and Wi-Fi purchased on United-operated flights, plus United Club premium drinks. Pay with your Explorer Card for the purchase to qualify. Applies only on United-operated flights.

Up to $100 in credits for United Hotels ($50 each on your first two bookings per cardmember year)

Get three months of Instacart+ membership free, which includes unlimited deliveries with $0 delivery fees on eligible orders. After the trial, you're automatically enrolled in Instacart+ at 25% off the annual rate. This benefit runs through December 31, 2027.

If you hold United MileagePlus Premier status and are traveling on an award ticket, you and one companion on the same reservation are eligible for Complimentary Premier Upgrades on select United and United Express flights. Upgrades are subject to availability.

Decline the rental company's collision insurance and charge the full rental cost to your Explorer Card to get primary coverage for theft and collision damage. Covers up to $60,000 for most rental vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less.

Covers pre-paid, non-refundable passenger fares if your trip is canceled or cut short by sickness, severe weather, or other covered situations. Get reimbursed up to $1,500 per covered traveler and up to $6,000 per trip.

Covers the cost to repair or replace checked or carry-on baggage that is lost, damaged, or stolen during a covered trip. Reimbursement is up to $3,000 per covered traveler.

Covers unreimbursed expenses like meals and lodging when your common carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay. Get up to $500 per covered traveler to cover those out-of-pocket costs.

Covers essential purchases like toiletries and clothing when your baggage is delayed more than 6 hours. Get reimbursed up to $100 per day for up to 3 days, for a maximum of $300 per delay.

New eligible purchases made with your Explorer Card are covered against damage or theft for 120 days from the purchase date. Coverage is up to $10,000 per item.

Adds one extra year of coverage to eligible U.S. manufacturer's warranties of three years or less. Coverage extends up to four years from the original purchase date.

Your first year with the card costs nothing — the $150 annual fee is automatically waived for new cardholders. Starting in year two, the standard $150 annual fee applies.

Purchases made outside the U.S. with your Explorer Card are not subject to foreign transaction fees. This applies to all international purchases, whether in-person or online.