United Club Card review: Full details

The United Club℠ Card (see rates and fees) is the perfect card for United Membership lounge entry — bar none. This card makes numerous sense for avid United followers, however those that do not fly the airline no less than a number of occasions a yr will wrestle to get optimistic worth out of the annual charge. Card ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐

* Card rating is predicated on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

Premium airline playing cards have gotten extra frequent. United Airways’ providing on this area, the United Membership, has a $695 annual charge that may sound excessive till you issue within the United Membership membership included with it. Membership usually prices $750 per yr for nonelite members.

Most airline playing cards solely supply 2-3 factors or miles per greenback spent on airline purchases, however the United Membership Card units the usual with its spectacular incomes charges. Moreover, it supplies a variety of advantages that may improve your United expertise, from safety to touchdown, making it extra gratifying.

The advisable credit score for the United Membership card is no less than 740, however it might be doable to get accepted with a decrease credit score rating.

Let’s dive into the top-tier United Membership Card to see if it is smart for you.

New candidates for the United Club Card can earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening.

Primarily based on TPG’s November 2025 valuation of United miles at 1.4 cents per mile, these bonus miles are value a strong $1,260. This bonus is simply 10,000 miles shy of the very best welcome offer we’ve seen on this card.

Moreover, you are solely eligible for welcome bonuses for this card as soon as each 24 months. Listed below are the precise eligibility phrases:

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“This card product is obtainable to you should you should not have this card and haven’t acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus for this card previously 24 months.”

It is a Chase-issued card, which implies it is topic to the issuer’s notorious 5/24 rule. If in case you have opened 5 or extra card accounts previously 24 months (throughout all issuers, not simply Chase), you’ll in all probability be denied for this one.

Associated: The best cards to get after you hit 5/24

The United Club Card provides a variety of advantages, together with assertion credit and journey protections, that may assist offset its excessive annual charge.

United Membership membership

The spotlight of the United Membership Card is a United Club membership, which supplies limitless entry to over 45 United Membership places worldwide.

You will additionally have the ability to carry up one visitor and any dependents underneath the age of 21. Contemplating this profit costs up to $750 each year, this perk alone makes up for the cardboard’s $695 annual charge. That mentioned, this profit does not imply a lot should you aren’t going to go to a United Membership no less than a number of occasions every year.

Cardholders can unlock a United Membership All Entry membership by holding MileagePlus Premier Gold standing or spending $50,000 on their card in a calendar yr. United Membership membership is break up into two tiers, with All Entry membership being the upper tier. A United Membership All Entry membership contains two complimentary visitors and Star Alliance lounge access.

Moreover, should you earn a United Membership All Entry membership and add a certified consumer, you may be granted 4 one-time United Membership passes. Nevertheless, to make use of these passes, the first cardholder or licensed consumer should be touring with the visitor.

For many, these one-time passes shall be onerous to make use of (except you steadily journey with a big celebration) since you possibly can already usher in two visitors without cost with a United Membership All Entry membership.

Trusted Traveler charge credit score

If you happen to do not have already got Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus, the United Membership Card will refund your software charge (as much as $120) as soon as each 4 years. Vacationers who have already got the profit can all the time reward this perk to a member of the family or buddy.

Different assertion credit

Cardholders will obtain the next assertion credit every year:

• As much as $200 for Famend Lodges and Resorts for United cardmember bookings. By reserving by way of this lodge assortment, cardholders can take pleasure in unique advantages like a complimentary day by day breakfast for 2 and room upgrades, if obtainable. (Cardholders should prepay for his or her reserving to obtain their assertion credit score.)
• As much as $150 for ride-hailing purchases, doled out as $12 every month from January to November and $18 in December. (Yearly activation is required.)
• As much as $100 in United TravelBank money for Avis and Finances automobile leases booked by way of automobiles.united.com and paid for with this card and as much as $50 in TravelBank money per rental.
• As much as $200 in JSX assertion credit when reserving instantly with JSX.
• As much as $240 in Instacart assertion credit for purchases made instantly by way of Instacart with this card, given as two $10 credit every month (by way of Dec. 31, 2027).

IHG Platinum Elite standing

The first United Membership cardholder is eligible for complimentary Platinum Elite status with IHG One Rewards. Perks at this standing degree embody complimentary room upgrades, prolonged checkout and bonus factors on stays.

Associated: The award travelers guide to IHG One Rewards

Elitelike perks

The cardboard comes with the next flight-related perks:

• Two free checked luggage (for the first cardholder and one journey companion on the identical reservation paid for with the cardboard)
• Premier Entry (which incorporates precedence check-in, safety screening, boarding and baggage dealing with the place obtainable)
• 25% again on United inflight purchases
• Expanded award availability

These perks will not be as compelling you probably have United elite status, however they’re invaluable for many who have but to earn it.

Frequent United flyers, significantly those that stay near airports with a United Membership, can discover worth within the perks that go together with this card’s increased annual charge.

Elite standing spending shortcut

United Membership Card holders can earn as much as 28,000 Premier qualifying factors per calendar yr. You will additionally earn 1 PQP per $15 spent in your card. After all, that can require spending a whopping $420,000 to totally maximize, nevertheless it nonetheless could be inside attain for some.

Beginning in 2026, cardholders may also get a bonus of 1,500 PQPs every year as a jump-start to incomes United elite standing.

10% mileage low cost on United economic system saver awards

The first United Membership Card member may also have the ability to guide United economic system saver awards on United flights throughout the continental U.S. and Canada for 10% fewer miles than awards obtainable to most people.

In case you are a Membership Card holder, you will notice the mileage distinction as soon as logged in to your MileagePlus account. For instance, a saver award might present as 5,000 miles if you find yourself not signed in, however the identical award will present as 4,500 miles if signed in to your account.

This dietary supplements the prevailing perk of entry to expanded award availability for all United cobranded cardholders. Take into account that the ten% mileage low cost is obtainable on cheaper United bank cards.

Award flight reductions

Cardholders can earn a ten,000-mile low cost on award tickets after spending $20,000 every calendar yr with their United Membership card (legitimate as much as two occasions per calendar yr for 20,000 miles).

Journey and buy protections

With this card, you may get numerous journey safety advantages, together with:

Rental automobile privileges

Main cardholders can join a complimentary Avis President’s Club membership, which usually requires a big quantity of spending with Avis. President’s Membership members obtain complimentary upgrades of two automobile lessons (topic to availability), assured automobile availability whenever you guide no less than 24 hours prematurely and expedited rental service.

DoorDash

Cardholders get a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, which supplies limitless DoorDash and Caviar deliveries with $0 supply charges and decrease service charges on eligible orders, for one yr. (You should activate it by Dec. 31, 2027.)

Instacart

Cardholders obtain a complimentary Instacart+ membership, which incorporates limitless supply and $0 supply charges on eligible orders. (Activation by Dec. 31, 2027, is required to reap the benefits of this profit.)

Associated: Flights, credit cards and more: How to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program

The incomes charges on the United Club are a part of what in the end units it other than different cobranded airline bank cards.

Cardholders earn:

• 9 miles per greenback spent on United flights (5 miles earned as a MileagePlus member, plus 4 miles earned from having the Membership Card)
• 5 miles per greenback spent on lodge stays booked by way of Famend Lodges and Resorts whenever you prepay on your reserving
• 4 miles per greenback spent on all different United purchases
• 2 miles per greenback spent on all different travel purchases
• 2 miles per greenback spent on dining
• 1 mile per greenback spent on everything else

Since Chase is the issuer, this card’s journey and eating classes are broadly defined, simply as they’re with Chase Ultimate Rewards credit cards just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees). Which means you may have a better and fewer worrying time determining when to make use of your card.

If in case you have both of those playing cards, you may need to use them for normal journey and eating spending, as TPG’s November 2025 valuations point out that Chase Ultimate Rewards factors are value greater than United miles.

However should you do not have already got both of these playing cards, you may nonetheless have the ability to earn rewards on these purchases with the United Membership Card.

If you find yourself able to redeem miles, United does have some sweet spots in its MileagePlus program. United would not publish an award chart, which implies award redemption charges may be unpredictable.

Nevertheless, there are different methods to seek out worth in this system, akin to reserving companion awards with United miles. United would not go on fuel surcharges on companion awards, so it can save you lots of of {dollars} per ticket when reserving awards like first-class tickets on Lufthansa by way of United.

I not too long ago redeemed 84,700 United miles for a Polaris enterprise class improve on a flight between Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) and Cape City Worldwide Airport (CPT), a implausible deal contemplating the flight was over 15 hours lengthy.

Miles aren’t simply nice for business-class worldwide flights, however will also be very helpful for home journeys.

There are a selection of playing cards which might be aggressive with the United Club:

• If you need a decrease annual charge: The United℠ Explorer Card (see rates and fees) is filled with helpful perks akin to a World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus software charge assertion credit score, two annual one-time United Membership passes and your first checked bag free — simply justifying its affordable $150 annual charge ($0 introductory charge for the primary yr). To be taught extra, learn our full review of the United Explorer.
• If you need a extra all-around card: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is among the best-known journey rewards bank cards. It earns bonus factors on frequent spending classes like journey and eating. Plus, cardholders can entry Chase’s 13 switch companions to maximise the worth of their rewards. To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Sapphire Preferred.
• If you need tons of perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express is among the prime premium journey rewards playing cards. As a cardmember, you may earn invaluable Membership Rewards factors, obtain a variety of annual assertion credit every calendar yr and luxuriate in entry to an intensive community of airport lounges worldwide. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages and phrases apply.) To be taught extra, learn our full review of the Amex Platinum.

For extra choices, take a look at our full checklist of the best United travel cards and the best airline cards.

Associated: Why you’ll want to pay the $95 annual fee on the Chase Sapphire Preferred

If you happen to fly on United flights a number of occasions every year, the United Membership Card is worth considering regardless of its excessive annual charge. You will get nice incomes charges for a cobranded card, a robust lineup of perks and assertion credit, United Membership entry and strong journey protections.

Make sure to take this chance to begin stockpiling MileagePlus miles on your next dream destination with this welcome supply.

Apply right here: United Club Card