United Membership Card overview
The United Membership℠ Card (see charges and costs) is the perfect card for United Membership lounge entry — bar none. This card makes loads of sense for avid United followers, however those that do not fly the airline no less than a number of instances a 12 months will battle to get optimistic worth out of the annual price. Card score*: ⭐⭐⭐
* Card score relies 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 house, the United Membership, has a $695 annual price which may sound excessive till you issue within the United Membership membership included with it. Membership usually prices $750 per 12 months for nonelite members.
Most airline playing cards solely provide 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 pleasing.
The advisable credit score rating for the United Membership card is no less than 740, however it could be potential to get authorised with a decrease credit score rating.
Let’s dive into the top-tier United Membership Card to see if it is sensible for you.
United Membership execs and cons
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United Membership welcome provide
New candidates for the United Membership 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 best welcome provide we have seen on this card.
Moreover, you are solely eligible for welcome bonuses for this card as soon as each 24 months. Listed here are the precise eligibility phrases:
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“This card product is offered to you in case you do not need this card and haven’t acquired a brand new Cardmember bonus for this card up to now 24 months.”
This can be a Chase-issued card, which suggests it is topic to the issuer’s notorious 5/24 rule. When you have opened 5 or extra card accounts up to now 24 months (throughout all issuers, not simply Chase), you’ll in all probability be denied for this one.
Associated: The most effective playing cards to get after you hit 5/24
United Membership advantages
The United Membership Card presents a variety of advantages, together with assertion credit and journey protections, that may assist offset its excessive annual price.
United Membership membership
The spotlight of the United Membership Card is a United Membership membership, which supplies limitless entry to over 45 United Membership areas worldwide.
You will additionally be capable of deliver up one visitor and any dependents below the age of 21. Contemplating this profit prices as much as $750 every year, this perk alone makes up for the cardboard’s $695 annual price. That stated, this profit does not imply a lot in case you aren’t going to go to a United Membership no less than a number of instances 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 12 months. United Membership membership is cut up into two tiers, with All Entry membership being the upper tier. A United Membership All Entry membership contains two complimentary company and Star Alliance lounge entry.
Moreover, in case you earn a United Membership All Entry membership and add a certified person, you may be granted 4 one-time United Membership passes. Nevertheless, to make use of these passes, the first cardholder or licensed person have to be touring with the visitor.
For many, these one-time passes can be arduous to make use of (except you regularly journey with a big social gathering) since you may already herald two company free of charge with a United Membership All Entry membership.
Trusted Traveler price credit score
In the event you do not have already got World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus, the United Membership Card will refund your utility price (as much as $120) as soon as each 4 years. Vacationers who have already got the profit can all the time present this perk to a member of the family or good friend.
Different assertion credit
Cardholders will obtain the next assertion credit every year:
- As much as $200 for Famend Accommodations and Resorts for United cardmember bookings. By reserving by means of this resort assortment, cardholders can take pleasure in unique advantages like a complimentary each day breakfast for 2 and room upgrades, if accessible. (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 Funds automotive leases booked by means 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 immediately with JSX.
- As much as $240 in Instacart assertion credit for purchases made immediately by means of Instacart with this card, given as two $10 credit every month (by means of Dec. 31, 2027).
IHG Platinum Elite standing
The first United Membership cardholder is eligible for complimentary Platinum Elite standing with IHG One Rewards. Perks at this standing stage embrace complimentary room upgrades, prolonged checkout and bonus factors on stays.
Associated: The award vacationers information to IHG One Rewards
Elitelike perks
The cardboard comes with the next flight-related perks:
- Two free checked baggage (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 accessible)
- 25% again on United inflight purchases
- Expanded award availability
These perks will not be as compelling if in case you have United elite standing, however they’re useful for individuals who have but to earn it.
Frequent United flyers, notably those that reside near airports with a United Membership, can discover worth within the perks that associate with this card’s larger annual price.
Elite standing spending shortcut
United Membership Card holders can earn as much as 28,000 Premier qualifying factors per calendar 12 months. You will additionally earn 1 PQP per $15 spent in your card. After all, that may require spending a whopping $420,000 to completely maximize, nevertheless it nonetheless is perhaps inside attain for some.
Beginning in 2026, cardholders can even get a bonus of 1,500 PQPs every year as a jump-start to incomes United elite standing.
10% mileage low cost on United financial system saver awards
The first United Membership Card member can even be capable of e book United financial system saver awards on United flights throughout the continental U.S. and Canada for 10% fewer miles than awards accessible to most people.
If you’re a Membership Card holder, you will note 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 present perk of entry to expanded award availability for all United cobranded cardholders. Needless to say the ten% mileage low cost is offered 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 12 months with their United Membership card (legitimate as much as two instances per calendar 12 months for 20,000 miles).
Journey and buy protections
With this card, you will get varied journey safety advantages, together with:
Rental automotive privileges
Major cardholders can join a complimentary Avis President’s Membership membership, which usually requires a major quantity of spending with Avis. President’s Membership members obtain complimentary upgrades of two automotive courses (topic to availability), assured automotive availability whenever you e book 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 12 months. (You could 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 benefit from this profit.)
Associated: Flights, bank cards and extra: The way to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program
Incomes miles on the United Membership
The incomes charges on the United Membership are a part of what in the end units it aside from 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 resort stays booked by means of Famend Accommodations 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 journey purchases
- 2 miles per greenback spent on eating
- 1 mile per greenback spent on the whole lot else
Since Chase is the issuer, this card’s journey and eating classes are broadly outlined, simply as they’re with Chase Final Rewards bank cards just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) and the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs). Meaning you will have a neater and fewer aggravating time determining when to make use of your card.
When you have both of those playing cards, you will wish to use them for normal journey and eating spending, as TPG’s November 2025 valuations point out that Chase Final Rewards factors are value greater than United miles.
However in case you do not have already got both of these playing cards, you will nonetheless be capable of earn rewards on these purchases with the United Membership Card.
Redeeming miles on the United Membership
If you find yourself able to redeem miles, United does have some candy spots in its MileagePlus program. United would not publish an award chart, which suggests award redemption charges may be unpredictable.
Nevertheless, there are different methods to search out worth in this system, resembling reserving associate awards with United miles. United would not cross on gasoline surcharges on associate awards, so it can save you a whole lot of {dollars} per ticket when reserving awards like first-class tickets on Lufthansa by means of United.
I just lately 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 incredible 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.
Which playing cards compete with the United Membership?
There are a selection of playing cards which are aggressive with the United Membership:
- If you’d like a decrease annual price: The United℠ Explorer Card (see charges and costs) is filled with helpful perks resembling a World Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus utility price assertion credit score, two annual one-time United Membership passes and your first checked bag free — simply justifying its cheap $150 annual price ($0 introductory price for the primary 12 months). To be taught extra, learn our full evaluate of the United Explorer.
- If you’d like a extra all-around card: The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked 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 evaluate of the Sapphire Most well-liked.
- If you’d like tons of perks: The Platinum Card® from American Categorical is among the high premium journey rewards playing cards. As a cardmember, you will earn useful Membership Rewards factors, obtain various annual assertion credit every calendar 12 months and revel 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 evaluate of the Amex Platinum.
For extra choices, take a look at our full record of the most effective United journey playing cards and the most effective airline playing cards.
Associated: Why you will wish to pay the $95 annual price on the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked
Backside line
In the event you fly on United flights a number of instances every year, the United Membership Card is value contemplating regardless of its excessive annual price. You will get nice incomes charges for a cobranded card, a powerful lineup of perks and assertion credit, United Membership entry and strong journey protections.
Make sure you take this chance to start out stockpiling MileagePlus miles on your subsequent dream vacation spot with this welcome provide.
Apply right here: United Membership Card
