United Explorer vs United Gateway

Every figure below is from the same dataset Miles computes its recommendations from. Rows the two cards agree on are collapsed at the bottom.

United Explorer

Chase

United Gateway

Chase

Economics

Annual fee

$150

$150/yr less

Ongoing annual value

$331

$211/yr more

$120

Net value (value − fee)

$181

$61/yr more

$120

First-year value estimate

$596

$224/yr more

$372

Authorized user fee

—

Sign-up Bonus

Current offer

50K miles after $3K spend in the first 3 months. Plus, earn an extra 10K miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year

30K miles after $1K spend in first 3 months. Plus, earn an extra 10K miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months

Earning

Dining

2X2.6%

—

Gas Stations

—

2X2.6%

Hotels

2X2.6%

—

Transit

—

2X2.6%

United purchases

3X3.9%

2X2.6%

Percentages are the return on a dollar spent: the multiplier times what Miles values those points at. Categories only one card earns a bonus on are marked for that card; the other earns its base rate.

Benefits

Statement credits

United Hotels: $100 (Annual Cardmember Year)
Rideshare: $5 (Monthly)
Avis/Budget: $50 (Annual Cardmember Year)
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck: $120 (Every 4 Years)
Instacart: $10 (Monthly)
JSX: $100 (Annual Cardmember Year)

—

Lounge access

United Club (2/yr)

—

Elite status

United MileagePlus

—

Protections

The same on both cards (6)

Foreign transaction fee

None

Issuer

Chase

Rewards currency

United MileagePlus

Card type

Personal

Network

Visa

All other purchases

1X1.3%

Which one is right for you

This page shows the difference. It does not pick: the winner depends on what you spend and what you already hold, and adding these figures up without knowing that would be a guess dressed as a verdict. Ask Miles and it computes the answer against your own wallet.

Ask Miles which to get

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