Last call: United's personal and business welcome offers are ending today
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
If you're looking to boost your United account balance, right now is the best time to do so. The elevated offers on four different United credit cards — on the personal and business front listed on this page — are coming to an end on Sept. 22, 2021, at 6 p.m. EST. After that, the cards will go back to their standard offers.
This includes some of United's best welcome offers to date on the United Explorer Card, New United Quest Card, United Gateway Card, and United Business Card. This is an excellent opportunity if you are looking for that much-needed getaway, especially with offers of up to 150,000 bonus miles.
With a lot of miles on the table, these are some extremely valuable cards that you won't want to slip away.
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Elevated welcome offers
United Explorer Card
Welcome bonus: Up to 70,000 bonus miles: 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, an additional 10,000 bonus miles after spending $6,000 total in the first six months. TPG values this bonus at up to $910.
Annual fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
Earning rate: Earn 2x miles on United purchases, on dining at restaurants (including eligible delivery services), on hotel stays when booked with the hotel, and 1x on all other eligible purchases.
Other card details:
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year
- Free first checked bag for you and a companion
- Priority boarding
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit
- 25% back on United inflight purchases
- Earn up to 1,000 Premier qualifying points per calendar year — earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 you spend on purchases
- Travel and purchase coverage
- No foreign transaction fees
Related: United Explorer Card review
APPLY HERE: United Explorer Card
United Quest Card
Welcome bonus: Up to 100,000 bonus miles: 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, an additional 20,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 total in the first six months. TPG values this bonus at up to $1,300.
Annual fee: $250 annual fee
Earning rate: Earn 3x miles on United purchases (immediately after earning your $125 annual United purchase credit), 2x miles on all other travel, dining (including delivery services), on select streaming services, and 1x on all other eligible purchases.
Other card details:
- Earn up to $125 in statement credits as reimbursement for United purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year
- Receive two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits, starting with your first anniversary
- Free first and second checked bags
- Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit
- Priority boarding
- 25% back on United inflight purchases
- Earn up to 3,000 Premier qualifying points per calendar year — 500 PQPs for every $12,000 you spend on purchases
- Travel and purchase coverage
- No foreign transaction fees
Related: United Quest Card review
APPLY HERE: United Quest Card
United Gateway Card
Welcome bonus: Up to 30,000 bonus miles: 15,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, an additional 15,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 total in the first six months. TPG values this bonus at up to $390.
Annual fee: $0 annual fee
Earning rate: Earn 2x miles on United purchases, at gas stations, local transit, and commuting (including ride-sharing services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit) and 1x on all other eligible purchases.
Other card details:
- 25% back on United inflight purchases
- Travel and purchase coverage
- No foreign transaction fees
Related: United Gateway Card review
APPLY HERE: United Gateway Card
United Business Card
Welcome bonus: Up to 150,000 bonus miles: 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, an additional 75,000 bonus miles after spending $20,000 total in the first six months. TPG values this bonus at up to $1,950.
Annual fee: $99 annual fee
Earning rate: Earn 2x miles on United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting and 1x on all other eligible purchases.
Other card details:
- Free first checked bag for you and a companion
- 5,000 bonus miles each card anniversary when you have the United Business Card and a personal United card
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year
- Employee cards at no additional cost
- Priority boarding
- $100 United travel credit after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more each card anniversary year
- 25% back on United inflight purchases
- Earn up to 1,000 Premier qualifying points per calendar year — 500 PQPs for every $12,000 you spend on purchases
- No foreign transaction fees
Related: United Business Card review
APPLY HERE: United Business Card
Are these offers worth it?
If you are looking to add another card to your wallet and specifically looking to increase your United account balance, then yes, these offers are worth it — specifically the United Business Card with its up to 150,000-mile bonus offer.
The United Quest Card will also allow you to earn up to 100,000 miles, but the minimum spend to get the full almost is quite significant. But, even if you're only able to meet the first tier of the offer — 80,000 miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months — that is still a healthy number of miles that will allow you ample opportunities to travel on these miles earned.
Although, the card does come with a relatively high annual fee of $250 per year, which might be more than you are looking to spend, especially if you aren't flying as much these days.
Related: The best ways to redeem 100,000 United MileagePlus miles
Instead, you might prefer the United Explorer Card. Although the bonus miles you'll receive is slightly less, the minimum spend also doesn't require you to swipe your card as much. Due to the $0 introductory annual fee for the first year (then $95 thereafter), you're able to try the card out and make sure it works for your needs at no cost for the first year.
If your main goal is to increase your mileage balance, you might actually want to consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card instead. With its current 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, you'll receive the same or more points than you'd earn from the United personal cards, with less minimum spend required. Chase Ultimate Reward points transfer to United — and 13 other travel loyalty programs — at a 1-to-1 ratio, meaning this card can also effectively earn you 60,000 United miles.
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card review
Bottom line
Many of these cobranded United cards are offering the highest number of bonus miles we've seen thus far and provide a great way to jump-start your next vacation. With an up to 150,000 bonus offer and travel perks to use on your next United flight, the benefits can help offset the annual fees, especially for the more expensive cards.
One thing to note, though, is that these cards fall under Chase's 5/24 application rule. This means if you've opened five or more credit cards with any issuer over the previous 24 months, Chase will automatically deny you for any of these four cards.
But, if now is the right time to add another card to your wallet, there's no better time to apply than today.
Apply here for the United Explorer Card with an up to 70,000 bonus miles.
Apply here for the United Quest Card with an up to 100,000 bonus miles.
Apply here for the United Gateway Card with an up to 30,000 bonus miles.
Apply here for the United Business Card with an up to 150,000 bonus miles.
