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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
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How to pay your United credit card’s annual fee with miles
Ryan is a former TPG credit cards writer who has been around points and miles for several years and has published content at Miles to Memories, AwardWallet and The Points Guy. His wife joins him on many of his trips, and they enjoy snowboarding, diving, and seeing animals in the wild. When not traveling, Ryan is probably answering questions from his family about how he travels so much and whether this points & miles stuff is illegal.
Chris Nelson is a credit cards writer for TPG. He specializes in budget travel, hotels, earning elite status through minimal spending and redeeming points for maximum value.
also contributed to this story
April 15, 2025 • 7 min read
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Quick summary
You can use airline loyalty miles to reimburse yourself for your card's annual fee through a specific redemption feature.
This option is available for most airline cards with an annual fee, including some no longer open to new applicants.
The process requires paying the fee first, then requesting reimbursement with miles via phone, website or app.
Redemption rates are typically 1.5 cents per mile, which is above the average value per TPG's April 2025 valuations.
What to consider
You must pay the annual fee upfront and request reimbursement within 90 days of payment.
Redemption rates and eligibility can change at any time, and targeted offers may provide higher value.
Miles used for reimbursement do not count toward your minimum payment due, so ensure you meet payment requirements.
What you'll miss from the article
A step-by-step walkthrough of how to use airline miles to offset your card's annual fee and a comparison of redemption value scenarios.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Did you know that you can pay the annual fee on your United credit card using your airline miles? It's called "Pay Yourself Back" — but I'm not talking about using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points with the Chase Pay Yourself Back program.
If you didn't know this, you're not alone. Finding this information isn't the easiest since the website with more details isn't widely publicized and doesn't provide much in the way of details.
Let's walk you through how to pay your United credit card's annual fee using United miles.
Cards eligible for this feature
United offers multiple cobranded credit cards, including the following:
The information for the United Club Business Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
VYTAUTAS KIELAITIS/SHUTTERSTOCK
Any United card with an annual fee is eligible to participate in this offer — including ones that are no longer available to new applicants. That's great news for anyone feeling on the fence about their card's annual fee this year.
How to pay your card's annual fee with United Airlines miles
There is a website outlining this option: choices.unitedmileageplus.com. It mentions that you can use miles to pay off your annual fee, but unfortunately, it says you must call the number on the back of your card to start the process or visit Chase's Pay Yourself Back feature.
CHOICES.UNITEDMILEAGEPLUS.COM
Moreover, the terms at the bottom of the page have a few important points you should note:
This feature is only available after you have paid your annual fee within the last 90 days, meaning you will need to pay the fee first and then use United miles as a reimbursement after the fact.
Redemption values aren't published and can change at any time. Right now, the value is 1.5 cents per mile (more on that below).
The statement credit will appear on your account within three business days, and you'll see the reimbursement and use of miles on your billing statement within one or two billing cycles.
Reimbursement of your annual fee using miles does not count as a payment to satisfy your minimum payment due that month, so ensure any minimum payments are still met.
There are a few ways to get started. You can call the number on the back of your United credit card as a first method. Remember to pay that fee first and then request to use your United miles as a reimbursement.
There are two other ways to pay your annual fee with miles. This website outlines how to redeem your miles against your annual fee online. It's a very simple process as long as you follow the directions.
UNITED
Lastly, you can complete this process in the Chase app. Log in to the app and select your United card. Then go to the Rewards and Benefits section and select Pay Yourself Back.
How much does it cost? Or, to rephrase this question, how many miles will you need?
Since you will pay the annual fee and seek reimbursement with your miles, let's look at the cost in terms of how many United miles you'll ultimately use to reimburse yourself after paying the annual fee on your United credit card.
YULIYA PADINA/GETTY IMAGES
You can use your United Miles at 1.5 cents apiece against your card's annual fee. Despite this, online forums show that some cardholders have received targeted email offers to use United miles as high as 1.75 cents apiece against their card's annual fee.
TPG April 2025 valuations peg United Miles at 1.35 cents each. Thus, this redemption is above the average value for United miles. At face value, it looks like a pretty good deal.
That said, if you routinely redeem your miles for first—and business-class awards, you are likely getting more than 1.5 cents each in value from your United miles. In this situation, you might be hesitant to use your miles in this way.
Overall, though, this is a fair use of United miles when considering all of your redemption options, but it's ultimately up to you to decide whether this is the best use of your miles.
Here are approximately how many miles you can expect to pay based on your card's annual fee (keep in mind that these can change at any time):
United Business Card ($150 annual fee): 9,868 miles
United Club Business Card ($695 annual fee): 45,724 miles
United Club Card ($695 annual fee): 45,724 miles
United Explorer Card ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150): 9,868 miles
United Quest Card ($350 annual fee): 23,027 miles
Is paying your United Card annual fee with United miles worth it?
Whether this process is worth it depends on the number of miles it will cost, the types of redemptions you typically do with United and how many miles you have available. Remember that you need to pay your card's annual fee upfront.
If the statement credit from your miles redemption doesn't post in time, you should still have cash available to pay your card's annual fee.
PHOTOATTRACTIVE/GETTY IMAGES
Unless you routinely book first—and business-class award tickets with United, covering your card's annual fee with United miles is a great way to use them. TPG senior editorial director Nick Ewen has the United Explorer Card and is considering this option.
Bottom line
It's nice to have the option to use your United miles to offset your United credit card's annual fee. Though not everyone will find value in this depending on how they prefer to use their miles, the ability to choose offers flexibility. If you're interested in using your United miles to reimburse your card's annual fee, call the number on the back of your card or visit the Chase app or website to get started.
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
