Earn up to 3,000 bonus miles when you join United MileagePlus Dining
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.
Who doesn't enjoy a nice meal out?
While using credit cards is a great way to earn bonus rewards on dining, there are many opportunities to stack multiple earning sources together and turbocharge your returns. Just like you can use a shopping portal to earn bonus rewards when shopping online, many airlines offer dining rewards programs that let you double dip when eating out.
Today, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about United’s MileagePlus Dining program.
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United MileagePlus Dining overview
United MileagePlus Dining lets you earn United MileagePlus miles when visiting participating bars, restaurants and clubs. These rewards are in addition to what you’d normally earn from spending on your credit card.
You’ll need to register and link at least one credit or debit card before you can start earning miles. You'll earn bonus miles when you pay your bill at participating establishments with a linked card.
You’re allowed to link up to 12 cards, but you can only link each card to one dining reward program. For example, you can register your Chase Sapphire Reserve with MileagePlus Dining or AAdvantage Dining, but not both.
Related: Choice Privileges launches new dining program, offering 2,000-point bonus
How to join United MileagePlus Dining
As long as you have a United MileagePlus frequent flyer account, you can register for MileagePlus Dining at no cost via this link. As an incentive, you can earn 3,000 bonus miles on your first dining reservation where you spend $25 or more within 30 days of joining.
To register, simply log in to the MileagePlus Dining website with your United MileagePlus login info and fill out some basic personal information, including your name and contact details. Once you link at least one card, you’ll be good to go.
Related: Ways to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program
How to earn miles through MileagePlus Dining
Three different earning rates are available depending on your status in the MileagePlus Dining program. Basic members earn just 1 mile for every $2 spent, a rather poor return. However, all you need to do to upgrade from Basic to Select membership is to opt in to receive email communications. Doing so boosts your return to 3 miles for every $1 spent.
If you dine out more frequently and can complete 11 qualifying transactions in a calendar year (and opt in to receive email communications), you’ll become a VIP member. VIP members earn 5 miles per $1 spent beginning on their 12th transaction. You'll keep VIP status for the year in which you earn it, plus the entire following year, as long as you continue to receive email communications by opting in.
As you may have picked up, electing to receive email communications during the registration process is very important. Doing so will boost your earning rate by a multiple of six. If you forget to opt in during the sign-up process, you’ll see a prompt on individual restaurant pages reminding you to do so.
No one likes getting unnecessary marketing emails, but when there’s such a good return for receiving them, it’s worth doing. Here’s an overview of the earning structure:
- Basic members: 1 mile per $2 spent if you opt out of email communications from MileagePlus Dining.
- Select members: 3 miles per $1 spent if you opt in to email communications from MileagePlus Dining.
- VIP members: 5 miles per $1 spent if you opt in to email communications from MileagePlus Dining and have already completed 11 qualifying transactions in the current or previous calendar year. (You'll start earning at the VIP level on your 12th qualifying transaction.)
Related: How to get maximum value from the United MileagePlus program
How to use United MileagePlus Dining
There are two different approaches you can take when it comes to dining programs. The first is to “set it and forget it.” Register for your airline or hotel dining program of choice, link your cards and wait for the rewards to appear if and when you dine at participating venues.
The other approach is actively seeking out eligible restaurants near you to maximize your earnings. You can search for restaurants near your city or ZIP code and even use the built-in map view to find the ones closest to you. You can also search for specific types of cuisine, like sushi or pizza, and filter by price.
Once you select a restaurant, you can read reviews and ratings, check hours and confirm that the restaurant offers benefits every day of the week. Not all locations do, like this one, so be sure to double-check this.
Which cards to use with United MileagePlus Dining
One of the best things about dining rewards programs is that they don’t change how your transactions are billed, meaning you can stack these bonus United miles with the rewards you’d normally earn from your credit card spending.
So, you’ll want to use a card that offers strong rewards on dining — the same cards you’d use if you were eating at a restaurant that didn’t participate in a dining rewards program. Here's what you can expect to earn when using some of the best cards for dining:
- American Express® Gold Card: 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, plus on takeout and delivery services in the U.S.
- Chase Sapphire Preferred Card: 3 points per dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and eating at a restaurant.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve: 3 points per dollar spent on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and eating at a restaurant.
- Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card: 6 points per dollar spent on dining at U.S. restaurants, takeout and delivery services.
While you might assume that it’s a good idea to use a United card with the United MileagePlus Dining program, you have no incentive to do so. If your goal is to earn the most United miles possible, you should use the Chase Sapphire Reserve or the Chase Sapphire Preferred for all your dining purchases, as Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United at a 1:1 ratio. If your goal is to get the highest total return, you’d be better off using the Amex Gold Card.
I switch back and forth between using my Amex Gold and Chase Sapphire Reserve for dining, depending on whether I’m trying to earn more Membership Rewards or Ultimate Rewards at the time. I’ve made sure to link both cards to my MileagePlus Dining profile so I won’t miss out on bonus miles just because I switched cards.
Related: Expert stacking: How I earned $80 in cash back and rewards from one dinner
Bottom line
United offers its customers many additional ways to earn miles beyond flying, including an online shopping portal, the United MileagePlus X app and MileagePlus Dining.
If you dine out and are interested in earning United miles, it’s worth setting up an account with MileagePlan Dining now so you can automatically earn bonus miles any time you dine at a participating restaurant.
Additional reporting by Kyle Olsen.
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The Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex is a stacked card with a rewards rate that will help you earn bonus points on everyday and business-related purchases. You'll earn 15 elite night credits each calendar year, and receive automatic Gold elite status. Finally, the free night award certificate with a redemption level of 35,000 points or less can get you hundreds of dollars in potential value each year.Pros
- 6 points per dollar on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy program
- 4 points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and U.S. shipping
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- Earn a free-night award each card renewal month (up to 35,000 points)
- Receive 15 elite night credits to jump-start status
- Transfer Marriott points to 40+ airlines
Cons
- Airline points transfer ratios are poor
- Must spend $60,000 in a year for second free-night award
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Bonus Marriott Bonvoy Points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Offer ends 5/3/23.
- Receive a 7% discount off standard rates for reservations of standard guest rooms at hotels that participate in the Marriott Bonvoy program when you book directly. Terms and Conditions Apply.
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