Get the United Club Card with a $0 Fee For the First Year (Targeted)
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
United's MileagePlus Club Card doesn't offer a sign-up bonus and it usually comes along with a $450 annual fee, yet it still made our list of 7 Premium Travel Cards You Should Consider in 2016. The reason? The card includes a full United Club membership, allowing unrestricted access whenever you're flying through an airport with a United-operated lounge. The card will save you $100 off the regular membership fee, assuming you don't have elite status with United.
In addition, you'll also receive Premier Access benefits, free first and second checked bags, 2 miles per dollar on all United purchases and 1.5 miles per dollar on all other spend, no close-in award booking fees and improved access to United award inventory. Of course, some of these benefits are also included with the United MileagePlus Explorer Card, which carries a much lower annual fee of $95 (waived for the first year) and is currently offering 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. But you'll only receive United Club access twice each year, so if you fly United a lot, the Club Card offers obvious advantages.
If that $450 annual fee is tough to swallow, you may be able to get it waived for the first year. Chase is currently offering a targeted fee waiver — all but one of the TPG staffers who checked for the offer saw it in their accounts, so it looks like United's casting a pretty wide net here. To see if you've been targeted for a waived annual fee for the first year, visit mpclubcard.com/rsvp and log in with your United MileagePlus credentials. According to a mailer, this offer expires on March 15, 2016.
If you do receive the fee waiver, you're of course under no obligation to keep the card after the first year. Depending on your travel patterns, you might be better off with a card like Citi Prestige or The Platinum Card® from American Express, instead, since you'll have access to far more lounges (excluding United Clubs, unfortunately).
Thanks to TPG reader Wes A., who shared this news tip by emailing tpgtips@thepointsguy.com. We'll be sending out a $200 Visa gift card as a token of our appreciation.
TPG featured card
at Bilt's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 1X | Choose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee |
| 2X | Earn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases |
Pros
- Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
- Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
- $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
- $200 Bilt Cash annually
- Priority Pass membership
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Moderate annual fee
- Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
- Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
- Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
- 2X points on everyday spend
- $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
- $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
- Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
- Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
- Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.