Chase United Explorer
At a glance
- Bonus
- 70,000 miles + 10,000 miles for adding a userUnited MileagePlusEst. $840+ value
- To earn it
- Spend $3,000 in 3 months
- Annual fee
- $0 first year, then $150
- Apply by
- No public end date stated
Terms and eligibility can change. Confirm the details with the issuer before you apply.
Credits and perks
Most used first. Tick what you don't need and the math leaves it out. Full terms are on the issuer's site.
What the bonus is worth
Est. $840+ value
70,000 miles × 1.2¢
United MileagePlus miles have no fixed cash rate, so the floor is the low end of what points sites say they're worth: $840 at 1.2¢ per mile. Good redemptions reach 1.3¢ per mile.
What points sites say: 1.2¢ to 1.3¢ per mile
Third-party valuations: what points sites estimate points are worth on average, not a cash value or an issuer promise. Your value depends on how you redeem.
Estimate as of Oct 17, 2026.
Biggest catches
- Chase 5/24. Chase generally denies applicants with 5 or more new cards from any issuer in 24 months, authorized-user cards included. The Explorer competes with Sapphire and Ink cards for those slots. doctorofcredit.com (third-party)
- Free bag requires buying the ticket with the card. The free first bag for you and one companion only applies when the Explorer paid for the ticket, except on flights in the first 90 days after opening. creditcards.chase.com
- Bonus miles can be clawed back within six months. If the Explorer isn't open at least six months, United and Chase can deduct the bonus miles. Don't cancel or product-change before month seven. creditcards.chase.com
- Cash-like transactions don't count toward the spend. Travelers checks, money orders, foreign currency, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, person-to-person transfers, balance transfers and fees aren't purchases. creditcards.chase.com
- Rideshare credit needs a yearly opt-in. Nothing posts until you enroll, and the enrollment has to be renewed every year. creditcards.chase.com
- Bonus posts 6 to 8 weeks after the spend. Don't book an award counting on the bonus miles right after you hit the spend. creditcards.chase.com
Third-party report; not confirmed in the official offer terms we could retrieve. Details may be outdated or channel-specific. Verify the offer shown by the issuer before applying.
YMMV: approval and bonus eligibility are the issuer's decision.
Sensei's move
Cardholder award discount
Since April 2, 2026 United gives cardholders at least 10% off United award flights (15% with Premier status), and non-cardholders without status earn nothing on basic economy. The Explorer is the cheapest annual-fee way into those cardholder rates, and the fee is $0 in year one.
Still works as of Oct 17, 2026 · thepointsguy.com (third-party)
Add a United Business card for 5,000 miles a year
The United Business card pays 5,000 bonus miles each anniversary if the business owner is also the primary cardmember on a personal United card such as the Explorer. Holding both turns the pair's two fees into a little more value if you keep them long term.
Still works as of Oct 17, 2026 · creditcards.chase.com
Top up with Chase Ultimate Rewards
Ultimate Rewards from a Sapphire or Ink card transfer 1:1 to United, so the Explorer's bonus plus transferred points can cover an award, and the cardholder discount applies when you book. Frequent Miler notes United removed the Excursionist perk, so multi-city awards no longer get a free segment.
Still works as of Oct 17, 2026 · frequentmiler.com (third-party)
Rebook the bonus every 24 months
The bonus rule is per card: no bonus if you hold the Explorer or earned its bonus in the past 24 months. Hold it past six months, cancel or downgrade, wait out the 24 months, and reapply if you're under 5/24.
Still works as of Oct 17, 2026 · creditcards.chase.com
Third-party report; not confirmed in the official offer terms we could retrieve. Details may be outdated or channel-specific. Verify the offer shown by the issuer before applying.
Sensei's take
70,000 miles plus 10,000 for an authorized user, with no fee in year one, is a strong churn for anyone under 5/24, and the 24-month per-card rule lets you come back to it. From year two the $150 fee is covered only if you use the Global Entry credit, Club passes, free bags and the Instacart and rideshare credits; the hotel, JSX, Avis and spend-triggered credits are too narrow to count on. Keep it if you fly United and want the cardholder award discount; otherwise cancel or downgrade before the first fee hits, after month six.
Our opinion, from the facts on this page as of Oct 17, 2026.
Weighing this card? Put it before the Money Court jury
How today's offer compares
- Today
- 70,000 miles
- Highest in 3 years
- 80,000 miles
- Mar 2025 · $3,000 spend in 3 months
- Mar 2025: 80,000 miles, reported by Doctor of Credit, highest in 3 years
- Apr 2025: 80,000 miles, reported by Doctor of Credit, highest in 3 years
- Oct 2026: 75,000 miles, reported by Doctor of Credit
- Today: 70,000 miles
Today's offer is 10,000 miles below the highest public offer in the last 3 years (Mar 2025).
Third-party report; not confirmed in the official offer terms we could retrieve. Details may be outdated or channel-specific. Verify the offer shown by the issuer before applying.
Public offers anyone could apply for since Oct 2023, from the bonus-history sources we checked. Whether the first-year fee was waived isn't counted. Targeted and referral offers aren't compared.
Sources
Terms can change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll recheck it against the provider's page.
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