Chase
United Explorer
What it is
The United Explorer is a Chase card earning United MileagePlus miles. Its ongoing value can outweigh the annual fee, making it a potential keeper past year one. United's mid-tier flyer card — free first checked bag and a couple of lounge passes each year.
Offer history
Value is the welcome bonus at your valuations. The Year 1 total also counts recurring benefits and subtracts the annual fee. Spend / mo (the dashed line, right axis) is the monthly pace to clear the minimum spend in time — shown on every view so the spend stays in context.
| Offer | Bonus | Value | Year 1 | Return | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PUBLIC | 50,000$3k · 90d | $650 | $931 | 22% | May ’26 |
PUBLIC ATH | 70,000$3k · 90d | $910 | $1,191 | 30% | Apr ’26 |
AF $95 → $150 · Apr 2026 | |||||
PUBLIC | 70,000$3k · 90d | $910 | $967 | 30% | Jan ’26 |
What you get
- Free checked bag$160per year
Chase: free first checked bag for primary cardmember + one companion on United-operated flights. Editorial MSRP ~$160, utilization 0.45 for a churner audience.
- Instacart credit$120per year
Up to $120/yr Instacart credits. Use-it-or-lose-it but requires being an Instacart customer; ~0.4 capture. MSRP is the $120 annual face (engine annualizes period=monthly).
- Global Entry credit$120one-time
Up to $120 credit every 4 years (raised from $100 in the 2026 refresh, confirmed on issuer page). Modeled as $120 face with 0.25 utilization to approximate the every-4-years cadence; effective annual value ~$30.
- 2 United Club passes$100per year
Chase: 2 United Club one-time passes per year. Not full lounge access (lounge_access stays 'none').
- United Hotels credit$100per year
Up to $100/yr United Hotels booking credit (2026 refresh).
- JSX credit$100per year
Up to $100/yr JSX credit (2026 refresh). Limited markets; very low capture, 0.1.
Dollar figures are the benefit’s face value. What it’s worth to you — after realistic usage and your own point values — is in the receipt below.
The receipt
default values| SUB value | +$650 |
| 50,000 United × 1.30¢/pt | |
| Ongoing benefits (yr 1) | +$251 |
Free checked bag($160 × 45%) Free checked bag $160 × 45% $72 2 United Club passes($100 × 50%) 2 United Club passes $100 × 50% $50 Instacart credit($10/mo × 40%) Instacart credit $10/mo × 40% $48 | |
| One-time benefits (yr 1) | +$30 |
Global Entry credit($120 × 25%) Global Entry credit $120 × 25% $30 | |
| Annual fee | $0 |
| Year 1 | $931 |
| Return on $3k MSR | 22% |
Your score sharpens once you sign in — we add eligibility, spend-fit, and 5/24.
Related cards
United Explorer scores 53 here on default point values. See where it ranks against every card, scored for your points, spend, and eligibility.
Open the ranked table →