United Membership Card evaluate: Full particulars

The United Membership℠ Card (see charges and costs) is the perfect card for United Membership lounge entry — bar none. This card makes a whole lot of sense for avid United followers, however those that do not fly the airline not less than a couple of instances a 12 months will wrestle to get constructive worth out of the annual payment. Card ranking*: ⭐⭐⭐

* Card ranking relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.

Premium airline playing cards have gotten extra frequent. United Airways’ providing on this area, the United Membership, has a $695 annual payment that may sound excessive till you issue within the United Membership membership included with it. Membership usually prices $750 per 12 months for nonelite members.

Most airline playing cards solely supply 2-3 factors or miles per greenback spent on airline purchases, however the United Membership Card units the usual with its spectacular incomes charges. Moreover, it supplies a spread of advantages that may improve your United expertise, from safety to touchdown, making it extra fulfilling.

The beneficial credit score rating for the United Membership card is not less than 740, however it could be potential to get authorised with a decrease credit score rating.

Let’s dive into the top-tier United Membership Card to see if it is smart for you.

New candidates for the United Membership Card can earn 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months after account opening.

Based mostly on TPG’s November 2025 valuation of United miles at 1.4 cents per mile, these bonus miles are value a strong $1,260. This bonus is simply 10,000 miles shy of the very best welcome supply we have seen on this card.

Moreover, you are solely eligible for welcome bonuses for this card as soon as each 24 months. Listed below are the precise eligibility phrases:

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“This card product is offered to you when you should not have this card and haven’t obtained a brand new Cardmember bonus for this card up to now 24 months.”

It is a Chase-issued card, which suggests it is topic to the issuer’s notorious 5/24 rule. When you’ve got opened 5 or extra card accounts up to now 24 months (throughout all issuers, not simply Chase), you’ll most likely be denied for this one.

Associated: One of the best playing cards to get after you hit 5/24

The United Membership Card affords a spread of advantages, together with assertion credit and journey protections, that may assist offset its excessive annual payment.

United Membership membership

The spotlight of the United Membership Card is a United Membership membership, which supplies limitless entry to over 45 United Membership areas worldwide.

You may additionally be capable to deliver up one visitor and any dependents beneath the age of 21. Contemplating this profit prices as much as $750 annually, this perk alone makes up for the cardboard’s $695 annual payment. That mentioned, this profit doesn’t suggest a lot when you aren’t going to go to a United Membership not less than a couple of instances annually.

Cardholders can unlock a United Membership All Entry membership by holding MileagePlus Premier Gold standing or spending $50,000 on their card in a calendar 12 months. United Membership membership is break up into two tiers, with All Entry membership being the upper tier. A United Membership All Entry membership consists of two complimentary friends and Star Alliance lounge entry.

Moreover, when you earn a United Membership All Entry membership and add a licensed consumer, you can be granted 4 one-time United Membership passes. Nevertheless, to make use of these passes, the first cardholder or licensed consumer have to be touring with the visitor.

For many, these one-time passes shall be laborious to make use of (except you regularly journey with a big celebration) since you’ll be able to already usher in two friends without spending a dime with a United Membership All Entry membership.

Trusted Traveler payment credit score

For those who do not have already got International Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus, the United Membership Card will refund your utility payment (as much as $120) as soon as each 4 years. Vacationers who have already got the profit can at all times reward this perk to a member of the family or pal.

Different assertion credit

Cardholders will obtain the next assertion credit annually:

• As much as $200 for Famend Inns and Resorts for United cardmember bookings. By reserving by this resort assortment, cardholders can take pleasure in unique advantages like a complimentary every day breakfast for 2 and room upgrades, if out there. (Cardholders should prepay for his or her reserving to obtain their assertion credit score.)
• As much as $150 for ride-hailing purchases, doled out as $12 every month from January to November and $18 in December. (Yearly activation is required.)
• As much as $100 in United TravelBank money for Avis and Price range automotive leases booked by automobiles.united.com and paid for with this card and as much as $50 in TravelBank money per rental.
• As much as $200 in JSX assertion credit when reserving immediately with JSX.
• As much as $240 in Instacart assertion credit for purchases made immediately by Instacart with this card, given as two $10 credit every month (by Dec. 31, 2027).

IHG Platinum Elite standing

The first United Membership cardholder is eligible for complimentary Platinum Elite standing with IHG One Rewards. Perks at this standing degree embrace complimentary room upgrades, prolonged checkout and bonus factors on stays.

Associated: The award vacationers information to IHG One Rewards

Elitelike perks

The cardboard comes with the next flight-related perks:

• Two free checked luggage (for the first cardholder and one journey companion on the identical reservation paid for with the cardboard)
• Premier Entry (which incorporates precedence check-in, safety screening, boarding and baggage dealing with the place out there)
• 25% again on United inflight purchases
• Expanded award availability

These perks might not be as compelling when you’ve got United elite standing, however they’re precious for many who have but to earn it.

Frequent United flyers, significantly those that reside near airports with a United Membership, can discover worth within the perks that associate with this card’s larger annual payment.

Elite standing spending shortcut

United Membership Card holders can earn as much as 28,000 Premier qualifying factors per calendar 12 months. You may additionally earn 1 PQP per $15 spent in your card. After all, that may require spending a whopping $420,000 to totally maximize, nevertheless it nonetheless is likely to be inside attain for some.

Beginning in 2026, cardholders can even get a bonus of 1,500 PQPs annually as a jump-start to incomes United elite standing.

10% mileage low cost on United economic system saver awards

The first United Membership Card member can even be capable to e book United economic system saver awards on United flights inside the continental U.S. and Canada for 10% fewer miles than awards out there to most of the people.

In case you are a Membership Card holder, you will notice the mileage distinction as soon as logged in to your MileagePlus account. For instance, a saver award might present as 5,000 miles when you’re not signed in, however the identical award will present as 4,500 miles if signed in to your account.

This dietary supplements the present perk of entry to expanded award availability for all United cobranded cardholders. Needless to say the ten% mileage low cost is offered on cheaper United bank cards.

Award flight reductions

Cardholders can earn a ten,000-mile low cost on award tickets after spending $20,000 every calendar 12 months with their United Membership card (legitimate as much as two instances per calendar 12 months for 20,000 miles).

Journey and buy protections

With this card, you will get numerous journey safety advantages, together with:

Rental automotive privileges

Major cardholders can join a complimentary Avis President’s Membership membership, which generally requires a big quantity of spending with Avis. President’s Membership members obtain complimentary upgrades of two automotive lessons (topic to availability), assured automotive availability if you e book not less than 24 hours prematurely and expedited rental service.

DoorDash

Cardholders get a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership, which supplies limitless DoorDash and Caviar deliveries with $0 supply charges and decrease service charges on eligible orders, for one 12 months. (You should activate it by Dec. 31, 2027.)

Instacart

Cardholders obtain a complimentary Instacart+ membership, which incorporates limitless supply and $0 supply charges on eligible orders. (Activation by Dec. 31, 2027, is required to reap the benefits of this profit.)

Associated: Flights, bank cards and extra: Tips on how to earn miles with the United MileagePlus program

The incomes charges on the United Membership are a part of what in the end units it other than different cobranded airline bank cards.

Cardholders earn:

• 9 miles per greenback spent on United flights (5 miles earned as a MileagePlus member, plus 4 miles earned from having the Membership Card)
• 5 miles per greenback spent on resort stays booked by Famend Inns and Resorts if you prepay to your reserving
• 4 miles per greenback spent on all different United purchases
• 2 miles per greenback spent on all different journey purchases
• 2 miles per greenback spent on eating
• 1 mile per greenback spent on all the things else

Since Chase is the issuer, this card’s journey and eating classes are broadly outlined, simply as they’re with Chase Final Rewards bank cards just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) and the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card (see charges and costs). Meaning you will have a neater and fewer demanding time determining when to make use of your card.

When you’ve got both of those playing cards, you will wish to use them for normal journey and eating spending, as TPG’s November 2025 valuations point out that Chase Final Rewards factors are value greater than United miles.

However when you do not have already got both of these playing cards, you will nonetheless be capable to earn rewards on these purchases with the United Membership Card.

When you’re able to redeem miles, United does have some candy spots in its MileagePlus program. United would not publish an award chart, which suggests award redemption charges might be unpredictable.

Nevertheless, there are different methods to search out worth in this system, resembling reserving associate awards with United miles. United would not move on gasoline surcharges on associate awards, so it can save you tons of of {dollars} per ticket when reserving awards like first-class tickets on Lufthansa by United.

I not too long ago redeemed 84,700 United miles for a Polaris enterprise class improve on a flight between Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) and Cape City Worldwide Airport (CPT), a incredible deal contemplating the flight was over 15 hours lengthy.

Miles aren’t simply nice for business-class worldwide flights, however can be very helpful for home journeys.

There are a variety of playing cards which can be aggressive with the United Membership:

• If you need a decrease annual payment: The United℠ Explorer Card (see charges and costs) is full of helpful perks resembling a International Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus utility payment assertion credit score, two annual one-time United Membership passes and your first checked bag free — simply justifying its affordable $150 annual payment ($0 introductory payment for the primary 12 months). To be taught extra, learn our full evaluate of the United Explorer.
• If you need a extra all-around card: The Chase Sapphire Most popular Card is without doubt one of the best-known journey rewards bank cards. It earns bonus factors on frequent spending classes like journey and eating. Plus, cardholders can entry Chase’s 13 switch companions to maximise the worth of their rewards. To be taught extra, learn our full evaluate of the Sapphire Most popular.
• If you need tons of perks: The Platinum Card® from American Categorical is without doubt one of the high premium journey rewards playing cards. As a cardmember, you will earn precious Membership Rewards factors, obtain a variety of annual assertion credit every calendar 12 months and revel in entry to an intensive community of airport lounges worldwide. (Enrollment is required for choose advantages and phrases apply.) To be taught extra, learn our full evaluate of the Amex Platinum.

For added choices, try our full listing of the finest United journey playing cards and the finest airline playing cards.

Associated: Why you will wish to pay the $95 annual payment on the Chase Sapphire Most popular

For those who fly on United flights a number of instances annually, the United Membership Card is value contemplating regardless of its excessive annual payment. You may get nice incomes charges for a cobranded card, a powerful lineup of perks and assertion credit, United Membership entry and strong journey protections.

You’ll want to take this chance to begin stockpiling MileagePlus miles to your subsequent dream vacation spot with this welcome supply.

Apply right here: United Membership Card