United Club Card Review

United Club Card Benefits

United Club Lounge Access

United Club cardholders can access any United Club airport lounge with their card and a same-day boarding pass for a United, Star Alliance or other partner-operated flight. Access is allowed for the primary cardholder, one guest and any dependent children under 18.

Cardmembers can unlock a second guest after earning the All Access membership after spending $50,000 on the card in a calendar year or by earning Premier Gold elite status or higher.

This is an excellent deal for United loyalists, especially considering that United Club memberships start at $750 if purchased directly from the airline. You will be reimbursed for the unused portion if approved for the United Club card if you already have a United Club membership.

There are over 45 United Clubs around the world as of May 2025. You’ll find the majority of them in the U.S, but there are also locations in Hong Kong (HKG), London Heathrow (LHR), Mexico City (MEX), and Tokyo Narita (NRT).

Earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) Toward Premier Elite Status

The United Club Card makes earning, upgrading, or keeping your United Premier elite status easier. The card does this in two ways. First, you’ll receive 1,500 PQP toward status every year you keep the card open, deposited six to eight weeks after Feb. 1 each year.

Further, you’ll earn 1 PQP for every $15 you spend on your card. You can earn up to 28,000 PQP with your card every calendar year, meaning you could earn top-tier Premier 1K elite status if you’re a big spender.

Statement Credits and United TravelBank Cash

The United Club Card offers a handful of statement credits and the opportunity to earn with select merchants, which helps justify the card’s $695 annual fee. Here’s a look at all of the credits included with the card:

• Up to $200 per year in credits on Renowned Hotels and Resorts bookings: Valid on prepaid hotel bookings made through the Renowned Hotels and Resorts portal.
• Up to $150 in rideshare credits per year: Valid on most rideshare services charged to your United Club. Members get up to $12 in statement credits monthly and up to $18 in December. You must enroll each calendar year to receive this benefit.
• Up to $100 per year in United TravelBank cash for Avis or Budget car rentals: You will receive up to $50 in TravelBank cash, which can be used to book United flights, on your first and second Avis or Budget rentals booked through cars.united.com.
• Up to $200 per year in credits on JSX flight purchases: Pay for a JSX flight with your United Club, and you’ll get up to a $200 statement credit.
• Up to $120 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck® or NEXUS application fee credit every four years: Pay for your membership or renewal fee with your United Club, and you’ll be reimbursed as a statement credit.
• 25% discount on United in-flight purchases: This is valid on food, drink and other purchases, and the discount is returned as a statement credit.

Award Travel Discounts

Cardmembers are eligible for up to 10% off United- and United Express-operated award tickets. This discount is valid on saver economy flights within the continental U.S. or between the continental U.S. and Canada.

Premier Access

This includes priority check-in, security lanes, boarding and baggage handling at supported airports.

Free First and Second Checked Bags on United Flights

Primary cardmembers and one companion traveler on the same itinerary receive their first and second bags for free on United and United Express flights. According to United, this can provide up to $360 in savings per round-trip ticket. To qualify for the free checked bags, you must use your United Club to pay for your flight (or the taxes and fees on an award flight), unless you’re a new cardholder traveling within the first 90 days of account opening.

Earn Mileage Discounts

Cardmembers can earn a 10,000-mile discount after spending $20,000 on their United Club card up to two times per year. These can be redeemed for a discount on United- or United Express-operated award flights.

No Foreign Transaction Fees

The United Club Card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so you can make international purchases without extra charges.

United Club Card Drawbacks

High Annual Fee

The United Club Card is packed with premium perks, but has a high annual fee to match. The card’s $695 annual fee is offset mainly by its annual credits and benefits, but you should make sure you can use these benefits before applying for the card.

United Club Lounge Policy

The United Club Card comes with a United Club membership standard, but you’ll need to earn an All Access membership to bring a second guest into the lounge and to visit Star Alliance partner lounges. Doing this requires spending $50,000 on your card in a calendar year or earning Premier Gold elite status or higher.

Limited Flexibility

The United Club Card earns United MileagePlus miles, which can be redeemed for flights on United and its partners. This is far less flexible than transferable points from travel credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which lets you transfer points to over a dozen partner loyalty programs, including United MileagePlus. From my own experience, having this flexibility makes it easier to maximize rewards.

Poor Earning Rates on Everyday Spending

The United Club Card earns bonus miles on select purchases. Its bonus categories are primarily focused on travel, which makes it hard to get an optimal return on everyday expenses like groceries and gas, since these purchases earn just 1 mile per dollar. On the bright side, Chase has a broad definition of what’s considered a travel purchase.

The United Club Card earns at the following rates:

• Prepaid hotel stays booked with Renowned Hotels and Resorts: 5 miles per dollar
• United purchases: 4 miles per dollar
• Dining: 2 miles per dollar
• Other travel: 2 miles per dollar
• All other purchases: 1 mile per dollar

Look through your everyday purchases and see if the United Club Card aligns with your regular spending. If not, consider applying for a second credit card in addition to the United Club that fills your rewards-earning gaps. Alternatively, you might consider a different card altogether if you’re solely looking for a high return on your regular purchases.

Who Is the Card Best For?

The United Club Card is best for United frequent flyers who want a more comfortable travel experience and an easier path toward Premier elite status. Specifically, United Club access gives you a place to relax before your flight where you can eat and drink for free, use a dedicated Wi-FI network, and be out of the chaos of the airport terminal.

Further, the card’s annual 1,500 PQP bonus and ability to earn 1 PQP per $15 spent can help United frequent flyers earn, keep or upgrade their United Premier elite tier without flying. And while the card doesn’t have the best return on everyday spending, it earns 4 miles per dollar on United purchases, which is a solid return on flights.

Make sure to consider the card’s various statement credits, too. If you already use Instacart, rideshare services and other statement credits included with the card, it could help offset the card’s fee and give you a lower effective annual cost.

Is It The Right Card for You?

The United Club Card isn’t for everyone — here’s when it might be right for you:

• You’re a United frequent flyer who wants to access United Club airport lounges at a discount. The card’s $695 annual fee is still lower than buying the cheapest United Club membership from the airline.
• You’re a current or aspiring United Premier elite member who wants to earn status faster without flying on United or its partner airlines. You’ll earn 1,500 PQP every year you keep the card open and 1 PQP per $15 spent anywhere, up to 28,000 PQP per year.
• You can use the benefits and statement credits included with the card regularly.
• You want a significant return on your United flights and don’t mind earning United MileagePlus miles over a more flexible transferable points currency.

United Club Card Alternatives

Before you apply for the United Club, make sure to compare it to the competition, especially other popular credit cards for United frequent flyers.

• The New United Quest℠ Card: This is United’s mid-tier card with a $350 annual fee. The United Quest has many of the same benefits as the United Club — including free checked bags — but doesn’t have United Club access. It also earns PQP, but at a lower rate of 1 PQP per $20 spent (up to 18,000 PQP per year), with 1,000 PQP provided every year you keep the card open.
• The New United℠ Explorer Card: If you’re an occasional United flyer, the United Explorer could be a better fit, with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150. It comes with a free first checked bag and priority boarding on United flights, two United Club one-time passes each year, and over $400 in annual partner credits.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: This card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards® points and doesn’t have United-specific perks. That said, those points transfer 1:1 to United MileagePlus and other partner loyalty programs, giving you more flexibility. We’ve consistently ranked the Sapphire Reserve as one of the best Chase credit cards. Plus, as one of the best cards for lounge access, you can use it to enter Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire Lounges and use benefits like an annual travel credit of up to $300 to offset its $795 annual fee.