Is the United Membership Card definitely worth the annual payment?

The United Membership℠ Card (see charges and costs) gives many advantages when flying with United Airways. You could be shocked to seek out that this card additionally gives lodge advantages and different travel-specific annual assertion credit.

Nevertheless, the $695 annual payment might be arduous to justify. Are there actually sufficient perks packed into the United Membership Card’s annual payment to make it price it? Let’s have a look.

Welcome bonus

New candidates for the United Membership Card can earn 95,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases inside the first three months from account opening.

In line with TPG’s April 2025 valuations, United miles are price 1.35 cents apiece, making this bonus price a stable $1,283.

Among the finest makes use of of United miles embody home United flights that may value as little as 6,000-8,000 miles one-way, reserving Lufthansa top notch with out exorbitant charges and flying United’s Polaris enterprise class to Europe or Asia.

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United Membership membership

Entry to the United Membership normally is available in one in every of 3 ways:

Relying on how useful a United Membership membership is to you, this profit alone might justify holding the United Membership Card. The cardboard’s annual payment is $55 cheaper than shopping for a United Membership membership annually and is probably going hundreds of {dollars} cheaper than qualifying for elite standing with United yearly. Major cardholders can even convey one visitor and dependents beneath 18.

As a United Membership cardholder, it’s also possible to earn an All Entry membership after reaching Premier Gold Standing or by spending $50,000 on purchases every calendar yr.

This membership tier gives added advantages, together with the flexibility to convey as much as two grownup company or one grownup and dependents beneath 18. Cardholders can even entry Star Alliance accomplice lounges.

With a United Membership All Entry Membership and after a licensed person is added to the first cardholder’s account, 4 United Membership one-time passes might be added to the account every anniversary yr.

Nevertheless, when you aren’t flying with United Airways usually sufficient, it’s possible you’ll not use the lounge sufficient to justify these prices. Even with the cardboard, you continue to want a same-day boarding cross for United Airways or one in every of its companions to make use of the United Membership. Having the Membership card — and thus a United Membership membership — does not imply you’ll be able to enter the lounge when you’re flying on American Airways, for instance.

The good information is that when you open the United Membership Card, you may be reimbursed for the unused portion of your United Membership membership (if the refund is greater than $15) after your utility is accredited.

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Advantages on United flights

These with the United Membership Card take pleasure in entry to precedence check-in and safety screening, in addition to precedence boarding privileges and baggage dealing with (the place accessible). Which means your suitcase ought to come out first, avoiding delays at baggage declare.

You will additionally get the next checked baggage allowance. Those that do not have a United Airways bank card usually do not get free checked luggage when flying with United on home or short-haul economic system flights.

Whereas different bank cards just like the United℠ Explorer Card (see charges and costs) permit cardholders to examine one suitcase totally free on these flights, United Membership cardholders get two free checked luggage. This profit is out there for the first cardholder and one companion on the identical reservation.

It is also price noting that you have to use your United Membership card to pay in your tickets to take pleasure in this profit. Merely having the cardboard would not invoke the flexibility to examine two luggage totally free.

Membership cardholders additionally obtain 25% again as a press release credit score for inflight purchases of meals, drinks and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights. When paying along with your card, you may additionally obtain 25% again on premium drinks at United Membership areas.

Lastly, United Membership cardholders with United MileagePlus standing are eligible for complimentary upgrades when flying with United or United Categorical on reservations booked with miles (when accessible). This additionally applies to at least one touring companion on the identical reservation. This perk makes upgrades accessible even after reserving seats in economic system utilizing miles.

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United Award flight low cost

With the United Membership Card, it can save you 10% of the mileage value on United Saver awards for redemptions on economic system tickets (fare courses X and XN) for flights inside the continental U.S. or between the continental U.S. and Canada.

This is applicable to flights on United and United Categorical solely, nonetheless.

This low cost is out there for all passengers on the identical reservation as the first cardholder, however the journey should be booked from the first cardholder’s MileagePlus account.

As well as, cardholders can earn as much as 20,000 miles in award flight reductions annually. After spending $20,000 every calendar yr on the United Membership card, cardholders will even obtain a ten,000-mile low cost as much as two occasions per yr.

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Spend your method towards elite standing

To attain standing with United Airways annually, you have to full one of many following: a mixture of Premier qualifying flights (PQFs) and cash spent to earn Premier qualifying factors (PQPs) or just an elevated sum of money spent for further PQPs.

These pursuing elite standing tiers with United can earn as much as 28,000 further PQPs annually via spending on the United Membership Card. Cardholders earn 1 PQP for every $15 spent on purchases, and there is a most of 28,000 PQPs that may be earned this manner throughout a calendar yr. These bonus earnings are legitimate via the Premier 1K standing stage.

Cardholders additionally earn a bonus of 1,500 PQPs annually for being a cardholder. Your United Membership card should be open as of Dec. 31, and the bonus PQP might be deposited six to eight weeks after Feb. 1 annually beginning in 2026.

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Lodge and journey advantages

The first cardholder can enroll for Platinum Elite standing with IHG One Rewards. Advantages embody bonus factors on paid stays, complimentary room upgrades primarily based on availability at check-in, precedence check-in when arriving on the lodge, reductions on reward nights at choose properties and a welcome present at check-in. This usually contains factors or a snack.

Every anniversary yr, cardholders will obtain as much as $200 in assertion credit towards pay as you go lodging booked immediately via Famend Lodges and Resorts with their United Membership card.

Cardholders can even enroll for Avis President’s Membership standing. Usually accessible by invitation solely, this tier gives perks reminiscent of complimentary two-class upgrades on rental automobiles, assured automobile availability, skipping the road when choosing up your rental automobile and extra.

When reserving automobile leases immediately via automobiles.united.com and paying with the United Membership card, cardholders obtain $50 in United TravelBank money, as much as $100 every anniversary yr, for the primary and second Avis or Funds automobile rental.

As with standing in different rental automobile applications, one of the best worth on this profit would be the availability to match your rental automobile elite standing from one program to a different.

Further journey advantages embody as much as $200 in assertion credit every anniversary yr when reserving flights immediately with JSX utilizing the United Membership card.

Associated: When does your lodge elite standing expire?

Different perks

Cardholders can obtain as much as $120 in reimbursement for his or her International Entry, TSA PreCheck or Nexus utility payment. This profit is out there as soon as each 4 years.

With the United Membership Card, you may earn at the very least:

• 9 miles per greenback spent on purchases with United airfare (primarily based on United elite standing)
• 5 miles per greenback spent on purchases with Famend Lodges and Resorts
• 4 miles per greenback spent on different eligible United purchases
• 2 miles per greenback spent on all different journey and eating
• 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases

In line with our April 2025 valuations, this represents as much as 12.1% on spending with United Airways airfare, 6.7% return on spending with Famend Lodges and Resorts, 5.4% return on spending different United purchases, 2.7% return on journey spending and eating and 1.35% return on all different spending.

Cardholders will earn as much as $150 again as assertion credit every calendar yr on ride-hailing providers. The cardboard gives an as much as $12 assertion credit score every month from January via November, and as much as $18 in December. Yearly opt-in is required.

Further assertion credit embody as much as two $10 Instacart credit month-to-month — as much as $240 whole every calendar yr — plus a complimentary Instacart+ membership. Advantages are legitimate till Dec. 31, 2027.

The cardboard additionally contains advantages like automobile rental injury insurance coverage, journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage and buy safety.

Associated: International Entry vs. TSA PreCheck: Which is extra helpful?

Backside line

The United Membership Card has a hefty $695 annual payment however contains perks like reductions on award fares, cabin upgrades as accessible and lounge entry that assist offset this value.

The cardboard is definitely worth the annual payment for frequent guests to the United Membership or Star Alliance lounges and those that redeem plenty of miles for home economic system flights. Those that aren’t avid United followers will discover higher worth with different playing cards.

To be taught extra, learn our full evaluate of the United Membership card.

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