Chase United Club Card Review: Is The Lounge Access Worth The Annual Fee?

The United Club℠ Card is the most premium co-branded credit card issued by United MileagePlus and Chase. The card has a $695 annual fee, and offers very strong perks, including United Club access, all kinds of travel perks, and credits that can offset the annual fee. The card unlocks the full value of MileagePlus, in terms of being able to earn and redeem miles. Best of all, the Chase United Club Credit Card has an excellent bonus, making it an ideal time to apply. This post is in-depth Chase United Club Card review. So let’s take a look at all the United Club Credit Card benefits, and talk about whether the card is worth it or not. Link: Learn more about the United Club℠ Card Chase United Club Card summary & key details for October 2026Why having a United credit card has become essentialUnited Club Card bonus, eligibility, & feesUnited Club Card up to 100K miles welcome bonusUnited Club Card eligibility & bonus rulesUnited Club Card $695 annual feeUnited Club Card $0 authorized user feeUnited Club Card foreign transaction feeUnited Club Card rewards structure (miles & PQPs)United Club Card mileage earning on spendingUnited Club Card PQP earning potentialUnited Club Card award discount opportunitiesUnited Club Card benefits & creditsUnited Club membershipFirst & second checked bag freePremier Access travel services25% savings on United inflight purchasesUp to $240 in Instacart credits annuallyUp to $200 in Renowned Hotels and Resorts credits annuallyUp to $200 in JSX flight credits annuallyUp to $150 in credits on rideshare purchases annuallyReceive IHG Platinum Elite statusGlobal Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS creditUnited Club Card travel and purchase protectionHow to redeem United MileagePlus for best valueIs the United Club Card worth it?United Club Card vs. United Quest Card comparisonUnited Club Card vs. United Explorer Card comparisonWho shouldn’t get the United Club Card?United Club Card FAQsBottom line Chase United Club Card summary & key details for October 2026 Before I get into my United Club Card review, here’s a quick overview of key details of the card: United Club Card annual fee: $695 United Club Card welcome offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening., plus 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first three months United Club Card miles earning rate: 5x miles on United purchases and on hotel stays when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts, 2x miles on all other travel including airfare, trains, local transit, and more, 2x miles on dining, and 1x miles on all other purchases United Club Card foreign transaction fee: None United Club Card travel benefits with United: Unlimited United Club access for you and a guest, earn 1,500 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) as a cardholder each year plus earn an additional PQP for every $15 spent on the card up to 28,000 PQP per year, save 10% or more on United flights booked with miles, free first and second checked bags for you and one companion on the same United reservation, Premier Access travel services, a 10,000-mile discount toward a United award flight for every $20,000 spent on the card each year (up to two per year) United Club Card other benefits & credits: Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee credit, complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status, Avis President’s Club membership, over $875 in annual partner credits for rideshare purchases, Instacart purchases, and more Best for: Frequent United flyers who regularly visit airports with United Clubs These are the main United Club Card pros and cons, in my opinion: United Club Card prosUnited Club Card consUnlimited United Club access, which alone can cover the annual feeHigh annual feeStrong United travel benefits, like two free checked bags and PQP earning toward elite statusNot every cardholder will get full value out of the annual partner creditsStrong welcome bonus Why having a United credit card has become essential Before I even talk specifically about the Chase United Club Card, I’d like to briefly discuss why having a co-branded MileagePlus credit card is more important than ever before. As we know, US airlines make a lot of their profits from their loyalty programs, so getting people engaged there has really become a priority. However, no airline has taken it as far as United when it comes to giving people an incentive to pick up a co-branded credit card, both on the earning and redemption front. When it comes to earning MileagePlus miles, the number of miles you earn per dollar spent is based on your elite status, and whether or not you have an eligible co-branded MileagePlus credit card. Regardless of your elite tier, you earn an extra 3x miles per dollar spent on United spending. At my valuation of 1.3 cents per MileagePlus mile, that’s an incremental 3.9% return on spending, so that’s worth something. MileagePlus statusMileagePlus earn rateCardmember earn rateGeneral member3x miles per dollar6x miles per dollarPremier Silver5x miles per dollar8x miles per dollarPremier Gold6x miles per dollar9x miles per dollarPremier Platinum7x miles per dollar10x miles per dollarPremier 1K9x miles per dollar12x miles per dollar When it comes to redeeming MileagePlus miles, you’ll nowadays find that award pricing is heavily dependent on whether you have MileagePlus elite status and/or a co-branded credit card, including access to more saver level award availability. United makes a vast majority of its Polaris business class award seats available exclusively to MileagePlus members (rather than members of partner programs), and the pricing is way better if you have a co-branded credit card. MileagePlus award pricing varies wildly based on status & credit card So if you’re at all engaged in MileagePlus, you’ll want to have a premium co-branded credit card, whether it’s the Chase United Club Card, or another product. There’s huge upside to having a United MileagePlus credit card United Club Card bonus, eligibility, & fees When applying for credit cards, obviously the welcome bonus, card eligibility, and fees, are major factors that cardmembers consider. So let’s take a look at those details for the United Club Card. Chase does have some strict eligibility requirements, but if you’re eligible for the card, the bonus is a great incentive to apply. United Club Card up to 100K miles welcome bonus The United Club Card is offering a limited time welcome bonus of 90,000 MileagePlus miles after spending $5,000 within the first three months. On top of that, you can earn an additional 10,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user within the first three months your account is open. This is a great welcome bonus with a reasonable spending requirement. Based on my latest miles & points valuations, United MileagePlus miles are worth 1.3 cents, so to me, this bonus is worth $1,300, including the authorized user bonus. Redeem MileagePlus miles on Star Alliance partners United Club Card eligibility & bonus rules The welcome bonus on the United Club Card isn’t available to those who currently have this exact card, or have received a new cardmember bonus on the card in the past 24 months. However, you are eligible for this card, including the bonus, if you have (or have had) any other United Airlines credit cards. Beyond that, be aware of the general Chase restrictions on applying for cards. This includes everything from the Chase 5/24 rule (whereby you typically won’t be approved for a Chase card if you’ve opened five or more new card accounts in the past 24 months), to the Chase 2/30 rule, whereby you’re typically limited to being approved for two Chase cards every 30 days. United Club Card $695 annual fee The United Club Card has a $695 annual fee. This annual fee is no doubt on the steep side, though it’s in line with the fees you’ll find on many premium credit cards. The card also offers a variety of perks for frequent flyers that could more than justify the fee. The United Club Card has no fee to add authorized users. That’s great, as spending from authorized users can continue toward the points you earn, as the primary cardmember. However, note that authorized users don’t receive United Club access, or other incremental credits or perks. United Club Card foreign transaction fee The United Club Card also has no foreign transaction fees, making it a good option for purchases abroad. That’s especially true when you consider the card’s bonus categories also apply abroad, so you can earn bonus points and not pay additional fees. United Club Card rewards structure (miles & PQPs) Obviously the rewards structure is a major consideration that cardmembers have when applying for a credit card. In the case of the United Club Card, the rewards structure comes down to a combination of the miles you earn, plus the potential to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs), the metric by which you can qualify for elite status. United Club Card mileage earning on spending The United Club Card offers anywhere from 1-5x MileagePlus miles per dollar spent, as follows: 5x MileagePlus miles on United purchases 5x MileagePlus miles on hotel stays when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts 2x MileagePlus miles for all other travel including airfare, trains, local transit, cruise lines, hotels, car rentals, taxicabs, resorts, ride share services and tolls 2x MileagePlus miles on dining including eligible delivery services 1x MileagePlus miles on all other purchases For a co-branded airline credit card, those are some solid bonus categories, and in particular, it’s nice to earn bonus miles on dining purchases. It’s worth pausing for a minute to note that the United Club Card markets that it offers 11x miles on United flights. That doesn’t quite tell the full story, though, because it factors in the 6x miles that MileagePlus ordinarily earn for airfare spending, assuming they have a co-branded credit card (elite members earn even more miles). So the idea is that the credit card earns an incremental 5x miles, and that stacks with the 6x miles you earn. United Club Card PQP earning potential Spending money on the United Club Card can help you earn MileagePlus status, and this card offers among the best opportunities in that regard. The United Club Credit Card offers one Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $15 spent on purchases, up to a maximum of 28,000 PQPs per year. For context, below are the MileagePlus elite requirements for 2027 (for the purposes of qualifying for elite status in 2028). MileagePlus Premier statusMileagePlusTier thresholdPremier Silver6,000 PQPsPremier Gold12,000 PQPsPremier Platinum18,000 PQPsPremier 1K32,000 PQPs So if you do want to spend your way toward MileagePlus status, having the United Club Card is as good of a return as you’ll get, and you can get very close to earning Premier 1K status through spending. United Club Card award discount opportunities As an additional incentive to spend money on the card, the United Club Card offers the ability to earn award discounts of 10,000 miles. You can earn one of these for spending $20,000 in a calendar year, and a second one for spending a total of $40,000 in a calendar year. Each award discount can save you up to 10,000 miles on the cost of an award ticket on United or United Express. So if you redeem with any frequency, that’s potentially quite valuable. Get an award discount for spending on the United Club Card United Club Card benefits & credits The area where the United Club Card really shines is when it comes to perks, including travel benefits on United, as well as all kinds of credits. Let’s take a closer look at what perks are offered by the card. United Club membership Arguably the key benefit of the United Club Card is that it comes with a United Club membership for as long as you have the card. There are two kinds of United Club memberships: A United Club individual membership offers access exclusively to United Clubs (and not partner lounges), and only for the primary member A United Club all access membership offers access to United Clubs and Star Alliance lounges, for the primary member and up to two guests So, what kind of membership does the United Club Card offer? Well, it’s somewhere in between the two: You automatically receive a United Club membership, which is like an individual membership but with improved guest privileges, where you can bring one guest and any children under the age of 18 If you spend $50,000 on the card annually, or if you have Premier Gold status or above, then your membership is upgraded to an all access one, offering access to more lounges and better guesting privileges Getting the United Club Card is arguably the best way to get United Club access, especially when you consider that the card’s annual fee is lower than the $750 individual membership fee. Plus, that doesn’t account for all the card’s other perks, like annual partner credits and additional benefits when flying United. United has more than 45 United Club lounge locations, including at its hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark, and San Francisco. If you live near a United hub or pass through one on a regular basis, getting the United Club Card can be a no-brainer for unlocking lounge access. Receive a United Club membership First & second checked bag free The United Club Card primary cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation receive a free first and second checked bag. In order to be eligible for this, you have to pay for your ticket with your United Club Card and include your MileagePlus number in the reservation. Checked bags ordinarily cost $45-50 each, so that could be a savings of up to $200 roundtrip for a pair traveling. Premier Access travel services Just for having the United Club Card, the primary cardmember and companions on the same reservation receive Premier Access travel services when flying with United, including the use of Premier Access check-in lines, priority security lanes, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling. Get priority boarding and other services 25% savings on United inflight purchases If you have the United Club Card, you receive 25% back in the form of an account statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi, onboard United. You have to pay with your United Club Card, and your statement credit should post within 24 hours. Up to $240 in Instacart credits annually The United Club Card offers up to $20 in Instacart credits monthly, up to $240 total each calendar year. This comes in the form of two monthly $10 credits. This applies for purchases made through Instacart with your United Club Card, and currently the benefit is valid through December 31, 2027. If you use Instacart anyway, then this could be worth close to face value. For others, the small increments of the credits will make it hard to get much value. Up to $200 in Renowned Hotels and Resorts credits annually The United Club Card offers up to $200 in statement credits each anniversary year for hotel purchases, when you prepay directly through Renowned Hotels and Resorts with your United Club Card. This is essentially United’s hotel booking platform for select luxury hotels. You can receive extra perks for booking this way, though admittedly there’s also sometimes an opportunity cost to booking this way. Up to $200 in JSX flight credits annually The United Club Card offers up to $200 back on JSX flight purchases per anniversary year. This comes in the form of a statement credit, and you must use your United Club Card to make the purchase. JSX is a hop-on jet service, which United owns a stake in. If you fly JSX with any frequency, then this is a great perk. Up to $150 in credits on rideshare purchases annually The United Club Card offers up to $12 back per month on rideshare purchases ($18 in December), in the form of a statement credit, when paying with your card. This allows you to earn up to $150 in statement credits every calendar year, and an annual opt-in is required. On the one hand, these statement credits are easy enough to use. The catch is that there are probably better cards for rideshare spending in terms of maximizing rewards. Receive IHG Platinum Elite status The United Club Card offers Platinum Elite status in the IHG One Rewards program. This IHG status offers perks like upgrades, bonus points, late check-out, and much more. While it’s not my favorite hotel status, it does come in handy when staying at IHG properties. Cardmembers can register for this perk here by providing the last four digits of their credit card number, plus their MileagePlus number. Get perks at IHG properties with the United Club Card Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit The United Club Card offers a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS credit of up to $120 every four years. Simply charge the enrollment fee to your card, and it will automatically be reimbursed. Nowadays quite a few credit cards offer these fee credits, so you can always use this benefit for a friend or family member. They just have to use your credit card to pay, and you’ll automatically receive the statement credit. Get a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit United Club Card travel and purchase protection The United Club Card also comes with a handful of travel and purchase protection benefits: Trip cancellation and interruption insurance of up to $10,000 per traveler and $20,000 per trip Baggage delay insurance of up to $100 for up to three days when your baggage is delayed by over six hours Lost luggage reimbursement of up to $3,000 per covered traveler Trip delay reimbursement of up to $500 per covered traveler for eligible travel delayed more than 12 hours or requiring an overnight stay Rental car insurance Purchase protection of up to $10,000 per item Return protection of up to $500 per item Extended warranty protection for up to one additional year How to redeem United MileagePlus for best value Obviously a core aspect of collecting a certain points currency is the value that you can actually get with those rewards. So let’s talk briefly about the value of redeeming MileagePlus miles. As mentioned above, my favorite use of MileagePlus miles is to redeem them for travel on United, given that MileagePlus gets you the best access and pricing for award seats on United, including in Polaris business class. It can’t be overstated how United has by far the most global route network of any US carrier, so being able to access those awards is extremely valuable, especially in an era where reasonably priced premium cabin awards are often hard to come by. United MileagePlus award redemption example Beyond that, MileagePlus also has some attractively priced partner redemptions, like being able to redeem just 88,000 MileagePlus for a one-way award from the United States to anywhere in Africa. To me, that’s one of the single best award sweet spots out there, and a real highlight of MileagePlus. United MileagePlus award redemption example There are two more things about redeeming MileagePlus miles that are worth highlighting. First, I love how there are no carrier imposed surcharges on award redemptions, so fees for award tickets will just be the government taxes. Second, I love how MileagePlus doesn’t have any fees to change or redeposit an award ticket, so that gives members lots of flexibility. The United Club Card is United MileagePlus’ most lucrative personal credit card if you’re a frequent flyer with the airline: United Club access comes in handy, and this card offers the best pathway to receiving lounge access on the airline If you want to spend your way to elite status, this card gives you the best opportunity to do so, both in terms of the rate at which you earn PQPs, and how many total PQPs you can earn through spending While the card has a high annual fee, the credits and other perks really add up, and should help offset that fee The math on getting the United Club Card checks out for frequent United Club visitors. Considering the cost for a single United Club day pass is $59, you’d need to visit United Club lounges 12 times per year to break even with the $695 annual fee. But if you bring a guest with you each time, that drops to just six visits per year to break even — and that’s before even factoring in the value you can get through the United Club Card’s rideshare and Instacart credits, among other things. Also keep in mind that if you want to downgrade the card to a lower annual fee card in the future, that should be possible once you’ve had the card for at least 12 months. You might as well pick up the card with the best welcome bonus and richest perks, and then you can decide in the future which card makes the most sense for you. Redeem the welcome bonus for travel on Lufthansa United Club Card vs. United Quest Card comparison The United Quest℠ Card (learn more) is the mid-range United personal card, and I’d say the card is a great option for those who maybe aren’t super frequent flyers on United, but who still value perks. The card has a $350 annual fee, but I find that to be easy to justify, thanks to the card offering perks like $200 in United TravelBank cash annually, a 10,000 mile discount on awards annually, a variety of credits, and much more. United Club Card vs. United Explorer Card comparison The United℠ Explorer Card (learn more) is probably United’s most popular co-branded credit card, given the reasonable annual fee and solid perks. The card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150. I’d consider this to be the best card for the occasional United flyer, as the card gets you basic perks like two United Club passes annually, a first checked bag, priority boarding, savings on inflight purchases, and more. The deciding factor between the two cards should partly come down to whether you value a United Club membership or not. If it’s something you would otherwise pay for, you should get the United Club Card. If it’s not something you would pay for, I think the United Explorer Card is the better option. United Club access is the biggest point of differentiation between the cards Who shouldn’t get the United Club Card? If you only fly United occasionally, getting a United co-branded credit card, even one with a lower annual fee, might not be the best move. Keep in mind that Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio, so you could consider a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card (learn more) or Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (learn more) instead. This way, you’d still be able to book United award flights, but you’d also have access to other transfer partners, including Air Canada Aeroplan, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Marriott Bonvoy, World of Hyatt, and several more. If airport lounge access is important to you, it’s worth noting that the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with Chase Sapphire Lounge access. The Sapphire Lounge network still has a small footprint, but the card also includes Priority Pass™ membership, which opens up access to many more airport lounges internationally. And there’s also the American Express Platinum Card® (learn more), which offers Centurion Lounge access and limited Delta Sky Club® access when you fly Delta. United Club Card FAQs What are the benefits of having a United Club Card? The benefits of having a United Club Card include United Club membership, free first and second checked bags for you and one companion on the same reservation when you buy your United ticket with the card, and over $875 in annual partner credits for rideshare purchases, Instacart purchases (through 2027), and more. Is it hard to get approved for a United Club Card? It can be harder to get approved for a United Club Card than some other credit cards because the card is classified as a Visa Infinite card. These cards generally require a credit score in the good range or higher, and they often have minimum credit limits, such as $5,000 to $10,000. Is it worth getting the United Club Credit Card? It could be worth getting the United Club Card if you fly United several times a year and value United Club lounge access. It’s probably not worth it if you only fly United occasionally and won’t be able to take advantage of the lounge membership and annual partner credits, since the card has a high annual fee of $695. How can I get into the United Club lounge for free? You can get into a United Club lounge for free if you’re traveling on an eligible international premium cabin ticket, such as United Polaris business class, if you have Star Alliance Gold status (including United Premier Gold or higher) and are traveling on a same-day Star Alliance international itinerary, or through holding a co-branded United credit card like the United Club Card that comes with United Club membership. How much is the annual fee for the United Club Card? How much is the annual fee for the United Club Card? Bottom line The Chase United Club Card is United’s most premium personal credit card. While the card has a $695 annual fee, it offers incredible perks, including a United Club membership, a free first and second checked bag, a variety of credits, and more. Furthermore, if you want to earn MileagePlus elite status through credit card spending, this is one of the best cards for accomplishing that, so it’s another reason to consider this card. If you want to learn more about the United Club Card, follow this link.