United Gateway℠ Card Review: Who Should Apply?

The United Gateway℠ Card can be a good card for those who frequently fly United Airlines and want an entry-level United card. With no annual fee and a solid welcome bonus, this card provides the basic perks and benefits of a co-branded airline card without over-committing you.

You can easily earn MileagePlus rewards by maximizing bonus rewards categories, such as United airfare, hotels booked through United hotels, gas stations, local transit and commuting. New cardholders can also enjoy an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening, then a 21.24% - 28.24% Variable APR.

However, serious travelers might want to upgrade to the United℠ Explorer Card to unlock more extensive travel perks. While the United℠ Explorer Card charges a $95 annual fee (waived for the first year), it can be worth it for valuable benefits like a free checked bag per ticket and two United Club passes per year.

• Sign-up bonus: Limited-time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases.
• Earning rate: 2x miles on United® purchases, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting. 1x mile on all other purchases.
• Annual fee: $0
• Foreign transaction fee: $0
• Authorized user: Earn 5,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first three months your account is open.
• Intro purchase APR: 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases.
• Regular purchase APR: 21.24% - 28.24% Variable
• Other benefits:
  • Auto rental collision damage waiver
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
  • Purchase protection
  • Visa concierge
  • Extended warranty protection
• Recommended credit: Good / Excellent

• No annual fee

  Airline credit cards typically charge around $100 per year for mid-tiered cards, while luxury travel cards often have annual fees of $500 or higher.

  In comparison the United Gateway℠ Card has an annual fee of $0, helping you start earning MileagePlus rewards with no strings attached.

• Solid sign-up bonus

  Limited-time Offer: Earn 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases.

  This is a solid number of United MileagePlus miles given there’s no annual fee commitment. Compared with other no-annual-fee travel cards, this welcome bonus is both lucrative and easily attainable. Because we value United miles at about 1.3 cents a piece, we estimate this welcome offer to be worth around $390.

  How much is it worth? $390

  Who is eligible to earn it? New cardholders are eligible for this bonus if they haven’t received a new card-member bonus for this card within the last 24 months. The account must remain open and not in default at the time of fulfillment. If you close your account within six months of opening it, United and Chase may deduct the bonus from your MileagePlus account.

• Easy-to-earn miles

  With the United Gateway℠ Card, you’ll earn 2x miles on United® purchases, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting. 1x mile on all other purchases.

  While this card’s earning rate doesn’t go as high as some other travel cards, it’s still decent for a no-annual-fee card. Plus, you can easily rack up rewards on everyday spending categories.

  The below chart illustrates how many MileagePlus miles you could earn by spending $1,000:

  Spending category	Dollars spent	MileagePlus miles earned
  United flights	$400	2,800 miles
  Gas	$300	600 miles
  Groceries	$350	350 miles
  Total	$1,050	3,750

  Other ways to earn MileagePlus rewards:

  • MileagePlus dining: You can create a free MileagePlus Dining account and link your favorite credit cards to earn between 1 to 5 miles per dollar spent dining at participating restaurants, in addition to the bonus points offered by your credit card.
  • MileagePlus shopping: Sign up for a free MileagePlus Shopping account to earn miles by shopping with your favorite merchants. It can be worth signing up for notifications so you don’t miss out on exclusive offers.

• Redeem rewards for free flights

  While you have multiple ways to redeem your United miles, you can typically get the best value by cashing in your points for free flights and upgrades. United uses dynamic pricing rather than a standard award chart, so be prepared for prices to vary based on your destination and when you book.

  Since United Airlines is part of Star Alliance, you can also use your MileagePlus rewards for any of the 26 alliance members, such as Lufthansa, Air Canada, Air New Zealand and more.

  How to book a Star Alliance flight If you want to use your MileagePlus rewards to book a free flight on a Star Alliance airline, start by heading to United’s award flight page. From there, click on the section titled “show flights from” and then select “All Star Alliance airlines.” You’ll see a list of available options, including how many United miles you need to purchase the flight.

• United in-flight discounts

  When you use your United Gateway℠ Card for in-flight purchases, you can receive 25% back as a statement credit. Eligible purchases include food, drinks and Wi-Fi on United-operated flights.

  Although this is a relatively minor benefit, the perks can add up if you fly United on a regular basis.

• No foreign transaction fees

  The last thing you want to worry about while traversing the globe is those annoying foreign transaction fees, which add a 2% to 3% charge to all your purchases. The United Gateway℠ Card can be a great choice if you’re looking for a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

• Travel and purchase protections

  The United Gateway℠ Card comes with basic travel and purchase protections to help prepare for the unexpected.

  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: You can get reimbursed for up to $1,500 per person or $6,000 per trip.
  • Auto rental insurance: This is a secondary policy and helps protect you from theft and collision damage on most cars.
  • Purchase protection: Get coverage for damage and theft on new purchases for 120 days, with up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Extended warranty: Cardholders get an additional year on the original U.S. manufacturer’s warranty of three years or less.

• No checked bags or early boarding

  The United Gateway℠ Card doesn’t offer free checked bags or priority boarding like you can get with other United cards. For example, with the United℠ Explorer Card, the primary cardholder and one companion can each check a standard bag for free — saving up to $160 per round trip.

  Upgrading to an annual fee card could be well worth the extra cost if you fly regularly with checked bags. Additionally, priority boarding can help secure overhead bin space on overbooked flights.

• Low earning rates

  The United Gateway℠ Card is a no-frills airline card with moderate earning rates on everyday spending categories. If you want a card with rotating categories or accelerated grocery store rewards, you might want to explore other options.

  You might consider a general travel card that lets you redeem points for travel on any airline. Such cards tend to offer a better overall earning rate while giving you more flexible rewards. Some, like the Bilt World Elite Mastercard^®, even let you transfer points to airline and hotel loyalty programs. You can stretch your points by shopping for deals with a variety of rewards programs, allowing you to earn free flights at a faster pace.

  Below is a quick look at how the United Gateway℠ Card’s earning rate compares to other similar cards.

  	Average rewards earned per $1 spent*
  Bilt World Elite Mastercard®	$0.028
  Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card	$0.024
  American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card	$0.023
  Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card	$0.022
  Chase Freedom Flex℠	$0.022
  United℠ Explorer Card	$0.015
  United Gateway℠ Card	$0.015
  Delta SkyMiles® Blue American Express Card	$0.013

  *Based on LendingTree’s value methodology

• Limited travel benefits

  Some airline cards offer a range of travel perks and benefits, such as annual travel credits, TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credits, or free United lounge passes. These benefits can often help offset the cost of the annual fee. The United Gateway℠ Card, however, doesn’t offer any travel benefits or credits.

  If you’re looking to score the cheapest award seats, note that the expanded Saver award availability only shows up for the United cards with an annual fee.

  Here’s a look at how United Airlines credit cards compare on travel benefits:

  Card	Checked bags	Airport lounge access	Travel credits	Access to Extended Saver Award Availability
  United Gateway℠ Card	None	None	None	None
  United℠ Explorer Card	First checked bag free for the primary cardmember and one companion	Two United Club one-time passes each cardmember anniversary	Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement	Yes
  United Quest℠ Card'	Up to two free checked bags on United flights	None	$125 annual credit on select United purchases Two 5,000-mile anniversary award flight credits annually Complimentary Premier upgrades	Yes
  United Club℠ Infinite Card	Up to two free checked bags on United flights	Access international and domestic United Club lounges and participating Star Alliance-affiliated lounges	Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement Premier upgrades on award tickets Priority check-in and boarding	Yes

United’s middle-tier offering, the United℠ Explorer Card, offers top-notch rewards for a modest annual fee of $95 (waived the first year). If you’re an avid United traveler, this card could be a better option for you.

Here’s what makes the United℠ Explorer Card a great addition to your wallet:

• Generous sign-up bonus: Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
• More ways to earn: 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays. 1x mile on all other purchases
• Free checked bags: You and one companion can check your first standard bag free of charge.
• United Club passes: Relax and unwind before your flight with two complimentary United Club one-time passes — valid for one year (and transferable if you want to pass them along to a friend).
• Statement credits: You’ll receive up to a $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years.

When deciding between the United Gateway℠ Card versus United℠ Explorer Card, the latter comes with more perks and benefits, but also includes an annual fee. If you’re serious about traveling, the United℠ Explorer Card could be worth it. Otherwise, you can start off slow with the United Gateway℠ Card.

The Chase Freedom Flex℠ is a great cash back card with high earning potential, allowing you to earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Here’s what makes the Chase Freedom Flex℠ shine:

• 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Enjoy new 5% categories each quarter. Plus, earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases. Past categories have included grocery stores, fitness clubs and gym memberships, gas stations, restaurants, hotels and more.
• Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• No annual fee

While the Chase Freedom Flex℠ isn’t a dedicated travel rewards card, you can pair it with the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card or the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® for even more value. Instead of getting cash back, you can convert your Chase Freedom Flex℠ points into Ultimate Rewards points. From there, you can book travel through the Chase Travel^SM portal or transfer your points to any of Chase’s travel partners, including United Airlines.

If you’re looking to maximize your everyday spending, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ card will give you better rewards. However, the United Gateway℠ Card is the clear winner when it comes to $0 foreign transaction fees and discounts on in-flight purchases.

The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card can be an ideal card for anyone wanting to get into the travel rewards game without the hassle of an annual fee (see rates & fees). Along with earning unlimited 1.25X miles on every purchase, you can earn a bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel.

Here’s what makes this card an excellent entry-level travel rewards card:

• Miles never expire as long as your account remains open.
• The sky’s the limit — there’s no cap on how much you can earn.
• Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase — or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel.
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ Capital One travel loyalty programs.
• Enjoy an APR of 0% intro on purchases for 15 months and 0% intro on balance transfers for 15 months; 19.49% - 29.49% (Variable) APR after that; balance transfer fee applies (see rates & fees).
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates & fees)

One of the best perks about the Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card is you don’t need to track or sign up for rotating categories — you earn a flat rate on every purchase. This card also allows you to transfer to a range of partner airlines and hotels, instead of having to stick with one airline. However, if you want to increase your earning rate, you may want to consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card instead.

If you’re looking for an entry-level United card to start earning MileagePlus rewards, the United Gateway℠ Card could be it. You can earn United miles with every purchase and enjoy some basic perks, all with a $0 annual fee.

However, the other United cards offer bigger welcome offers along with United-specific perks like free checked bags, lounge access and priority boarding. These benefits can often justify the annual fee, especially if you’re a serious traveler. No matter which card you pick, rest assured that all United credit cards waive foreign transaction fees, helping you save while exploring the world.

For those wanting to explore options beyond United, it’s worth considering a general travel rewards card instead, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card.