United Gateway Card Review 2024
Chase offers several co-branded United Airlines credit cards, including personal and small-business versions. The United Gateway℠ Card is the entry-level card in the bunch and the only one that doesn’t charge an annual fee.
However, this airline credit card is not the most lucrative or rewarding United credit card at all — not by far. The United Gateway℠ Card has the lowest welcome bonus offer and fewest perks of any United credit card, although the earning rate with this card is decent.
United Gateway Card Overview
The United Gateway℠ Card is offering a welcome bonus of 30,000 bonus miles after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
You’ll also earn 2x miles on United purchases, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls, and mass transit), and 1 mile per dollar on everything else.
One of the best aspects of the United Gateway℠ Card is its $0 annual fee. That means you can keep it for the long term and continue earning United miles, plus get access to expanded United award availability at no yearly cost.
However, as you compare United credit cards, keep in mind that most others have much better bonus offers. With the United℠ Explorer Card, for example, you can earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open (worth around $780 in travel, according to Business Insider’s valuations).
The United℠ Explorer Card does have an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95 — but you also get perks like two United Club passes per year for your anniversary, a free first checked bag (worth $35 one-way) for yourself and a companion on the same reservation, priority boarding, and a credit toward NEXUS, Global Entry, or TSA PreCheck membership — all perks you do not get with the United Gateway℠ Card. Even if you only fly United once or twice a year, the free checked bag benefit alone can offset much of the annual fee.
