Is the United Explorer Card worth $150/yr?

The honest math on the United Explorer Card: which credits you'd actually use, what its points earn beyond a plain 2% card, and what its protections would cost to buy — against the $150 annual fee.

Chase · $150 annual fee ($0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $150 (raised from $95 in the 2025 refresh).) · earns United MileagePlus miles

Earning rates

3x United purchases
2x Dining
2x Hotel stays booked directly with the hotel
1x Everything else

Statement credits (8)

$5/month Rideshare Credit — Up to $5 back each month on U.S. rideshare purchases — $60 a calendar year, and you must re-opt-in every year.
$10/month Instacart Credit — Up to $10 back each month on Instacart purchases (up to $120/yr), plus a complimentary 3-month Instacart+ membership — benefits end December 31, 2027.
$100 United TravelBank Credit — $100 in United TravelBank cash each calendar year you spend $10,000 on the card.
United Hotels Credit — $50 back on each of your first two prepaid United Hotels stays per anniversary year — up to $100.
Avis / Budget Rental Credit — $25 back on each of your first two Avis or Budget rentals per anniversary year — up to $50.
JSX Flight Credit — Up to $100 back per anniversary year on JSX semi-private flights booked directly with JSX.
Global Entry / TSA PreCheck / NEXUS Credit — $120 application-fee credit once every 4 years (~$30/yr).
10,000-Mile Award Flight Discount — 10,000 miles off one United award flight each calendar year you spend $20,000 on the card — valued at your selected cents-per-mile.

Protections and perks (16)

First Checked Bag Free — Your first standard checked bag flies free on United — the airline now charges $45 each way for it.
2 United Club One-Time Passes — Two United Club one-time passes deposited each anniversary year.
Priority Boarding — Board United flights before general boarding groups.
25% Back on United Inflight & Club Purchases — 25% back as a statement credit on United inflight WiFi, food, and drinks, and on United Club premium drinks.
Premier Qualifying Points on Spend — 1 Premier Qualifying Point per $20 spent, up to 1,000 PQP per year — status progress, not redeemable miles.
Premier Upgrades on Award Tickets — If you already hold Premier status, you (and one companion on the reservation) become eligible for complimentary upgrades on award tickets, not just paid fares.
Primary Rental Car Coverage — Primary collision/damage coverage on rentals paid with the card — decline the counter CDW.
Roadside Assistance — Up to $50 per service event (towing, tire change, battery jump, lockout, fuel delivery, winching), up to 4 events per year — no membership or pre-enrollment required.
Travel Accident Insurance — Up to $500,000 for accidental death/dismemberment on common-carrier trips charged to the card (up to $100,000 for other covered 24-hour travel accidents).
Trip Cancellation / Interruption — Up to $1,500 per person ($6,000 per trip) for prepaid, non-refundable travel cancelled for covered reasons.
Trip Delay Reimbursement — Up to $500 per ticket when common-carrier travel is delayed more than 12 hours or overnight.
Baggage Delay Insurance — Up to $100 a day (up to 3 days) for essentials when bags are delayed over 6 hours.
Lost Luggage Reimbursement — Up to $3,000 per passenger for checked or carry-on luggage that's lost or damaged.
Purchase Protection — New purchases covered 120 days against damage or theft, up to $10,000 per claim.
Extended Warranty — Adds a year to eligible manufacturer warranties of 3 years or less.
No Foreign Transaction Fees — No surcharge on purchases abroad.

Card data verified against Chase on 2026-08-21.

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