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United℠ Explorer Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Choose between a mid-tier airline card and a premium travel card.
The United℠ Explorer Card is a mid-tier airline credit card with a $0 intro annual fee the first year, then $95, whereas the Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium travel credit card with a $550 annual fee. Both come with a generous welcome offer, but the United℠ Explorer Card offers 2x miles at restaurants, hotels, and United Airlines purchases, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card offers 3x points on dining and travel.
Compare the perks and features of these cards in the table below.
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United℠ Explorer Card
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®
|
|---|---|
| Not rated yet |
★★★★★ 4.6 / 5.0 |
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60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months |
50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months |
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2x miles at restaurants, hotels and United and 1x miles on all other purchases |
10x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases |
|
17.99% to 24.99% variable |
18.49% to 25.49% variable |
| $0 intro annual fee the first year, then $95 | $550 |
| APR: 17.99% to 24.99% variable | APR: 18.49% to 25.49% variable |
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APR: 26.49% variable Fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
APR: 26.49% variable Fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater |
| None | None |
| Up to $39 | Up to $39 |
| $0 | $75 |
| 21 days | 21 days |
| $0 | |
| 670 | 740 |
| Credit | Credit |
| Rates & Fees | Rates & Fees |
Which card should you choose?
United℠ Explorer Card
- Generous signup bonus
- Accelerated miles on United purchases, dining and hotels
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck®
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Signup bonus. Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months of card membership. This is worth $750 if you redeem through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal.
- Earn rewards points. Earn 3x points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide and 1x points on all other purchases. The 3x points can be worth 4.5% back if redeemed on travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards. You also earn 10x points on Lyft purchases until March 2022. This can be worth up to 15% back in travel purchases via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
- Annual travel credit. Get $300 in statement credit as reimbursement for your travel purchases every year on your card account anniversary.
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