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United℠ Explorer Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Choose between a mid-tier airline card and a premium travel card.

Megan Horner

Updated Jul 28, 2020. What changed?

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You have two examples of Chase’s travel card offerings: a United cobranded card and a standard 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.

	United℠ Explorer Card Rates & Fees	Chase Sapphire Reserve® Rates & Fees
finder.com's rating
finder.com's rating	★★★★★ 4.4 / 5.0	★★★★★ 4.6 / 5.0
Best for
Best for	Earning miles in multiple ways for United Airlines	Incredible signup bonus and premium travel perks
Welcome offer
Welcome offer	40,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus 25,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first 6 months	50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
Rewards
Rewards	2x miles at restaurants, hotels and United and 1.5x 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
Purchase APR
Purchase APR	16.49% to 23.49% variable	16.99% to 23.99% variable
Annual fee
Annual fee	$0 intro annual fee the first year, then $95	$550
Balance transfer APR
Balance transfer APR	16.49% to 23.49% variable	16.99% to 23.99% variable
Cash advance
Cash advance	APR: 24.99% variable Fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater	APR: 24.99% variable Fee: $10 or 5% of the transaction, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Late payment fee
Late payment fee	Up to $39	Up to $39
Additional cardholder fee
Additional cardholder fee	$0	$75
Interest-free period
Interest-free period	21 days	21 days
Minimum interest
Minimum interest	$0
Minimum credit score
Minimum credit score	670	740
Card type
Card type	Credit	Credit
Learn more
Learn more	Read review	Read review

The winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

From a raw value standpoint, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® muscles out the United℠ Explorer Card on most fronts. But this is like comparing David and Goliath because these cards have vastly different annual fees and are aimed at two different types of travelers. The Sapphire cards offers luxury perks over a variety of airlines and hotels, which often makes paying the Reserve’s annual fee worth it. Those who only travel with United will find that the Explorer card doesn’t lag far behind in rewards for that airline and has the United perks to make it worth your attention.

Compare United℠ Explorer Card vs. Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
United℠ Explorer Card		40,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months, plus 25,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first 6 months	2x miles at restaurants, hotels and United and 1.5x miles on all other purchases	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)		Earn 40,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first 3 months. Plus an additional 25,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first 6 months.	See offer View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Sapphire Reserve®		50,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months	10x points on Lyft rides, 3x points on dining and travel after earning your $300 travel credit and 1x points on all other purchases	$550		Get a generous $300 in annual travel credits, 3x points on travel and dining, and a 50% bonus on point redemptions with Chase's premier card.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Megan Horner

Megan Horner is the credit cards publisher at Finder. She's passionate about helping you find the best credit cards to meet your financial needs — whether that's earning great rewards or improving your credit score. Megan's expertise has been spotlighted on Lifehacker, CreditCards.com, American Banker and featured on news broadcasts across the country.

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United℠ Explorer Card vs Chase Sapphire Reserve®