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United MileagePlus® Club card vs Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

It comes down to premium benefits vs flexible earning.

Steven Dashiell
Steven Dashiell

Updated . What changed?

Fact checked

These two cards differ in a few key ways. The United MileagePlus® Club card is a premium airline card with a $450 annual fee and a host of premium perks, while the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a mid-tier travel card with a $95 annual fee. But this doesn’t mean the Chase card can’t compete — you still earn the same type of points as the United MileagePlus® Club card and you can easily redeem or transfer points for United flights. So which is the better pick?

United MileagePlus® Club card

United MileagePlus® Club card

Rates & Fees

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Rates & Fees
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★★★★★

4.3 / 5.0
Best for
Best for
  • Premium United perks
  • Travel rewards and a great signup bonus
Welcome offer
Welcome offer

50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months

80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $1,000 through Chase Ultimate Rewards
Rewards
Rewards

2x miles on United and 1.5x miles on all other purchases

5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases
Purchase APR
Purchase APR

17.99% to 24.99% variable

15.99% to 22.99% variable

Annual fee
Annual fee $450 $95
Balance transfer APR
Balance transfer APR 17.99% to 24.99% variable

 15.99% to 22.99% variable
Cash advance
Cash advance

APR: 26.49% 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 $38 Up to $39
Additional cardholder fee
Additional cardholder fee $0 $0
Interest-free period
Interest-free period 21 days 21 days
Minimum interest
Minimum interest $0
Minimum credit score
Minimum credit score 670 670
Card type
Card type Credit Credit
Learn more
Learn more

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Summary of card features

United MileagePlus® Club card

United MileagePlus® Club card

  • United Club membership
  • Valuable signup bonus
  • Earn miles on all purchases
  • Check your first two bags free on United flights

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

  • Signup bonus. Earn 80,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 in your first 3 months when you open your account. That's $1,000 in value when redeemed for travel purchases via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
  • Earn reward points. Every time you use your card toward travel and dining purchases, you earn 2x points. All other purchases earn 1x points.
  • Point transfer. You can transfer your points in 1:1 ratio with Chase's hotel and airline partners, including British Airways, Air France KLM, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, IHG, Marriott and World of Hyatt.

The winner: it depends

For the general traveler, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is going to be the better pick. It earns comparable points to the United card — more in some cases — without the restrictions of having to fly United.

The United MileagePlus® Club card is best suited to United enthusiasts. The big annual fee largely gets you the luxury perks and amenities that help make your United flights more comfortable and valuable.

But if neither card fits the bill, you have plenty of options to choose from. Compare more travel cards to find the one that best fits your travel and spending needs.

Compare credit cards

Name Product Welcome offer Rewards Annual fee Filter values
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $1,000 through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases
$95
Earn a huge signup bonus worth $$1,000 with this popular travel card. Combine with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards for even greater value.
Apply now
View details
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
3x points on directly-booked flights; 4x at restaurants; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points)
$250
Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 with this upper-mid tier travel card. Rates & fees
Apply now
View details
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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
Hilton Honors American Express Card
Hilton Honors American Express Card
80,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
7x points on Hilton Honors purchases, 5x at US restaurants, US supermarkets and US gas stations, 3x on all other purchases
$0
With a massive welcome offer for a no-annual-fee card and up to 7x points at Hilton, this is a solid pick for Hilton fans and occasional travelers. Rates & fees
Apply now
View details
Luxury Card Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Luxury Card Mastercard® Titanium Card™
N/A
1x points on all purchases with 2% point value when you redeem for airfare and 1% for cash back
$195
Enjoy unique excursions, privileged access to exclusive events and insider opportunities.
Apply now
View details
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Compare up to 4 providers

Name Product Welcome offer Rewards Annual fee Filter values
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
80,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $1,000 through Chase Ultimate Rewards
5x points on Lyft, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases
$95
Earn a huge signup bonus worth $$1,000 with this popular travel card. Combine with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards for even greater value.
Apply now
View details
Chase Freedom Flex℠
Chase Freedom Flex℠
$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year
5% back in rotating categories up to $1,500 combined each activated quarter (then 1%), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases
$0
Get up to 5% cashback in rotating and newly added everyday categories. The refreshed Freedom Flex card has lots of earning potential.
Apply now
View details
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months, plus 5% cash back at grocery stores on up to $12,000 in the first year
5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 5% on Lyft, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases
$0
This solid 1.5% cashback card gets even better with the addition of up to 5% back in categories like travel, drug stores and dining.
Apply now
View details
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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
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Compare up to 4 providers

Compare Chase credit cards

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