United Explorer: what it earns

Updated September 24, 2026 · from RightCard's verified card and merchant data

United Explorer earns 2x miles at restaurants, and 1x miles on everything else. We value United MileagePlus at 1.2¢ per point toward travel and 1¢ as cash; the table below shows both readings. Annual fee: $150.

Every category, as published

The everyday rates only. No welcome bonus, no limited-time offers. Where a rotating 5% quarter is live today it is noted in the row.

Category	Earn	≈ value / $1
Restaurants	2x miles	2¢ cash · 2.4¢ travel
Supermarkets	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Gas stations	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Travel	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Online shopping	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Drugstores	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Transit & rideshare	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Streaming	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel
Everything else	1x miles	1¢ cash · 1.2¢ travel

Travel value uses 1.2¢ per point for United MileagePlus, a conservative figure. Cash redemptions on most points programs pay 1¢ or less.

Where it beats a flat 2% card

Restaurants. Everywhere else a plain 2% card earns more, so this card is a category card, not an everything card.

Built-in store rates

Permanent card benefits in our verified data, not offers.

Store	Rate
United Airlines	3%

Statement credits

Verified from the issuer's terms. A credit is worth its face value only if you would spend there anyway.

Credit	Amount	Per year
Rideshare credit	$5 monthly · enrollment required	$60 / yr
Instacart credit	$10 monthly	$120 / yr

Tick the ones you would use and get the fee verdict →

Delivery apps and the dining rate

DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub set their own merchant codes. Chase and Amex write delivery into their dining terms; read yours once. The DoorDash breakdown.

See it against the rest of your wallet →

How RightCard handles this: add the United Explorer in the app and it competes with your other cards at every store, with your bank offers and this quarter's rotating bonus folded in. The app is free and private. No bank login. Recommendations are computed on your phone.

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FAQ

What does the United Explorer earn at supermarkets?

1x miles at stores that code as supermarkets. Superstores and warehouse clubs usually do not count.

What does the United Explorer earn on everything else?

1x miles on purchases outside its bonus categories.

Is the United Explorer's $150 fee worth it?

Only if the credits and rewards you would actually use add up to more than $150 a year. Our coupon-book tool lets you tick the credits you would use and see the verdict.

How much are United Explorer points worth?

About 1.2¢ each toward travel by our conservative estimate for United MileagePlus, and 1¢ or less as cash.

Where these numbers come from: RightCard's data pipeline re-checks each card's published rates weekly and lists a rate only after two independent sources agree. Merchant codes come from our merchant directory. If a card or store is missing here, it is because we could not verify it, not because we guessed.

More guides: Rate my wallet · All cards · Restaurants guide