United Explorer vs Sapphire Preferred

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

Chase Sapphire Preferred earns more in 9 of 9 categories (restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, travel), United Explorer in 0, with 0 tied. United Explorer: $150 fee. Sapphire Preferred: $95 fee. Counting categories is not the same as counting your spend: the winner for you is the one that wins where your money goes.

Every category, side by side

Published everyday rates. For points cards the value in brackets uses our conservative travel estimate; as cash, points are worth 1¢. No welcome bonuses, no limited-time offers.

Category	United Explorer	Sapphire Preferred	Wins
Restaurants	2x miles (2.4¢)	3x points (5.4¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Supermarkets	1x miles (1.2¢)	1x points (1.8¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Gas stations	1x miles (1.2¢)	1x points (1.8¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Travel	1x miles (1.2¢)	2x points (3.6¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Online shopping	1x miles (1.2¢)	1x points (1.8¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Drugstores	1x miles (1.2¢)	1x points (1.8¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Transit & rideshare	1x miles (1.2¢)	2x points (3.6¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Streaming	1x miles (1.2¢)	3x points (5.4¢)	Sapphire Preferred
Everything else	1x miles (1.2¢)	1x points (1.8¢)	Sapphire Preferred

Point values: United Explorer: United MileagePlus at 1.2¢ toward travel; Sapphire Preferred: Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.8¢ toward travel. Cash out and most points are worth 1¢ or less.

Fee and credits

Card	Annual fee	Statement credits	Credits, face value
United Explorer	$150 fee	Rideshare credit ($5 monthly), Instacart credit ($10 monthly)	$180 / yr
Sapphire Preferred	$95 fee	Chase Travel Hotel Credit ($100 yearly), DoorDash DashPass credit ($10 monthly)	$220 / yr

Credits count only if you would spend there anyway. Tick the ones you would use and get each card's fee verdict →

Built-in store rates

Card	Store	Rate
United Explorer	United Airlines	3%

Carrying both

Together they cover 9 of 9 categories above the other card's rate. See the pair as one wallet, then add the rest of your cards.

United Explorer in full → · Chase Sapphire Preferred in full →

How RightCard handles this: add both cards and the app picks between them 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

United Explorer or Sapphire Preferred: which earns more?

Chase Sapphire Preferred earns more in 9 of 9 categories (restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, travel), United Explorer in 0, with 0 tied. United Explorer: $150 fee. Sapphire Preferred: $95 fee. Counting categories is not the same as counting your spend: the winner for you is the one that wins where your money goes.

Which has the lower annual fee, United Explorer or Sapphire Preferred?

United Explorer: $150 fee. Sapphire Preferred: $95 fee.

Should I get both?

Only if each wins a category you spend in. Together they lead in 9 of 9 categories; the rate-my-wallet tool shows the pair as one wallet.

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: All comparisons · Rate my wallet · Every verified card