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United Gateway Card review: An introductory airline card with no annual fee

Updated 4 min read

The United Gateway? Card is a straightforward airline card with a $0 annual fee, making it a good fit for travel card newbies. You’ll need to fly United occasionally to maximize this card’s perks, so it could be a good addition to your wallet if you’re seeking some basic United-specific perks but aren’t a frequent flier.

Here’s what to know about the United Gateway Card, its features, perks, drawbacks, and which cards could be good alternatives for those seeking more airline benefits or flexibility.

  • Annual fee
    $0
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 20,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel, Airline
  • Introductory Purchases APR
    0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    21.99% - 28.99% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent, Good
  • Rewards rate
    • 2x miles on United purchases, dining, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting
    • 1x miles on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • $0 annual fee
    • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months (21.99% –?28.99% variable APR after that)
    • 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases on United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks

Other benefits: Partial statement credits for select United purchases, 0% APR on new purchases for 12 months, complimentary DoorDash membership for one year

When you use your card for eligible United purchases, including in-flight food, drinks, and Wi-Fi, and premium drinks at United Club locations, you’ll get 25% back as a statement credit.

There’s no foreign transaction fee with the United Gateway Card, so you won’t need to worry about additional costs when you make purchases abroad.

You’ll get a complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership for one year when you use your United Gateway Card to activate your membership before the end of 2024.

You’ll get bonus rewards from qualifying United purchases made with your card, but it also offers 2x miles in popular categories like gas stations and local transit costs. Regular spending in those categories will help you maximize your rewards. All other purchases with this card will net you 1x miles per $1 spent.

The miles you earn on your card will be automatically transferred to your United MileagePlus account at the end of each billing cycle.

You can use your United miles for award flights on United, seat upgrades, baggage fees, select hotel stays, car rentals with Avis and Budget, and more. You can also redeem your miles for a statement credit when you book a flight using your card. While the card doesn’t reimburse you for TSA Precheck membership fees, as some premium travel cards do, you can use your United miles to cover the cost.

Notably, United is part of the Star Alliance, which has more than 25 partner airlines. That means you can use your MileagePlus miles to book travel with partners such as Air Canada, Avianca, and Lufthansa.

As an introductory airline card, the United Gateway Card could be a good fit for those who fly United occasionally and don’t want to pay an annual fee. It offers a few perks like a welcome bonus, introductory APR on new purchases, and 25% back as a statement credit on qualifying United in-flight purchases.

More frequent United fliers may benefit more from its sister card, the United Explorer, as it provides a broader range of benefits for a reasonable annual fee.

  • Easy-to-earn welcome offer

  • No annual fee

  • Promotional 0% APR for 12 months on purchases

  • Partial statement credit for eligible United in-flight and United Club purchases

  • Relatively few added perks

  • No introductory APR on balance transfers

  • Welcome offer is relatively small

The United Gateway Card is part of the Visa network, so it’s accepted almost everywhere in the world. The Visa network is available in over 200 countries and territories globally.

You pay your United Gateway card balance through these channels:

You can contact the Chase customer service team by calling 1-800-537-7783 or 1-614-248-2161, or logging into your United Gateway account dashboard for answers to non-urgent questions.

If you’re looking for more United-specific benefits or aren’t loyal to a particular airline, another card might be a better choice. Here are some great travel card alternatives to the United Gateway Card.

  • Annual fee
    $0 Intro for First Year, then $95.
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel, Airline
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    21.99% - 28.99% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Good, Excellent
  • Rewards rate
    • 2x miles on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases
    • 1x miles on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $95
    • Free first checked bag
    • 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverage, and Wi-Fi purchases on United-operated flights and on Club premium drinks

Why we like it: The United Explorer Card offers more perks than its little sister, the United Gateway. You’ll get 2x miles on eligible United purchases, direct hotel bookings, and dining out; and 1x miles on all other purchases.

Beyond that, you and a companion will benefit from a free checked bag on United flights booked with your card, along with other benefits like priority boarding and a statement credit of up to $100 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck? or NEXUS membership every 4 years. This card has an intro annual fee of $0 for your first cardholder year, then a $95 annual fee afterward.

Read our full review of the United Explorer Card

  • Annual fee
    $95
  • Welcome offer
    Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months (that's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel?)
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Ongoing Purchases APR
    21.49% - 28.49% Variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Excellent/Good
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel
    • 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries
    • 2x points on all other travel purchases
    • 1x points on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel
    • Earn up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Travel
    • On every account anniversary, earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year

Why we like it: If you’d prefer a travel card with more flexibility, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great option. This card has a relatively small annual fee, but it comes with lucrative benefits to easily offset this cost.

Points are worth 25% more when you use them for bookings through Chase travel. As a cardholder, you’ll also get 5x points on eligible Lyft rides through March 2025 and on qualifying purchases through Chase Travel; 3x points on dining out, at online grocery stores, and on select streaming services; 2x points on other travel purchases; and 1x points on everything else.

Read our full review of the Sapphire Preferred

  • Annual fee
    $95
  • Welcome offer
    Enjoy a $250 Capital One Travel credit, plus earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months
  • Card type(s)
    Travel
  • Purchase APR
    19.99% - 29.99% variable
  • Recommended credit score
    Good, Excellent
  • Rewards rate
    • 5x miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • 2x miles on all other purchases
  • Benefits
    • Receive up to a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees
    • Receive a $50 experience credit, room upgrades, and early check-in at eligible hotels
    • Access Hertz's Five Star membership tier, offering free upgrades, a wider selection of vehicles, and more

Why we like it: Like the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the Capital One Venture Rewards Card has an affordable $95 annual fee — but its reward structure is simpler. Cardholders can earn 5x miles on hotel and rental car purchases through Capital One Travel, and 2x miles on all other purchases.

With the Capital One Venture Rewards, you’ll get a statement credit of up to $100 for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, which can help you speed through security at the airport.

This article was edited by Alicia Hahn

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