United Gateway Card

The United Gateway is United's no-annual-fee entry card, and its appeal is narrow but honest: it earns United miles on United spending without charging you to hold it. The reasons to carry it are the 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases and the absence of foreign transaction fees, both of which make it a reasonable companion for a year of larger purchases or international travel. The catch is what it leaves out, since there is no free checked bag by default and no lounge or priority perks, so a frequent United flyer will quickly outgrow it in favor of the Explorer or a premium United card.

Apply at Chase Issuer terms

Direct link to the issuer. We don't currently have an affiliate relationship for this card.

Annual fee

Free
Welcome offer

40,000 miles

≈$520 at our valuation

after $1,000 in 3 months
Recommended credit

700-750

Median 720. See why →

Earning rates

on United MileagePlus

5x

Airfare

United flights only
2x

Gas
2x

Transit
2x

Travel

United purchases only
1x

Everything else

Benefits and credits

Travel credits and perks

25% Back on United Inflight and Club Premium Drink Purchases
Save 10% or More on Award Flights After $10,000 Annual Spend
Two Checked Bags After $10,000 Annual Spend

Purchase and protection benefits

Extended Warranty Protection
Purchase Protection

Travel and purchase coverage

Rental car collision damage waiver

$60,000

Secondary coverage
roadside-assistance

Secondary coverage
Trip cancellation and interruption

$1,500

Secondary coverage

Pricing and fees

Full Pricing and Terms

Purchase APR: 19.74% to 28.24%
Foreign tx: None
Penalty APR (cap): 29.99%
Balance transfer: 19.74% to 28.24%; Fee $5 or 5.00%, whichever is greater
Cash advance: 28.49%; Fee $10 or 5.00%, whichever is greater
Late / returned: $40 · $40

Eligibility and application

Card type

Unsecured personal card
Pre-qualification

Soft-pull pre-qualification available
Application inquiry

Hard credit inquiry on submission
Approval bureau

Not disclosed by issuer
Authorized user fee

Free
Reports AU to bureaus

Conditional

Reports adult AU activity to all three bureaus; does not report minors (under 18).
Issuer policy

How the recommended credit score is derived

Reported by users, not disclosed by the issuer. Synthesized from community-reported approval data points and cross-checked against industry editorial guidance for consensus.

5 data points reviewed

Similar cards

Cards with the most in common, based on the math.

See all comparisons

United Quest Card

Chase · Visa

The United Quest is Chase's mid-tier United cobrand, and it earns its $350 fee through credits rather than lounge access.

$350 annual fee

View card Compare
Blue Cash Everyday Card from American Express

Amex

Blue Cash Everyday is the no-annual-fee sibling in the Blue Cash line, earning 3% back on the same supermarket, online retail, and gas categories that the Preferred earns 6% on, though here the cap is a more modest $6,000 per category per year.

$0 annual fee

View card Compare
Citi Strata Premier Card

Citi · Mastercard

The Citi Strata Premier is Citi's mid-tier transferable-points travel card, and at $95 a year it leans on a broad 3x earning structure rather than perks.

$95 annual fee

View card Compare

Sources

Data current as of June 4, 2026 Report an inaccuracy

Affiliate disclosure

ccdeck may earn a commission from links on this page. This does not affect our editorial rankings, and we will say so when the card we get paid on is not the best pick for you.

Not financial advice

ccdeck is not a financial advisor. Information here is for educational purposes only. Confirm card terms with the issuer before applying.