Update 8/30/26: $500 statement credit reduced to $400.
The Offer
Direct link to offer (should also be able to get it to appear doing a dummy booking on United)
- Chase United Explorer is offering the following bonuses:
- $500 statement credit after first purchase
- 25,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months
- 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account within the first three months
- Annual fee waived first year
Card Details
- Annual fee of $150 is waived first year
- Chase 5/24 rule applies to this card
- 25% off in flight purchases when using your card (including WiFi and food/beverages)
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
- Card earns at the following rates:
- 2 miles per $1 spend with United Airlines, restaurant and hotel purchases
- 1 mile per $1 spend on all other purchases
- Last seat availability
- Miles don’t expire
- Free checked bag when you pay with card (for 2 people)
- Priority boarding
- 2 Club passes per year
- No foreign transaction fees
- Receive $50 back as a statement credit on both your 1st and 2nd prepaid hotel stays purchased directly through United Hotels with your United Explorer Card, up to $100 each anniversary year.
- Enroll to receive up to $5 back as a statement credit each month on rideshare purchases when you pay with your United Explorer Card, up to $60 each calendar year.
- Receive $25 in United TravelBank cash, up to $50 each anniversary year, for your 1st and 2nd Avis or Budget car rental booked directly through cars.united.com and paid with the card.
- $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year.
- Earn $100 in United TravelBank cash after you spend $10,000 on purchases each calendar year with your United Explorer Card.
- This card product is available to you if you do not have this card and have not received a new Cardmember bonus for this card in the past 24 months
Our Verdict
Earlier this year we saw 70,000 – 85,000 miles and last year we saw up to 90,000 miles. Personally I’d prefer the $500 statement credit over 50,000 miles but really depends on how you value the miles. Most people won’t be eligible due to the 5/24 rule, but useful for those who are. We’ll be adding this to our list of the best credit card bonuses.
Hat tip to reader Viji
I applied for the $400 offer. Got the statement credit as soon as my first small purchase posted. I won’t be able to hit $3,000 in spending to get the miles, so I was thinking about getting my statement credit as a refund and not using the card anymore (will downgrade after a year). Did anyone try to request a refund for the remaining statement credit amount? I think Chase might see it as a big red flag that tells them I only got the card for the bonus, but not sure if they care enough to do anything about it.
William Charles Post needs an update. Offer is $400 now, and same points levels/spend as before. 🙁
login united and see the 80,000 points offer with $3000 spending. Applied for P2 and approved instantly.
Link looks to be dead
Applied 8/16, wasn’t approved right away, got a call the next day from the fraud department asking me if I had applied for a credit card, approved on the spot. Spent $10 at Chic Fil A, $500 statement credit posted a couple days later. I’ll close or PC at the one year mark. Happy hunting!
Which offer is better 70K points (in App offer) or $400 statement credit + 25K United Points?
Gearing to go for this one once I go under 5/24 in September but looks like $500 is now down to $400 :((
I was going through a dummy booking and could never see the offer. When does it appear? Maybe doing something wrong. Tried to sign up last night for the $500 offer and saw it was dead.
$500 Offer looks like it might be dead now. The link no longer works. Dummy booking at $400
Looks like offer is no longer available. So sad, I was going to do this after almost 2 years of not applying to new cards. Edit: Looks like new promo is now $400 after first purchase, might do it still, but still very sad $100 lost link (not referral)
Applied 8/16, wasn’t approved right away with the 7-10 business day message. Thought about calling, however, approval came within 24 hours. Good offer
IA. Made a large planned purchase, hit the SUB. Statement credit hit two business days later, miles hit three days after that. Probably keep it for a year, and either close or PC to avoid the annual fee.
Submitted app today 08/18/26 instant approval. appears to have about 10% of my income as limit. are we certain the $500 back is any purchase though? I didn’t get a united flight as after I was approved the page timed out on the airline website. im now at 4/24. Got 1 personal and 2 business cards in 12 months with chase
Just use it on paze, may be even better
If you past the 24 mths. bonus restriction, maybe you can try downgrading it to the fee-free United Gateway CC, then churn?
Shame that P2 and I both already hold the Explorer. From what I understand Chase doesn’t give another SUB while holding the card.
Applied, got denied for too much credit. Called recon, got denied. Closed an account and reapplied and got instantly approved.
Adding an AU to your account counts against their 5/24 right?
If i remember correctly, the referral link should be under: Main Menu > Just for you, is that correct? I checked two accounts P1 and P2, and don’t see them anymore. Or I remember it wrong, actually somewhere else? Thanks in advance.
Yes- good idea.
Applied for the card on Aug 6, got IA and added to Apple wallet. Made a $5 purchase on Friday which just posted this morning and I can see the $500 statement credit posted already in my account.
Same, my referral only shows 60k miles, not the $500 statement credit.
Incredibly good deal. Could just ignore the sign up offer and take the $500 for buying a pack of gum.
Same… I am 4/24 with latest 4 all chase cards and have good credit. This is the first time I am not approved right away for a credit card. Quite strange.
Application went pending. Called and asked to expedite decision. Was asked the need for additional card given existing open cards. Mentioned the benefits. They gave an option to move around existing credit instead of extending additional credit which I took. Approved and card available for immediate use in Wallet.
Got approved via email after applying
I want P2 to get this bonus but my referral offer is only 60k miles. Is there any way for P2 to get this offer ($500 statement credit + 25k miles + 10k miles) and still get my referral bonus?
Got a “we’ll get back with you” notice. Is there anything I can do in the meantime—or if they say “you’re not approved.” Also, yes, the $500 appears with the DoctorofCredit link. The $400 appeared when I tried a dummy booking.
Already a Chase checking and Freedom Flex customer with 800+ credit score Wasn’t approved right away. Submitted a scan of my driver’s license and they said they will let me know their decision in 7-10 days
$500 statement credit just for a first purchase is tempting. I have to buy car parts so thinking about taking advantage of this. Good idea to open this account and close after a year to avoid the annual fee?