First-year winner
United Quest Card
$185 Year 1 edge
$1,976 vs $1,791
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
United Club Card
Counted benefits
$920
Credits
$920
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$200 Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit
Travel Credits · Listed $200/yr
Receive up to $200 back as statement credits on eligible prepaid Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays.
Credit
$150 Rideshare Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $150/yr
Enroll to receive up to $150 back as statement credits each calendar year on eligible rideshare purchases.
Credit
$100 Avis or Budget United Travel Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Receive United TravelBank cash for eligible Avis or Budget rentals booked through cars.united.com.
Credit
$240 Instacart Credits
Other · Listed $240/yr
Receive up to $240 in Instacart credits each calendar year for eligible Instacart purchases.
Credit
$200 JSX Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $200/yr
Receive up to $200 back as statement credits each anniversary year on eligible JSX flights.
Credit
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Fee Credit
Tsa Global Entry · Listed $30/yr
Receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for a qualifying application fee.
Perk
United Club Card Membership
Lounge Access · No listed cash value
Primary cardmembers receive United Club access for themselves and eligible travel companions under United Club rules.
Perk
Free First and Second Checked Bags
Other · No listed cash value
The primary cardmember and one companion can each receive first and second standard checked bags free on eligible United itineraries.
Card B
United Quest Card
Counted benefits
$890
Credits
$890
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$200 United TravelBank Credit
Travel Credits · Listed $200/yr
Automatically receive United TravelBank cash after account opening and annually on the account anniversary.
Credit
$150 Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit
Travel Credits · Listed $150/yr
Receive up to $150 back as statement credits on eligible prepaid Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays.
Credit
$100 Rideshare Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Enroll to receive up to $100 back as statement credits each calendar year on eligible rideshare purchases.
Credit
$80 Avis or Budget United Travel Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $80/yr
Receive United TravelBank cash for eligible Avis or Budget rentals booked through cars.united.com.
Credit
$180 Instacart Credits
Other · Listed $180/yr
Receive up to $180 in Instacart credits each calendar year for eligible Instacart purchases.
Credit
$150 JSX Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $150/yr
Receive up to $150 back as statement credits each anniversary year on eligible JSX flights.
Credit
Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS Fee Credit
Tsa Global Entry · Listed $30/yr
Receive a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for a qualifying application fee.
Perk
Annual 10,000-Mile Award Flight Discount
Other · No listed cash value
Starting with the first anniversary, receive a 10,000-mile discount toward an eligible United award flight.
Perk
Free First and Second Checked Bags
Other · No listed cash value
The primary cardmember and one companion can each receive first and second standard checked bags free on eligible United itineraries.
Verdict
United Quest wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
United Quest Card
$285 ongoing edge
$976 vs $691
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $306,180 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Chase
United Club Card
Year One
$1,791
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$691
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$466
1.60% effective return
Welcome Offer
$1,100
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$920
$920 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$5,000
3 mo window · $1,667/mo pace · Doable
Why it wins
- • Comes with a particularly strong welcome offer.
- • Your expected credit usage offsets most of the annual fee.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Chase
United Quest Card
Year One
$1,976
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$976
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$436
1.49% effective return
Welcome Offer
$1,000
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$890
$890 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$4,000
3 mo window · $1,333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Comes with a particularly strong welcome offer.
- • Your expected credit usage offsets most of the annual fee.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
2x
$5,400
United Club
$108
2.00%
United Quest
$108
2.00%
Groceries
1x
$7,800
United Club
$78
1.00%
United Quest
$78
1.00%
Travel
5x
$3,000
United Club
$150
5.00%
United Quest
$120
4.00%
Gas
1x
$1,920
United Club
$19
1.00%
United Quest
$19
1.00%
General
1x
$11,040
United Club
$110
1.00%
United Quest
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
United Club$466
United Quest$436
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | United Club Card | United Quest Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $695 | $350 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Dining rewards | 2x | 2x |
| Other rewards | 2x 2X miles on travel purchases outside United. | — |
| Streaming rewards | — | 2x 2X miles on select streaming services. |
| Travel rewards | 5x 5X miles on eligible United purchases; 2X on other travel; 5X on eligible Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays. | 4x 4X miles on eligible United purchases; 2X on other travel; 5X on eligible Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays. |
| All rewards | 1x | 1x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 110,000 bonus miles + 3,000 Premier qualifying points Earn 100,000 bonus miles + 3,000 PQP after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months. | Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles + 3,000 Premier qualifying points Earn 90,000 bonus miles + 3,000 PQP after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | ~$920/yr | ~$890/yr |
| Benefit highlights | $200 Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit · $150 Rideshare Credits · $100 Avis or Budget United Travel Credits · +5 more | $200 United TravelBank Credit · $150 Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit · $100 Rideshare Credits · +6 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Excellent | Good |
| Network | — | — |
| Reward type | Miles | Miles |
Costs
Annual fee
United Club Card
$695
United Quest Card
$350
Foreign transaction fee
United Club Card
None
United Quest Card
None
Rewards
Dining rewards
United Club Card
2x
United Quest Card
2x
Other rewards
United Club Card
2x
2X miles on travel purchases outside United.
United Quest Card
—
Streaming rewards
United Club Card
—
United Quest Card
2x
2X miles on select streaming services.
Travel rewards
United Club Card
5x
5X miles on eligible United purchases; 2X on other travel; 5X on eligible Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays.
United Quest Card
4x
4X miles on eligible United purchases; 2X on other travel; 5X on eligible Renowned Hotels and Resorts stays.
All rewards
United Club Card
1x
United Quest Card
1x
Offer
Welcome offer
United Club Card
Earn up to 110,000 bonus miles + 3,000 Premier qualifying points
Earn 100,000 bonus miles + 3,000 PQP after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months.
United Quest Card
Earn up to 100,000 bonus miles + 3,000 Premier qualifying points
Earn 90,000 bonus miles + 3,000 PQP after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
United Club Card
~$920/yr
United Quest Card
~$890/yr
Benefit highlights
United Club Card
$200 Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit · $150 Rideshare Credits · $100 Avis or Budget United Travel Credits · +5 more
United Quest Card
$200 United TravelBank Credit · $150 Renowned Hotels and Resorts Credit · $100 Rideshare Credits · +6 more
Profile
Credit needed
United Club Card
Excellent
United Quest Card
Good
Network
United Club Card
—
United Quest Card
—
Reward type
United Club Card
Miles
United Quest Card
Miles