First-year winner
United Explorer Card
$659 Year 1 edge
$1,616 vs $957
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 Explorer Card
Counted benefits
$560
Credits
$560
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$100 United Travel Credit
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Earn a United travel credit after spending $10,000 with the card within a calendar year.
Credit
$100 United Hotels Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Receive up to $100 back as statement credits on eligible prepaid United Hotels stays.
Credit
$60 Rideshare Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $60/yr
Enroll to receive up to $60 back as statement credits each calendar year on eligible rideshare purchases.
Credit
$50 Avis or Budget United Travel Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $50/yr
Receive United TravelBank cash for eligible Avis or Budget rentals booked through cars.united.com.
Credit
$120 Instacart Credits
Other · Listed $120/yr
Receive up to $120 in Instacart credits each calendar year for eligible Instacart purchases.
Credit
$100 JSX Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Receive up to $100 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
Free First Checked Bag and Priority Boarding
Other · No listed cash value
The primary cardmember and one companion can receive a first checked bag free and priority boarding on eligible United itineraries.
Card B
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Preferred Rewards Upside
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible Bank of America relationship customers can unlock higher effective earnings through the issuer’s relationship-based rewards boost programs.
Perk
Alaska Airlines Travel Perks
Other · No listed cash value
The Alaska co-brand card is designed around Mileage Plan value, including airline-trip perks such as companion-style value and checked-bag savings.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Perk
Travel Rewards Ecosystem
Other · No listed cash value
The card is designed to fit into a broader travel-rewards setup through issuer redemptions, hotel stays, flights, or travel-portal bookings.
Verdict
United Explorer wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
United Explorer Card
$559 ongoing edge
$816 vs $257
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $0 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Chase
United Explorer Card
Year One
$1,616
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$816
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$406
1.39% effective return
Welcome Offer
$800
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$560
$560 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$3,000
3 mo window · $1,000/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the 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.
Bank of America
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Year One
$957
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$257
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$352
1.21% effective return
Welcome Offer
$700
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$3,000
3 mo window · $1,000/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • 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 Explorer
$108
2.00%
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$54
1.00%
Groceries
1x
$7,800
United Explorer
$78
1.00%
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$78
1.00%
Travel
3x
$3,000
United Explorer
$90
3.00%
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$90
3.00%
Gas
1x
$1,920
United Explorer
$19
1.00%
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$19
1.00%
General
1x
$11,040
United Explorer
$110
1.00%
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
United Explorer$406
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature$352
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 Explorer Card | Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $150 | $95 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Dining rewards | 2x | — |
| Travel rewards | 3x 3X miles on eligible United purchases; 2X on hotel stays booked with the hotel. | 3x 3x miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases. |
| All rewards | 1x | 1x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months. | 70,000 bonus miles plus Companion Fare Companion Fare value varies. Use the issuer site for the exact current combination. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | ~$560/yr | 4 listed |
| Benefit highlights | $100 United Travel Credit · $100 United Hotels Credits · $60 Rideshare Credits · +5 more | Preferred Rewards Upside · Alaska Airlines Travel Perks · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | visa | visa |
| Reward type | Miles | Miles |
Costs
Annual fee
United Explorer Card
$150
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
$95
Foreign transaction fee
United Explorer Card
None
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
None
Rewards
Dining rewards
United Explorer Card
2x
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
—
Travel rewards
United Explorer Card
3x
3X miles on eligible United purchases; 2X on hotel stays booked with the hotel.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
3x
3x miles on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases.
All rewards
United Explorer Card
1x
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
1x
Offer
Welcome offer
United Explorer Card
Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles
Earn 70,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months.
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
70,000 bonus miles plus Companion Fare
Companion Fare value varies. Use the issuer site for the exact current combination.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
United Explorer Card
~$560/yr
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
4 listed
Benefit highlights
United Explorer Card
$100 United Travel Credit · $100 United Hotels Credits · $60 Rideshare Credits · +5 more
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Preferred Rewards Upside · Alaska Airlines Travel Perks · No Foreign Transaction Fees · +1 more
Profile
Credit needed
United Explorer Card
Good
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Good
Network
United Explorer Card
visa
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
visa
Reward type
United Explorer Card
Miles
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card
Miles