First-year winner
United Gateway Card
$303 Year 1 edge
$741 vs $437
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
Discover it Miles
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Miles Match First-Year Value
Other · No listed cash value
Discover it Miles is built around Discover’s first-year rewards match mechanic, which can materially increase first-year value.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
The card remains useful for international spend because eligible purchases do not incur a foreign transaction surcharge.
Perk
No Annual Fee
Other · No listed cash value
You can keep the card long term without paying a recurring annual fee.
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.
Card B
United Gateway Card
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
No Annual Fee
Other · No listed cash value
Cardmembers can earn United miles without paying a recurring annual fee.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible purchases made outside the U.S. do not incur foreign transaction fees.
Perk
Earn Two Checked Bags
Other · No listed cash value
Earn two checked bags on United- or United Express-operated flights after meeting the annual spend requirement.
Perk
25% Back on United Inflight Purchases
Other · No listed cash value
Receive 25% back as a statement credit on eligible United inflight food, beverage, Wi-Fi, and Club premium drink purchases.
Verdict
United Gateway wins year 1. Discover it Miles wins long term.
Winner after year 1
Discover it Miles
$97 ongoing edge
$437 vs $341
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $0 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Discover
Discover it Miles
Year One
$437
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$437
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$437
1.50% effective return
Welcome Offer
None
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
No listed offer
No spend threshold in dataset
Why it wins
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • There is no meaningful active welcome offer in the current dataset.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Chase
United Gateway Card
Year One
$741
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$341
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$341
1.17% effective return
Welcome Offer
$400
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$1,000
3 mo window · $333/mo pace · Comfortable
Why it wins
- • 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
1.5x
$5,400
Discover it Miles
$81
1.50%
United Gateway
$54
1.00%
Groceries
1.5x
$7,800
Discover it Miles
$117
1.50%
United Gateway
$78
1.00%
Travel
1.5x
$3,000
Discover it Miles
$45
1.50%
United Gateway
$60
2.00%
Gas
1.5x
$1,920
Discover it Miles
$29
1.50%
United Gateway
$38
2.00%
General
1.5x
$11,040
Discover it Miles
$166
1.50%
United Gateway
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Discover it Miles$437
United Gateway$341
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 | Discover it Miles | United Gateway Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | Free | Free |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Gas rewards | — | 2x 2X miles at gas stations. |
| Travel rewards | — | 2x 2X miles on United purchases. |
| All rewards | 1.5x | 1x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | — | Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles Earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 4 listed | 4 listed |
| Benefit highlights | Miles Match First-Year Value · No Foreign Transaction Fees · No Annual Fee · +1 more | No Annual Fee · No Foreign Transaction Fees · Earn Two Checked Bags · +1 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | discover | — |
| Reward type | Miles | Miles |
Costs
Annual fee
Discover it Miles
Free
United Gateway Card
Free
Foreign transaction fee
Discover it Miles
None
United Gateway Card
None
Rewards
Gas rewards
Discover it Miles
—
United Gateway Card
2x
2X miles at gas stations.
Travel rewards
Discover it Miles
—
United Gateway Card
2x
2X miles on United purchases.
All rewards
Discover it Miles
1.5x
United Gateway Card
1x
Offer
Welcome offer
Discover it Miles
—
United Gateway Card
Earn up to 40,000 bonus miles
Earn 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an authorized user in the first 3 months.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Discover it Miles
4 listed
United Gateway Card
4 listed
Benefit highlights
Discover it Miles
Miles Match First-Year Value · No Foreign Transaction Fees · No Annual Fee · +1 more
United Gateway Card
No Annual Fee · No Foreign Transaction Fees · Earn Two Checked Bags · +1 more
Profile
Credit needed
Discover it Miles
Good
United Gateway Card
Good
Network
Discover it Miles
discover
United Gateway Card
—
Reward type
Discover it Miles
Miles
United Gateway Card
Miles