Top 5 reasons to get the United Quest Card: Perks galore with a reasonable annual fee

The Points Guy

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers

The United Quest℠ Card was unveiled in 2021, giving United loyalists another option within the airline’s lineup of cobranded cards. It’s a middle-of-the-road credit card option built for those who fly enough with the airline to want a couple of perks without shelling out $500+ for an annual fee on a super-premium credit card.

If you’re wondering whether the United Quest Card is the right choice for you, here are five reasons you should consider adding it to your wallet.

Valuable sign-up bonus

It’s always fun to get a card that comes with a large welcome bonus, and the United Quest has an outstanding limited-time bonus offer.

United is offering a welcome bonus of 70,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, plus 500 Premier qualifying points (PQP).

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TPG’s July 2024 valuations peg United miles at 1.35 cents each, making the bonus worth $945. This isn’t the highest welcome offer we have seen on this card but the bonus 500 PQPs can offset the lower bonus miles.

The welcome offer alone is enough to offset the annual fee cost in your first year alone, but the perks don’t stop there.

Statement credits offset the annual fee

The United Quest has a $250 annual fee, putting it between the United℠ Explorer Card ($95 annual fee, $0 intro annual fee for the first year) and the premium United Club℠ Infinite Card ($525 annual fee).

To help offset that cost, you’ll get $125 per year in statement credits when you use the card to make United purchases. This benefit alone knocks the cost of the card down to $125 — only $30 more than the United Explorer Card.

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Additionally, you’ll get up to $100 in statement credits for your TSA PreCheck/Global Entry application fee credit every four years. That lowers the cost of the annual fee to only $25 for your first year. This isn’t a make-or-break perk (plenty of travel credit cards offer the same benefit), but it is a nice addition to the card for those who don’t already have a card that covers their TSA PreCheck or Global Entry application fee cost or for those who have multiple family members who need these fees covered.

Earn miles on more than just United flights

Airline cobranded credit cards aren’t traditionally super rewarding when it comes to bonus points on spending outside of that airline, but that’s not the case with the United Quest.

You’ll earn 3 miles per dollar spent on United purchases (after earning the annual $125 United credits), 2 miles per dollar spent on all other travel (which includes flights on other airlines and more), select streaming services and dining and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.

There are certainly other cards that earn a higher rate of return on travel, dining and streaming services. But if you’re looking to rack up United miles, it’s great to see this card award bonus miles on more than just United flights.

Perks for frequent United flyers

If you are a semi-frequent United flyer, the United Quest card comes with some solid perks to help enhance your flying experience and pad your MileagePlus balance at the same time.

Every account anniversary year, you’ll get 5,000 miles back in your MileagePlus account after you take a United or United Express-operated award flight booked with your miles. You can earn this benefit up to two times per anniversary year. That’s up to an extra 10,000 miles back each year — worth $135, according to TPG’s July 2024 valuations.

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If you use this benefit and the $125 annual flight credit, that will essentially offset the cost of the annual fee each year.

Additionally, you’ll get elitelike benefits, including priority boarding, 25% back on United inflight purchases, complimentary premier seat upgrades when flying on miles when available if you have elite status, and you and up to one other companion on the reservation will receive the first two checked bags free on United flights.

Elite status boost

As a cardholder of the United Quest card, your purchases can help you reach elite status faster by earning PQPs after meeting a spending threshold.

You’ll earn 25 PQP for every $500 spent on purchases (up to 6,000 PQP in a calendar year) toward Premier status qualification, up to the Premier 1K® level. This greatly boosts those on the cusp of achieving the next tier of elite status but are short on PQPs.

Bottom line

There is a lot to love about the United Quest Card, starting with the limited-time sign-up bonus and continuing to the anniversary offerings when you renew. If you’re a frequent United flyer, this card could be an excellent addition to your wallet.

Just keep in mind that this card does adhere to the Chase 5/24 rule. If you’ve opened five or more new accounts in the past 24 months, your application for this card will most likely be denied. However, having a different United credit card does not automatically disqualify you from getting this new card.

For more information, please read our full review of the United Quest card.

Apply here: United Quest Credit Card