The United Membership℠ Card (see charges and charges) is United Airways’ premium private bank card for its most loyal flyers, whereas the United Quest℠ Card (see charges and charges) is one in all two mid-tier choices.
Since each playing cards underwent important adjustments in March, now is a good time to guage which possibility is most useful for United loyalists.
If you happen to’re a United frequent flyer and questioning whether or not to use for one or the opposite, this information ought to show you how to decide which is finest for you.
United Quest Card vs. United Membership Card comparability
| Card | United Quest Card | United Membership Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual charge | $350 | $695 |
| Welcome bonus | Earn 100,000 bonus miles and three,000 Premier qualifying factors (PQPs) after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months your account is open. | Earn 80,000 miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. |
| Incomes charges |
|
|
| United advantages |
|
|
| Different advantages |
|
|
United Quest Card vs. United Membership Card welcome bonus
The United Quest card is providing a welcome bonus of 100,000 bonus miles and three,000 PQPs after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, the bonus miles are price $1,300. Provide ends Aug. 20.
The United Membership card presently provides a welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Primarily based on TPG’s July 2025 valuations, these bonus miles are price $1,040.
The United Membership card requires $1,000 in further spending to earn fewer bonus miles, a short-term motive for a number of cardholders to maybe go together with the United Quest.
Winner: United Quest Card. The upper welcome provide and bonus PQPs give this card an edge over the United Membership.
United Quest Card vs. United Membership Card advantages
Each playing cards provide advantages particularly for flying United, so let’s take a look at overlapping advantages first.
Every day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Every day publication
Be part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
Shared advantages
If you happen to’re chasing standing, the Membership Card is the higher selection. You will earn 1 Premier qualifying level per $15 spent in your card (as much as 28,000 PQPs every year); the Quest provides a decrease fee of 1 PQP per $20 (with a decrease cap of 18,000 PQPs every year).
Then, from February 2026, you will get a lift of 1,500 PQPs every year with the United Membership — in comparison with 1,000 PQPs with the Quest.
Distinctive advantages of the Quest Card
As a mid-tier United bank card, the United Quest provides respectable advantages for frequent United flyers and a variety of assertion credit.
The cardboard’s $350 annual charge is kind of excessive. Nonetheless, the $200 in United TravelBank money you will obtain every anniversary 12 months is a straightforward approach to scale back it by greater than half. Assertion credit with retailers like Avis, JSX and ride-hailing companies additional offset it.
You will obtain a ten,000-mile low cost on an award flight every year after your first cardmember anniversary — and might earn a second after spending $20,000 in a calendar 12 months.
A giant draw back of this card is that it would not present lounge entry.
Distinctive advantages of the Membership Card
Conversely, the United Membership is for United loyalists who need lounge entry and enhanced journey perks.
One of many best advantages of its $695 annual charge is a complimentary United Membership membership. The membership prices $750 by itself, so the truth that the United Membership Card provides it for much less makes the cardboard worthwhile. It’s also possible to unlock United Membership All Entry membership by spending $50,000 in your card in a calendar 12 months or holding MileagePlus Premier Gold standing.
This card provides lots of the identical assertion credit because the Quest, however at larger quantities. These credit assist offset its hefty annual charge, which is sort of double that of the Quest.
Winner: United Membership Card. Lounge entry and elevated assertion credit are onerous to beat.
Incomes miles with the United Quest Card vs. the United Membership Card
The playing cards have a reasonably related incomes construction, aside from two variations:
- The United Membership card earns 1 further mile per greenback spent on United flights and different United purchases.
- The United Quest card earns 1 further mile per greenback spent on choose streaming companies and eating.
Each playing cards additionally earn 5 miles per greenback spent on pay as you go resort reservations via Famend Lodges and Resorts and 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Winner: United Membership Card. The marginally larger incomes fee on United purchases offers this card the benefit.
Redeeming miles with the United Quest Card vs. the United Membership Card
Each playing cards assist you to earn United miles via bank card spending, that are routinely deposited into your MileagePlus account. You may redeem factors for United flights, United Specific flights, and flights on Star Alliance carriers and companion airways.
Another choice is utilizing your United miles to pay your bank card’s annual charge — although this sometimes provides poor worth in comparison with flight redemptions.
When redeeming United miles, you will get the most effective worth when reserving saver-level tickets as a result of they’re priced the bottom.
TPG bank card author Chris Nelson enjoys redeeming his United miles for inter-Europe flights. He lately redeemed miles for a flight from Barcelona to Munich for less than 8,000 miles.
Winner: Tie. These playing cards each earn United miles, which will be redeemed via the MileagePlus program.
Ought to I get the United Quest Card or the United Membership Card?
If you happen to’re a semifrequent United flyer, the United Quest is the cardboard for you. You will get precedence boarding, free checked luggage and a few helpful assertion credit. Nonetheless, the United Membership unlocks enhanced advantages, bigger assertion credit and complimentary lounge entry.
Methods to swap from the United Quest Card to the United Membership Card
To modify from the Quest Card to the Membership Card, name the cellphone quantity on the again of your bank card and request the product change. Simply notice you will not be eligible to earn the United Membership card’s welcome bonus.
Backside line
Each playing cards are premium choices for frequent United flyers.
If you happen to’re a die-hard United loyalist who needs lounge entry and is OK with an enormous annual charge, the United Membership card will match nicely in your pockets. In any other case, the cheaper United Quest card nonetheless provides invaluable United perks and a beneficiant set of assertion credit.
For extra particulars, see our full opinions of the United Quest Card and United Membership Card.
Apply right here: United Quest Card
Apply right here: United Membership Card
