United Gateway – How to apply

By Marcos • 01/07/2025

This credit card is perfect for those who want many benefits and enjoy all related advantages.

The United Gateway is a co-branded Visa credit card offered in partnership with United Airlines. It is aimed at customers who want to earn travel miles quickly and efficiently through everyday purchases.

This card offers a great opportunity for those wishing to earn United MileagePlus miles on every purchase with an attractive welcome bonus. With the United Gateway card, you earn 2 miles per dollar spent on United Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.

In addition to having no annual fee for the first year, it also offers benefits such as priority security and baggage discounts on United Airlines, making this card especially recommended for those who want to earn miles efficiently on travel and everyday purchases.

How does the United Gateway credit card work? 

The United Gateway card offers a simple, easy-to-understand structure for those who want to earn miles and enjoy the benefits of United Airlines. The card’s features are based on the MileagePlus miles you earn with each purchase.

For purchases outside of United, this card earns 1 mile per dollar spent on any type of purchase. This means you can continue to earn miles on everyday expenses, such as meals, shopping and entertainment, and redeem them for future travel. 

Earn points that can be redeemed for extra miles on tickets, business class upgrades and purchases at United Airlines partners, as well as exclusive benefits such as airport lounge access and reduced baggage fees.

The card also offers premium travel experiences, including priority access to security at select airports and exclusive discounts on travel products and services.

Main benefits of United Gateway

Exclusive travel benefits: The United Gateway card offers discounts on bags and priority access to security at selected airports. These benefits make your travel experience more comfortable and convenient and help you save time and money when traveling with United Airlines.

Earn more miles: With the United Gateway card, you can earn 2 miles per dollar spent on all United Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. This makes this card ideal for people who want to earn miles quickly, especially if they fly United frequently.

Welcome bonus: This card offers an attractive welcome bonus where you can earn 30,000 miles over a certain amount during the first three months after activation. This bonus can be redeemed on flights to domestic or international destinations, making it a great benefit for those planning future trips.

Cons of United Gateway

• Annual fee after the first year: The card has no annual fee for the first year, but an annual fee of $0 for the first year and $25 for the following year.This is a disadvantage if you don’t use your card often. 

For those who don’t fly United often, these costs may not outweigh the benefits.

This card is great for earning miles, but the options for redeeming those miles may be different compared to other more flexible credit cards.The Chase Sapphire is preferred. 

Miles from the United Gateway card are best used on flights and services offered by United and its partners.

• High interest rates: The annual interest rate on your United Gateway card can be high, especially if you don’t pay your monthly bill in full. This means that anyone with a balance will end up paying a lot of interest on their purchases.

APR and fees

United Gateway card ranges from 20.99% to 7.99% depending on the balance.This is close to average for a travel credit card, but still relatively high compared to credit cards with lower APRs.

The APR is good for those who pay their bills on time and in full, but can be detrimental if you have an outstanding balance.

This card has an annual fee of $25 and a foreign transaction fee of 3% after the first year. This is common with airline cards, but especially so if you travel internationally frequently.

How to apply for the United Gateway

You can apply for the United Gateway card online, directly on the United Airlines website or via the Chase website.To apply, you must provide personal information such as your name, address, social security number and financial information. 

You do not need to be a member of the MileagePlus program to apply, although the approval process may be faster if you have a good credit history.

Once approved, your card will be sent to the designated address and you will earn miles instantly on purchases made with your card. After activating your card, you’ll also receive a welcome bonus and enjoy travel benefits and discounts from the United Gateway card.

In addition, the card offers an online platform and mobile app to manage your purchases, check your mileage balance and track point redemptions. This guarantees an easy and convenient experience for those planning future trips with United Airlines.