United Gateway Credit Card review 2024: Elevated rewards for frequent United fliers without an annual fee

The United Gateway℠ Card * The information for the United Gateway℠ Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. might not have the most flashy perks, but for frequent fliers who eschew annual fees, it can help accelerate your rewards-earning. 

United Gateway Credit Card basics

• Annual fee: $0.
• Welcome bonus: 20,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Rewards: 2 miles per $1 at United, gas stations and local transit and commuting and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.
• APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a regular 21.99% to 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
• Other perks and benefits: 25% back on in-flight purchases and no foreign transaction fees.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? No.
• Recommended credit score: Good to excellent.

About the United Gateway Credit Card

The United Gateway Credit Card is rare among airline credit cards in that it doesn’t charge an annual fee – making it a good way to earn more United miles on your purchases, even if you only travel occasionally. 

The welcome bonus and rewards on the United Gateway Card are modest, which is unsurprising on a no-annual-fee card, but they can still equal a nice boost toward reward travel. Cardholders can earn 20,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. You can also qualify for a 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a regular 21.99% to 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.

When it comes to rewards, United Gateway cardholders earn 2 miles per $1 at United, gas stations and local transit and commuting and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. 

Travel perks are certainly not as luxe as an airline card with an annual fee, but the United Gateway still offers trip cancellation and interruption insurance, purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and secondary car rental insurance plus 25% back on in-flight United purchases, including Wi-Fi, food and drinks.

Perhaps the biggest downside to be aware of when compared to other United co-branded cards is that it’s the only card in the United family that doesn’t offer expanded saver award availability, meaning cardholders of any of the airline’s other co-branded get access to even lower economy award prices, helping them stretch their miles even further. 

Pros

• Intro APR on new purchases: Cardholders who have a big purchase to make that want to pay down their balance over time without interest can enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a regular 21.99% to 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies.
• No annual fee or foreign transaction fees: Not only does the Gateway card not charge an annual fee, but you won’t pay a surcharge on international purchases either.
• Discount on in-flight purchases: When you buy food, drinks, or Wi-Fi on board a United flight with your Gateway card, you’ll get 25% back on the cost as a statement credit.

Cons

• Minimal flight perks: Unlike other airline cards, the Gateway card doesn’t offer perks like free checked bags or priority boarding. 
• Low rewards rate: The rewards rate on the Gateway card leaves much to be desired, especially on non-travel purchases. 
• No intro APR on balance transfers: While the Gateway card does come with a low intro APR on new purchases, it doesn’t extend this offer to balance transfers – a downside for those carrying a balance on another card. 

United Gateway Credit Card rewards

The United Gateway Card doesn’t have the highest welcome bonus on the market, but it’s still a healthy amount of miles for a card with no annual fee. New cardholders can earn 20,000 miles after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. 

Similarly, the rewards rate on the Gateway card is not the most lucrative. You’ll earn 2 miles per $1 at United, gas stations and local transit and commuting and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases. 

All your miles will be automatically deposited to your MileagePlus account where you can redeem for flights, upgrades, or combine with cash to pay for your travel. 

United Gateway Card rewards potential

The United Gateway Card doesn’t have the highest rewards potential, however, it does outpace some other airline credit cards thanks to earning above-average rewards on everyday purchases like transit in addition to flights. 

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card.

Of that amount, we estimate the average consumer spends $1,188 on flights and $3,009 on gas and transit. 

SPENDING CATEGORY	SPENDING CATEGORY SPENDING AMOUNT	MILES PER DOLLAR	MILES EARNED
United purchases	$1,188	2 miles	2,376 miles
Gas and transit	$3,009	2 miles	6,018 miles
Other	$20,890	1 mile	20,890 miles
TOTAL	$111,111		29,284 miles

See MoreSee Less

The value of those 29,284 miles will vary depending on how you redeem them. For example, you can fly one-way on a saver award flight in economy from Miami to Chicago’s O’Hare on Nov. 22, 2023 starting at 13,200 miles for a non-stop economy flight which includes a carry-on and advance seat selection. 

The cash price for those same 13,200 mile flights as of this writing was $185 making the value of a United mile in that scenario worth 1.4 cents.

A one-way nonstop flight from Seattle to Newark on Sept. 1, 2023 starts at 20,800 miles.

The cash price for that 20,800 mile flight as of this writing was priced at $239, making the value of a United mile in that scenario worth 1.1 cents.

United Gateway Card APR

The United Gateway Card offers 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a regular 21.99% to 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies. 

How the United Gateway Credit Card compares to other airline cards 

United Gateway Card vs. United℠ Explorer Card * The information for the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Frequent United fliers looking to unlock a greater level of perks might consider shelling out the annual fee for the United Explorer Card, which has a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. 

Not only does the United Explorer Card come with a larger intro bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, but you’ll qualify for additional travel benefits including your first checked bag free for yourself and a companion on the same reservation, priority boarding and up to $100 in statement credits toward a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry membership every four years. Plus, ownership of this United card unlocks access to United’s expanded saver economy awards.

United Gateway Card vs. American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® * The information for the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp Card is another airline card on the market that doesn’t charge an annual fee, but it focuses rewards on American Airlines instead. 

You can earn 15,000 miles after making $500 in purchases within the first three months of account opening. 

Like the United Gateway Card, its only travel perk is a 25% discount on in-flight purchases. But the AAdvantage MileUp might have better rewards potential for many spenders, as it offers 2 AAdvantage miles per $1 at grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, 2 AAdvantage miles per $1 on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 AAdvantage mile per $1 on all other purchases. 

United Gateway Card vs. Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

Even the annual fee-averse have some great flexible travel cards available to them – like the Wells Fargo Autograph Card. Its ongoing rewards rate can be incredibly lucrative, earning 3 points per $1 at restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services and phone plans and 1 point per $1 on other purchases. That’s a much broader range of spending categories to earn elevated rewards on than what the United Gateway card offers. And with the Autograph card, you can redeem your rewards for travel, or opt to use them for gift cards or statement credits instead. The card also offers 20,000 points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Should you get the United Gateway Credit Card?

The United Gateway Credit Card might not have the flashiest travel perks on the market, but it still offers some value to frequent United fliers. Plus, with no annual fee, it doesn’t cost anything to earn some extra miles. 

That said, unless your primary goal is to earn United miles on your spending without paying an annual fee, most will be better off with either a more general purpose card or paying an annual fee for a United credit card that comes with more perks than this one.

United Gateway Credit Card summary

UNITED GATEWAY CREDIT CARD DETAILS
Annual fee	$0
Rewards	2 miles per $1 at United, gas stations and local transit and commuting and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases
APR	0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a regular 21.99% to 28.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers. A balance transfer fee of either $5 or 5% of each transfer, whichever is greater, applies
Foreign transaction fee	$0
Major perks and benefits	25% back on in-flight United purchases

See MoreSee Less

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)