Blog

You are currently viewing The ultimate guide to earning elite status with United cards

The ultimate guide to earning elite status with United cards

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Travel

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with the latest information.

United MileagePlus members with cobranded Chase United credit cards can earn Premier qualifying points (PQP) toward United elite status by hitting certain card spending requirements.

But this isn’t as easy as earning Loyalty Points toward American Airlines elite status with a credit card. Instead, United cobranded cards have PQP maximums which vary greatly depending on which MileagePlus credit cards you have. You’ll see many cards here, some of which are no longer open to new applicants.

Remember, you need to earn a certain number of PQPs annually to qualify for United’s coveted Premier elite status. Generally, the only way to earn PQPs is through flying or, perhaps more accurately, spending lots of money on United and Star Alliance flights.

So, is earning PQPs on a credit card through everyday spending better than breaking the bank on flights? It might be, but accruing PQPs on MileagePlus credit cards still requires a lot of spending.

Let’s look at how MileagePlus credit cards earn PQPs.

In This Post

Cards that don’t earn PQPs

United plane at the gate at Newark Liberty International Airport
Most — but not all — United credit cards earn PQP. MANUEL ROMANO/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

There are a few no-annual-fee cards that don’t earn PQPs through credit card spending, including:

The information for the United MileagePlus Card and United TravelBank Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Cards that earn up to 1,000 PQPs

The following cards earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in card spending, up to 1,000 PQPs in a calendar year.

The information for the United Club Business, MileagePlus Awards, MileagePlus Card with annual fee and MileagePlus Business Card have been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Cards that earn up to 3,000 PQPs

Only one card earns 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in card spending, up to 3,000 PQPs in a calendar year.

  • The United MileagePlus® Select Card.

The information for the United MileagePlus Select Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Cards that earn up to 6,000 PQPs

In 2022, United announced that it would be doubling the maximum PQP from this card in 2023. It still earns 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in card spending, up to 6,000 PQPs in a calendar year.

Cards that earn up to 8,000 PQPs

Like the Quest, United doubled the PQP maximum for this card. It earns 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in card spending, up to 8,000 PQPs in a calendar year.

Cards that earn up to 10,000 PQPs

With 500 PQPs for every $12,000 in card spending, up to 10,000 PQPs in a calendar year, these two cards are the golden geese for earning PQPs through credit card spending. Unfortunately, these cards have been closed to new members for years.

  • The United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Card.
  • United℠ Presidential Plus℠ Business Card.

The information for the United Presidential Plus and United Presidential Plus Business cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

How many PQPs can come from credit card spending?

If you have multiple MileagePlus credit cards, you can earn up to 15,000 PQPs on eligible card spending in a calendar year per MileagePlus account. In fairness, since eligible cards earn 500 PQPs for every $12,000 spent, it would take $360,000 of annual credit card spending to earn 5,000 PQPs.

A few notes about Premier 1K

United First Boeing 777-200
You can use 20 PlusPoints to upgrade from economy to first class within the U.S. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Until last year, MileagePlus members couldn’t use PQPs earned through credit card spending to earn Premier 1K status.

Thankfully, the PQPs you earn through credit card spending now count toward Premier 1K status. However, unless you’re earning PQPs with the United Presidential Plus Card or United Presidential Plus Business Card, you’ll need to earn the 54-segment Premier qualifying flight to qualify for Premier 1K status this year.

Related: What is United Airlines elite status worth?

What are Flex PQPs?

United Business meal
Flex PQPs cannot be applied toward Premier 1K status. KYLE OLSEN/THE POINTS GUY

Certain MileagePlus members with legacy MileagePlus or Continental One Pass credit cards previously earned Flex PQP. For reference, these cards now earn standard PQP.

If you have Flex PQPs left over, you can apply them to the PQP status requirements for Premier Silver, Premier Gold and Premium Platinum, but not Premier 1K. You can choose which elite status year you apply your Flex PQPs to, giving you flexibility if you have already met your elite status goals.

Flex PQPs issued before 2012 do not expire. However, Flex PQPs issued after this expire after 39 months.

Bottom line

As you can see, earning PQPs through MileagePlus credit cards requires a lot of annual spending. The various United credit cards have significant variations in the maximum number of PQPs you can earn. Just remember that to qualify for any level of Premier status, you must take a minimum of four flights on United or United Express in a calendar year.