Updated: November 15, 2024
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The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card and the United℠ Explorer Card are excellent choices for frequent flyers, offering valuable airline-specific perks. The Rapid Rewards Premier Card is better, providing three points on Southwest purchases and a generous welcome bonus, plus 6,000 anniversary points annually.
However, the United Explorer Card is worth considering for its free checked bags and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit, making it appealing to United Airlines travelers.
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card is likely to be better for frequent travelers who want to maximize their rewards on Southwest purchases. With three points on Southwest purchases and a generous welcome bonus, this card suits those who can take advantage of these perks. However, if you don't frequently fly with Southwest or prefer a card with more diverse rewards categories, this might not be the best fit.
The United Explorer Card is likely better for frequent travelers who value earning miles and enjoying travel perks. With a higher introductory bonus of 60,000 miles after spending $3,000, it caters to those who can meet the spending requirement. The card also offers free checked bags and priority boarding, appealing to frequent United Flyers. However, it may not suit those who prefer lower bonus spending thresholds.
A point-by-point comparison helps you see how each card stacks up in areas like APRs, fees and rewards. For instance, if you're focused on earning rewards for airline purchases, the Rapid Rewards Premier Card offers three points on Southwest, while the United Explorer Card provides two miles on United purchases.
Regular APR: Tie
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card has a lower APR range of 20.99%–27.99% than United Explorer Card's 21.49%–28.49%.
Annual Fee: United Explorer
The United Explorer Card has a $95 annual fee, slightly lower than the Rapid Rewards Premier Card's $99 fee. It also offers a $0 introductory fee in the first year.
Introductory 0% APRs: Tie
Neither card offers an introductory 0% APR on purchases or balance transfers.
Rewards: Rapid Rewards Premier
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card offers three points on Southwest purchases and two on transit, internet, cable and streaming. The United Explorer Card provides two miles on United purchases, dining and hotel stays.
Welcome Offers: United Explorer
The United Explorer Card provides 60,000 miles after spending $3,000 in three months, compared to Rapid Rewards Premier's 50,000 points for a $1,000 spend. Despite its higher spending requirement, the United Explorer Card offers a greater return on investment (ROI).
Recommended Credit Score: Tie
Both cards require a good to excellent credit score of 670–850.
Penalties and Fees: Tie
Both cards have late fees of up to $40 and penalty APRs of up to 29.99%. Neither card charges foreign transaction fees.
Issuer Satisfaction: Tie
Chase Bank issues both cards, so they share the same issuer satisfaction score.
Card Benefits: Rapid Rewards Premier
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card offers 6,000 anniversary points and two EarlyBird Check-Ins annually. These perks have higher expected value than United Explorer Card's free checked bags and priority boarding.
The Rapid Rewards Premier and United Explorer cards greatly benefit frequent travelers. The Rapid Rewards Premier Card gives higher rewards on Southwest purchases, while the United Explorer Card provides valuable rewards on United purchases, dining and hotel stays.
Both cards use their respective airline's loyalty program, with Rapid Rewards points and MileagePlus miles valued at about 1.4 cents.
The table below shows the rewards categories for each card, making it easy to compare their earning potential.
Category | Rapid Rewards Premier | United Explorer |
|---|---|---|
Southwest Purchases | 3X points | 1X mile |
United Purchases | 1X point | 2X miles |
Local Transit and Commuting | 2X points | 1X mile |
Internet and Cable | 2X points | 1X mile |
Streaming Services | 2X points | 1X mile |
Dining | 1X point | 2X miles |
Hotels | 1X point/1.25X points if booked through the Rapid Rewards portal | 2X miles |
Car Rental | 1X point/1.25X points if booked through the Rapid Rewards portal | 1X mile |
All Other Purchases | 1X point | 1X mile |
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card lets you redeem points for airfare, gift cards, and more, with no expiration. The United Explorer Card offers miles for flights and upgrades but requires account activity every 18 months to keep the miles active.
The United Explorer Card offers superior benefits for frequent travelers, including free checked bags and United Club passes. The Rapid Rewards Premier Card earns unlimited tier qualifying points (TQPs), which helps regular travelers enhance their airline status and maximize their points. Both cards offer priority boarding, but the Rapid Rewards Premier Card includes EarlyBird Check-In as an added perk.
Travel Perks
Status
Insurance and Protections
Credits and Discounts
All Other Perks
Travel Perks
Status
Insurance and Protections
Credits and Discounts
All Other Perks
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card offers three points on Southwest purchases, while the United Explorer Card provides two miles on United purchases.
The United Explorer Card offers perks like free checked bags and United Club passes, making this airline card appealing to frequent United flyers.
Both are cards with no foreign transaction fees, making them suitable for international travel.
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card has a $99 annual fee, while the United Explorer Card charges $95.
The Rapid Rewards Premier Card helps cardholders earn A-List status with tier qualifying points, while the United Card offers MileagePlus Premier status benefits.
MoneyGeek's scoring process evaluates each card based on multiple use cases, ensuring the scores reflect the cards' strengths. In this comparison, the scores shown represent the best performance of each card in the 'Airline' category. Several factors determine this score:
For more details on our scoring process, review our ranking methodology.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
