The United Gateway℠ Card and the American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card have no annual fee, appealing to travelers seeking value without high costs. The United Gateway Card is better for those who want higher rewards on gas and transit. It also offers a 0% introductory APR for 12 months and has a lower credit requirement. However, the AA MileUp Card suits grocery spenders and American Airlines loyalists.
United Gateway℠ Card
vs. American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
Updated: November 15, 2024
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United Gateway℠ Card
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
On Issuer's Site
On Issuer's Site
Who the United Gateway Is Best For
The United Gateway Card is likely to be better for occasional United travelers who want to earn miles without an annual fee. It offers solid rewards on United flights, gas and transit, making it suitable for those who frequently spend in these categories. The 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months is appealing for larger purchases. However, it may not work for those seeking premium travel perks like free checked bags or priority boarding.
Who the AA MileUp Is Best For
The AA MileUp Card is likely better for consumers who often shop for groceries and prefer flying with American Airlines. It offers two miles on grocery and American Airlines purchases, making it a great choice for earning miles on everyday spending without an annual fee. However, due to its foreign transaction fees, it may not be suitable for frequent international travelers.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Card Details and Features
A point-by-point comparison helps you see how each card compares in key areas like APRs, fees and rewards. For example, if you spend more on groceries, the AA MileUp Card offers two miles per dollar, while the United Gateway Card focuses on gas and transit rewards.
Regular APR: AA MileUp
The AA MileUp Card has a lower starting APR of 21.24% than United Gateway Card's 21.49%.
Annual Fee: Tie
Both cards have no annual fee.
Introductory 0% APRs: United Gateway
The United Gateway Card offers 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases, while the AA MileUp Card has no such offer.
Rewards: AA MileUp
The AA MileUp Card offers two miles per dollar on groceries and American Airlines purchases. The United Gateway Card earns two miles per dollar on United purchases, gas stations and local transit, but AA MileUp Card's grocery rewards rate is higher.
Welcome Offers: AA MileUp
The AA MileUp Card requires only $500 in spending for 15,000 bonus miles, compared to United Gateway Card's $1,000 for 30,000 miles.
Recommended Credit Score: United Gateway
The United Gateway Card requires a good to excellent credit score (670–850), making it more accessible than the AA MileUp Card, which needs an excellent score (740–850).
Penalties and Fees: United Gateway
The United Gateway Card charges a slightly lower late fee of up to $40 than AA MileUp Card's $41. It also has no foreign transaction fees, while the AA MileUp Card charges 3% per transaction. Both cards have similar penalty APRs of up to 29.99% and cash advance fees.
Issuer Satisfaction: Tie
Customers report slightly higher satisfaction with Chase Bank, United Gateway Card's issuer, rating it 4.1 compared to Citibank’s 4, AA MileUp Card's issuer.
Card Benefits: United Gateway
The United Gateway Card offers perks valued at around $142, including 25% back on United inflight purchases and trip insurance. The AA MileUp Card provides 25% savings on American Airlines inflight purchases and loyalty points, valued at $77.
Rewards Comparison
The AA MileUp Card provides better value with AAdvantage miles valued at about 1.6 cents, compared to United miles. This makes it more rewarding for those who fly with American Airlines.
AA MileUp Card's higher rewards rate on groceries makes it appealing for everyday spending, while the United Gateway Card offers solid rewards on gas and transit.
Below is a table detailing the bonus categories for each card, allowing for a quick comparison of rewards structures.
Category | United Gateway | AA MileUp |
|---|---|---|
United Airlines Purchases | 2X miles | 1X mile |
American Airlines Purchases | 1X mile | 2X miles |
Groceries | 1X mile | 2X miles |
Gas | 2X miles | 1X mile |
Taxi, Ride Share and All Other Transit | 2X miles | 1X mile |
All Other Purchases | 1X mile | 1X mile |
Redeeming Rewards
The United Gateway and AA MileUp cards offer flexible redemption options with never-expiring miles. United miles can be used for travel, cash back and more, while AAdvantage miles are best for flights and upgrades. The slightly higher value of AAdvantage miles may appeal to frequent flyers.
Card Benefits Comparison
United Gateway Card's trip insurance and DoorDash membership appeal to travelers seeking value and those who want to maximize rewards on everyday purchases. The AA MileUp Card provides loyalty points with no mileage cap, attracting regular travelers looking to enhance their airline status. Both cards offer inflight purchase discounts, but United Gateway's trip insurance is a notable advantage.
United Gateway Perks
Insurance and Protections
- Coverage for trip cancellations and interruptions up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip
Credits and Discounts
- 25% back as a statement credit on inflight purchases
- Complimentary year of DashPass for food delivery savings
AA MileUp Perks
Status
- Earn one loyalty point for every eligible mile spent, aiding in achieving higher status within the AAdvantage program
Credits and Discounts
- 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when using the card
All Other Perks
- Unlimited earning potential for AAdvantage miles
FAQ: AA MileUp vs. United Gateway
What are the main differences in rewards between the United Gateway and AA MileUp cards?
The United credit card offers two miles on United purchases, gas and transit. The AA credit card provides two miles on groceries and American Airlines purchases.
Which card offers better travel perks?
The United Gateway Card includes trip cancellation and rental car insurance, while the AA MileUp Card offers 25% savings on inflight purchases.
Are there any foreign transaction fees for these cards?
The United Gateway is a card with no foreign transaction fees. The AA MileUp Card charges a 3% fee.
What are the introductory offers for each card?
The United Gateway Card offers 30,000 bonus miles after spending $1,000 in three months, while the AA MileUp Card offers 15,000 miles after spending $500 in three months.
What credit score is required for each card?
The United Gateway Card requires a good to excellent score (670–850), while the AA MileUp Card needs an excellent score (740–850).
Methodology
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:
- Expected value for travelers: Measures the monetary value of rewards and perks minus the annual fees for frequent travelers.
- Airline scope: Rates the number of destinations the airline flies to, which helps inform the breadth of travel options for the airline program.
- Introductory offer ROI value: Assesses the return on investment (ROI) from the card's sign-up bonus.
- Airline rewards rate for travelers: Evaluates the rewards earned on airline expenditures for frequent travelers.
- Issuer satisfaction: Based on customer satisfaction ratings from studies like J.D. Power.
- Foreign transaction fees: Rates the card's fees for international transactions.
- Recommended credit: Indicates the credit score range required for approval.
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.
*Rates, fees or bonuses may vary or include specific stipulations. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting/last updated date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired. We recommend visiting the card issuer’s website for the most up-to-date information available.
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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.