
If you're in the market for a new credit card, you're likely considering the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase United Quest cards. Both cards offer a range of benefits and features that can help you earn rewards and save money.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card offers a 60,000-point bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, which can be redeemed for $750 in travel. This is a great incentive for new cardholders.
The Chase United Quest card, on the other hand, offers a 60,000-mile bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, which can be redeemed for flights on United Airlines and its partners. This is a great option for frequent flyers.
Both cards also offer a generous sign-up bonus, but the Chase United Quest card requires more spending to earn the bonus.
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Chase Sapphire vs. Chase Quest
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase United Quest cards are two popular options for travelers, but they have some key differences. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a generous sign-up bonus of 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first three months, which is worth $750 in travel.
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The Chase United Quest card, on the other hand, offers a sign-up bonus of 100,000 miles after spending $5,000 in the first three months, with an additional 20,000 miles after spending $10,000 in the first six months. This bonus is worth $1,300 in travel on United Airlines.
Both cards offer rewards on travel purchases, but the Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar spent on travel booked through Chase, while the Chase United Quest earns 2 points per dollar spent on United purchases.
Here's a comparison of the two cards:
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is also more flexible, allowing you to redeem your points for travel purchases, statement credits, gift cards, and more at a 1-cent-per-point value. The Chase United Quest, on the other hand, offers a free first checked bag for you and a companion on the same reservation, as well as two complimentary single-use United Club passes each year.
Chase Quest Card Details
The Chase Quest Card is a great option for those who travel frequently with United Airlines. It offers a $125 annual United credit and two free checked bags for the cardholder and one companion on the same itinerary when flying United.
You can earn rewards by using the card for all spending with United Airlines and their Star Alliance partners. The card also offers a 10,000-mile credit for taking United flights booked with miles.
Another benefit is the ability to earn up to 10,000-mile credit back for taking United flights booked with miles. This can be a significant perk for frequent United travelers.
Here are some key benefits of the United Quest card:
- $125 annual United credit
- Two free checked bags for the cardholder and one companion on the same itinerary when flying United
- Up to 10,000-mile credit back for taking United flights booked with miles
- Pay your TSA Precheck or Global Entry application fee with the card to get a credit of up to $120 once every four years
The Chase Quest Card is a solid choice for those who value flexibility and rewards. You can redeem your points for travel purchases, statement credits, gift cards, and more at a 1-cent-per-point value.
For more insights, see: How Much Are Chase Sapphire Preferred Points Worth
Benefits and Perks
Traveling with a Chase Sapphire Preferred or United Quest card comes with some amazing benefits. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers generous travel protection benefits, including trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement.
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With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can be reimbursed up to $500 per ticket for trip delays over 12 hours, and up to $3,000 per passenger for lost or damaged luggage.
The United Quest card offers free checked bags on United-operated flights, saving you up to $90 per person on checked bags for the primary cardmember and one companion.
Here are the travel benefits offered by the Chase Sapphire Preferred and United Quest cards:
- Trip delay reimbursement: up to $500 per ticket
- Trip cancellation insurance: reimbursed for certain pre-paid expenses
- Baggage delay insurance: up to $100 for delayed items
- Lost luggage reimbursement: up to $3,000 per passenger
- Free checked bags: up to $90 per person on United-operated flights
Card Features
The United Quest card offers a range of benefits, including 3X miles per $1 spent on United purchases, 2X miles per $1 spent on all other travel, dining, and select streaming services, and 1X mile per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases.
You can use the card for all spending with United Airlines and their Star Alliance partners to take advantage of the bonus miles category, the $125 annual United credit, and the two free checked bags for the cardholder and one companion on the same itinerary when flying United.
The card also offers a statement credit of up to $120 every four years for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA Precheck, or NEXUS programs.
Here's a breakdown of the rewards and benefits:
- 3X miles per $1 spent on United purchases
- 2X miles per $1 spent on all other travel
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining
- 2X miles per $1 spent on select streaming services
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
The United Quest card has a $250 annual fee, but it can be covered by the up to $125 in statement credits you can earn each account anniversary year for United purchases and the up to 10,000-mile credit you can earn back for taking United flights booked with miles.
Earning Rate
The United Quest Card offers a solid earning rate, especially for frequent United travelers. You'll earn 3X miles per dollar spent on United purchases, which is a significant bonus.
However, there's a catch: you need to spend at least $125 on United purchases within a year to unlock this rate. After that, you'll earn 3X miles on all further United spending.
The card also rewards general travel purchases, offering 2X miles on nearly everything related to travel, including non-United airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more.
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Here's a breakdown of the earning rates on the United Quest Card:
- 3X miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- 2X miles per dollar spent on all other travel, including non-United airfare, hotels, car rentals, and more
- 2X miles per dollar spent on dining and select streaming services
- 1X mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases
It's worth noting that the United Quest Card's earning rate is not as competitive as some other cards, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, which offers 5X points on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
Worldwide Acceptance
Both the United Quest and the Sapphire Preferred are Visa cards, which means they're accepted equally around the world.
You can use either card to make purchases in over 200 countries and territories, with millions of merchants accepting Visa payments.
The Visa network is massive, with a presence in almost every corner of the globe, making it easy to use your card wherever you travel.
Take a look at this: Visa Reward Credit Cards
$125 Annual Purchase Credit
The $125 Annual Purchase Credit is a valuable perk of the United Quest card. You can earn up to $125 in statement credits each account anniversary year for United purchases charged to your card.
To put this into perspective, if you regularly fly with United, this credit can cover a significant portion of your annual fees. For example, if you have a family of four and you're all flying together, you can earn up to $500 in credits per year.
Here's a breakdown of the $125 annual credit:
- Earn up to $125 in statement credits each account anniversary year for United purchases charged to your card.
- This credit can be used towards any United purchase, such as flights, hotel stays, or car rentals.
- The credit is automatically applied to your account each anniversary year, so you don't need to do anything to receive it.
Travel Benefits
Both Chase Sapphire Preferred and United Quest offer impressive travel benefits that can save you money and make your travels more enjoyable.
Chase Sapphire Preferred provides generous coverage for travel-related issues, including trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, and lost luggage reimbursement.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers more generous coverage for baggage delay insurance and trip cancellation insurance compared to the United Quest.
The United Quest Card offers a $125 annual United purchase credit, which can be redeemed for United purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
You can enjoy free checked bags on United-operated flights when purchasing tickets with your United Quest Card, with the primary Cardmember and one companion receiving their first and second standard checked bags free.
Here are the details of the free checked bags benefit:
This benefit can add up to significant savings, especially if you're a frequent traveler.
Card Perks and Rewards
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and United Quest cards offer some amazing perks and rewards. The Chase Sapphire Preferred card has a richer rewards structure, with 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining, and 1 point per dollar spent on everything else.
Here are some of the key rewards and perks of each card:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: 2 points per dollar spent on travel and dining, 1 point per dollar spent on everything else
- United Quest: 3 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar spent on travel, dining, and select streaming services, 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else
The United Quest card offers elevated rewards on spending, including 3X miles per $1 spent on United purchases, 2X miles per $1 spent on all other travel, dining, and select streaming services.
Sign-up Bonus
The sign-up bonus is a fantastic way to earn a large number of points to devote toward free travel. The United Quest Card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card are currently offering elevated welcome bonuses, which can help you earn points quickly.
The United Quest card offers up to 100,000 bonus miles after hitting tiered spending requirements. You'll earn 80,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases within the first three months, and an additional 20,000 miles after spending $10,000 within the first six months.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card pays out 100,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months. This bonus is worth significantly more than the United Quest card's, with a points value of 1.7 cents apiece.
United miles are worth an average of 1.3 cents apiece, making the Chase Sapphire Preferred card's bonus worth $1,700 in travel. In contrast, the United Quest card's 100,000-mile bonus is worth $1,300 in travel.
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Redemption Value
The United Quest card offers a decent redemption value, but it's not the best in the market. You can redeem your miles for United Airlines flights at an average value of 1.3 cents per mile.
Redeeming your miles for United flights is a great option, but the value can vary based on the route, award ticket fees, and travel dates. If you can, try to redeem your miles for flights during off-peak times.
The United Quest card is not the only option for redeeming miles, though. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you can transfer your points to United or other travel partners like British Airways or Hyatt, and get an average value of 1.7 cents per point.
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To get the most value out of your miles, it's essential to understand how to redeem them effectively. You can visit United.com and search for flights with the "Book with miles" option selected to see how many miles you'll need for a specific flight.
The United Quest card also offers other redemption options, but they might not be the best value. For example, redeeming your miles for hotels, gift cards, or merchandise will give you significantly less value, around 0.5 to 0.7 cents per mile.
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Enhanced Rewards Structure
The United Quest card has a rewards structure that's more complex than the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, but it's also more rewarding for frequent United flyers. You'll earn 3 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar spent on travel, dining, and select streaming services, and 1 mile per dollar spent on everything else.
One of the best features of the United Quest card is its elevated rewards on United purchases. You'll earn 3X miles on all United spending after you've reached a $125 spending threshold in a calendar year. This makes up for half of the card's $250 annual fee on its own.
The United Quest card also offers rewards on general travel purchases, not just United purchases. You'll get 2X miles on nearly everything related to travel, including non-United airfare, trains, local transit, cruise lines, hotels, car rentals, taxicabs, resorts, rideshare services, and tolls.
Here's a breakdown of the rewards rates on the United Quest card:
- 3X miles per dollar spent on United purchases
- 2X miles per dollar spent on travel, dining, and select streaming services
- 1X mile per dollar spent on everything else
These rewards rates can be a game-changer for frequent United flyers, and the card's $250 annual fee can be easily covered by the up to $125 in statement credits you can earn each account anniversary year for United purchases.
Fees and Credits
The United Quest card is a great option for travelers, but it's essential to understand its fees and credits. The card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees, making it a convenient choice for international trips.
The United Quest card offers a $125 annual United purchase credit, which can be a significant benefit for frequent flyers. You'll receive this credit as a statement credit every year, up to $125, as reimbursement for United purchases charged to your card.
You'll also get a statement credit every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS, up to $120. This can be a huge time-saver and cost-effective for those who frequently travel.
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Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS Fee Credit — Up to $120
If you're a frequent traveler, you'll love the Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit offered by the Chase United Quest card.
The Chase United Quest card offers a statement credit every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for these programs when charged to your Quest Card.
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High Annual Fee
The United Quest card's annual fee is a significant $250, but it's not the highest around.
For comparison, the United Explorer card has a more manageable $95 annual fee, and it's even waived for the first year.
If you're an occasional traveler, the United Explorer might be the better choice, especially since it offers similar benefits to the United Quest card for a lower price.
The United Quest card's high annual fee might be worth it for frequent travelers, though, since its benefits and rewards can easily cover the cost.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Chase Sapphire Preferred work with United Airlines?
Yes, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card allows 1:1 point transfers to United Airlines, among many other airlines and hotel chains. This feature makes it a valuable option for United Airlines travelers.
Is it worth it to upgrade to the United Quest Card?
Upgrading to the United Quest Card may be worth it for frequent travelers, especially those who can leverage its benefits like free checked bags and boarding priority. Consider your travel habits and expenses to determine if the card's perks outweigh the annual fee.
Does Chase Sapphire get you into United lounge?
No, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card does not provide airport lounge access, including United Club access. However, it offers other travel benefits like a $50 annual hotel credit.
Sources
- https://millionmilesecrets.com/reviews/chase-sapphire-preferred-vs-chase-united-quest/
- https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/united-explorer-vs-chase-sapphire-preferred-comparison
- https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/united/united-quest-card/travel-benefits
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/chase-releases-new-united-quest-card-with-bonus-offer/
- https://www.creditcards.com/reviews/united-quest-card-review/
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