Annual fees rise across the United card lineup; award-ticket upgrades ended

$525 (United Club card) → $695

Effective March 24, 2025 for new applicants (existing cardholders at renewals on or after August 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026 for the Explorer card), Chase raised annual fees across the United co-branded lineup: Explorer from $95 to $150, Quest from $250 to $350, and Club from $525 to $695, with similar increases on the business cards. New statement credits and benefits were added at the same time, including rideshare credits, United TravelBank cash, and annual award-flight discounts. Separately, the Premier upgrades-on-award-tickets benefit ended August 1, 2025, and the Explorer card's two annual United Club one-time passes now require the primary cardholder or an authorized user to be present. The no-fee Gateway card was unchanged.

What to do: Weigh the new credits against the higher fee at renewal; the no-fee Gateway card is the escape hatch.