Monthly spending. We rank on rewards minus the full annual fee, so statement credits and perks are listed separately and never counted for you.
Choosing between the Discover it Cash Back (no annual fee) and the United℠ Explorer Card ($150/yr) comes down to where you spend most. United Explorer Card needs about $785 a month in dining or hotels, counting that spending alone, to make up its $150 higher annual fee over Discover it Cash Back. Below that, Discover it Cash Back comes out ahead. Enter your monthly spending above to see which comes out ahead for you.
5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year.
Perfect if: You want solid rewards without paying an annual fee.
Apply NowStrongest in hotels at 2%. 2x miles on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays.
Perfect if: You want a strong rewards rate with no spending caps to worry about.
Apply Now| Feature | Discover it Cash Back | United Explorer Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 | $150 |
| Sign-Up Bonus | None | 70,000 miles after $3,000 spend in 3 months |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | 0% | 0% |
| Base Reward Rate | 1% | 1% |
| Hotels Rewards | 1% | 2% |
| Dining Rewards | 1% | 2% |
| Rates with conditions not counted in the rows above |
None |
2% on United Earns 2% only on United purchases. Flights on other airlines earn 1%. |
| Key Benefits | 5% on rotating quarterly categories (up to $1,500/quarter), 1% on everything else. Cashback Match doubles all cash back in first year. | 2x miles on United purchases, dining, and hotel stays. |
United Explorer Card wins on travel, dining.
The $150/year fee difference means United Explorer Card needs to earn about that much more in rewards to justify its cost.
United Explorer Card carries $600/year in credits (mostly tied to specific merchants or bookings). Those only count if you’d actually use them. Worth checking against your own habits before treating them as a discount on the fee.
Not sure which fits your life? Enter your spending below and we’ll do the math. The calculator ranks purely on rewards minus the full annual fee, so credits and perks are yours to judge.