Is the United Club Card worth the higher annual fee?

The United Club Card costs $695/yr vs $495/yr for the Bilt Palladium Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $200 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the United Club Card also lists lounge access, travel credits).

Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Palladium Card or United Club Card?

The Bilt Palladium Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.

What benefits does the Bilt Palladium Card have that the United Club Card doesn't?

The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection. The United Club Card offers lounge access, travel credits.

Should I get the Bilt Palladium Card or the United Club Card?

Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bilt Palladium Card has a lower $495/yr fee; the United Club Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $695/yr.

Bilt Palladium Card vs United Club Card

Annual fees: Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr, United Club Card $695/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Bilt Palladium Card on rent and travel, United Club Card on hotels.

Card data as of October 12, 2026.

Credit card comparison
Overview
	Bilt Palladium Card Cardless · $495/yr	United Club Card Chase · $695/yr
Annual fee	$495 Lowest	$695
Welcome offerCurrent public offer	50,000 points	Up to 100,000 miles
Rewards	Bilt Points	United MileagePlus
Foreign transaction fee	None	None
Network	Mastercard	Visa Infinite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
Dining	2x	2x
Hotels	2x	2x
Ridesharing	2x	2x
Transit	2x	2x
Travel	2x	2x
Mortgage	1.25x Highest	1x
Rent	1.25x Highest	1x
Everything else	2x Highest	1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
Travel	$400 hotel credit	$200 Renowned Hotels $100 Avis/Budget travel $200/yr JSX flights $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck 25% United inflight purchases · $25 per transaction
Rideshare & transit	—	$150/yr rideshare · $13 monthly
Dining & delivery	—	$20/mo Instacart+ · $20 monthly
Shopping & wellness	$200 Bilt Cash	—
Perks & access— means none on record
Lounges	Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access	United Club membership with guest access
Hotel status & programs	—	IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
Airline perks	—	Earn up to 20,000-miles in award flight discounts each year Premier Access priority boarding and security lanes Free first and second checked bags for you plus companion Premier upgrades on award tickets
Car rental	—	Avis President's Club®
Other perks	—	10% or more off United awards MileagePlus miles don't expire United Card Events from Chase and United MileagePlus Events Earn up to 28,000 Premier® qualifying points (PQP) No foreign transaction fees
Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record
Trip insurance	Trip Delay	Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per traveler Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 12 hours
Baggage	—	Baggage delay coverage $100/day up to 3 days Lost baggage coverage up to $3,000 per traveler
Rental car	MasterRental Coverage	Primary car rental insurance up to $60,000
Purchase & returns	Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000 Price Drop Protection · up to $250	Return Protection · up to $500 Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
Extended warranty	—	Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
Cell phone	Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800	—
Pros & cons
Pros	$600+ in annual credits ($400 hotel + $200 Bilt Cash) partially offsets $495 fee Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fees 2X points on all everyday purchases 50,000 points + $300 Bilt Cash welcome bonus (highest among Bilt cards) Transferable points to major airline and hotel partners	Full United Club membership included ($750/year value) with 1 adult guest Highest PQP earning: 1 PQP per $15 spent, 28,000 annual cap, plus 1,500 bonus PQPs Two free checked bags for cardholder plus companion 5x miles on United purchases (highest among United cards) Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles
Cons	Requires high spending volume to qualify and maintain Palladium status No card-level bonus categories beyond the 2X flat rate (headline multipliers are membership-inclusive composites) Housing multiplier (up to 1.25X) depends on everyday-spend tiers or Bilt Cash redemption Benefits still lag behind premium travel cards from Chase/Amex	$695 annual fee is the highest among United cards United Club access only useful at airports with United presence Guest policy limited to 1 adult (plus children under 18) Renowned Hotels credit requires booking through specific portal No direct TravelBank credit like Quest card offers
	Card details	Card details

Bilt Palladium Card
Cardless · $495/yr
United Club Card
Chase · $695/yr

Overview

Annual fee: Bilt Palladium Card
$495
Lowest
United Club Card
$695
Welcome offerCurrent public offer: Bilt Palladium Card
50,000 points
United Club Card
Up to 100,000 miles
Rewards: Bilt Palladium Card
Bilt Points
United Club Card
United MileagePlus
Foreign transaction fee: Bilt Palladium Card
None
United Club Card
None
Network: Bilt Palladium Card
Mastercard
United Club Card
Visa Infinite

Earn ratesPer $1 spent

Dining: Bilt Palladium Card
2x
United Club Card
2x
Hotels: Bilt Palladium Card
2x
United Club Card
2x
Ridesharing: Bilt Palladium Card
2x
United Club Card
2x
Transit: Bilt Palladium Card
2x
United Club Card
2x
Travel: Bilt Palladium Card
2x
United Club Card
2x
Mortgage: Bilt Palladium Card
1.25x
Highest
United Club Card
1x
Rent: Bilt Palladium Card
1.25x
Highest
United Club Card
1x
Everything else: Bilt Palladium Card
2x
Highest
United Club Card
1x

Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record

Travel: Bilt Palladium Card
$400 hotel credit
United Club Card
$200 Renowned Hotels
$100 Avis/Budget travel
$200/yr JSX flights
$120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
25% United inflight purchases · $25 per transaction
Rideshare & transit: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
$150/yr rideshare · $13 monthly
Dining & delivery: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
$20/mo Instacart+ · $20 monthly
Shopping & wellness: Bilt Palladium Card
$200 Bilt Cash
United Club Card
—

Perks & access— means none on record

Lounges: Bilt Palladium Card
Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
United Club Card
United Club membership with guest access
Hotel status & programs: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
Airline perks: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
Earn up to 20,000-miles in award flight discounts each year
Premier Access priority boarding and security lanes
Free first and second checked bags for you plus companion
Premier upgrades on award tickets
Car rental: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
Avis President's Club®
Other perks: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
10% or more off United awards
MileagePlus miles don't expire
United Card Events from Chase and United MileagePlus Events
Earn up to 28,000 Premier® qualifying points (PQP)
No foreign transaction fees

Protections & insuranceLimits where published · — means none on record

Trip insurance: Bilt Palladium Card
Trip Delay
United Club Card
Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per traveler
Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 12 hours
Baggage: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
Baggage delay coverage $100/day up to 3 days
Lost baggage coverage up to $3,000 per traveler
Rental car: Bilt Palladium Card
MasterRental Coverage
United Club Card
Primary car rental insurance up to $60,000
Purchase & returns: Bilt Palladium Card
Purchase Assurance · up to $1,000
Price Drop Protection · up to $250
United Club Card
Return Protection · up to $500
Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
Extended warranty: Bilt Palladium Card
—
United Club Card
Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
Cell phone: Bilt Palladium Card
Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection · up to $800
United Club Card
—

Pros & cons

Pros: Bilt Palladium Card
$600+ in annual credits ($400 hotel + $200 Bilt Cash) partially offsets $495 fee
Earn up to 1.25X points on rent and mortgage with no transaction fees
2X points on all everyday purchases
50,000 points + $300 Bilt Cash welcome bonus (highest among Bilt cards)
Transferable points to major airline and hotel partners
United Club Card
Full United Club membership included ($750/year value) with 1 adult guest
Highest PQP earning: 1 PQP per $15 spent, 28,000 annual cap, plus 1,500 bonus PQPs
Two free checked bags for cardholder plus companion
5x miles on United purchases (highest among United cards)
Save 10% or more when booking flights with miles
Cons: Bilt Palladium Card
Requires high spending volume to qualify and maintain Palladium status
No card-level bonus categories beyond the 2X flat rate (headline multipliers are membership-inclusive composites)
Housing multiplier (up to 1.25X) depends on everyday-spend tiers or Bilt Cash redemption
Benefits still lag behind premium travel cards from Chase/Amex
United Club Card
$695 annual fee is the highest among United cards
United Club access only useful at airports with United presence
Guest policy limited to 1 adult (plus children under 18)
Renowned Hotels credit requires booking through specific portal
No direct TravelBank credit like Quest card offers

Card details

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Category-by-Category Winner

The Bilt Palladium Card wins in 3 of 3 categories. The United Club Card leads in 0. 1 more category depend on booking channel or caps.

Rent

Bilt Palladium Card earns 1.25X vs 1X

1.25X via tiered option or up to 1X via Bilt Cash option; no transaction fee; no annual cap on housing payments

Mortgage

Bilt Palladium Card earns 1.25X vs 1X

1.25X via tiered option or up to 1X via Bilt Cash option; no transaction fee

Hotels

Depends: via issuer travel portal

United Club Card earns 5X when conditions are met; Bilt Palladium Card earns 2X (2X without restrictions)

Everyday purchases

Bilt Palladium Card earns 2X on all other spending vs 1X

Year One vs Ongoing Value

Modeled net value (bonus categories at unconditional rates, caps applied). Spend mix: dining 15%, groceries 15%, gas 10%, travel 10%, everything else 50%. Statement credits use the same recurring usable estimates as each card's detail page; first-year-only credits count in year one only. Welcome offers valued at each card's program rate shown on this page.

Both scenarios favor the Bilt Palladium Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Scenario	Bilt Palladium Card	United Club Card	Ongoing winner	Year-one winner
Light spender: $1,000/month	Rewards: $480 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $285 Year one: $1,285	Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: -$75 Year one: $1,005	Bilt Palladium Card	Bilt Palladium Card
Heavy spender: $4,000/month	Rewards: $1,920 Credits (our usable estimate): $300 − Annual fee ($495) Ongoing: $1,725 Year one: $2,725	Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: $465 Year one: $1,545	Bilt Palladium Card	Bilt Palladium Card

Is the Fee Difference Worth It?

The United Club Card costs $695/yr — that's $200 more than the Bilt Palladium Card ($495/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $200 in annual value from the card's higher earn rates and benefits.

The United Club Card includes travel credits, lounge access, Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit, free checked bags. Those perks are not included in the earn-rate scenario table above — compare their dollar value to the $200 fee gap for your own usage.

Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $200 fee gap means the United Club Card needs roughly $200 more in annual rewards (or credits you will use) to break even on hotels and travel and everyday spend.

What You Give Up

Choosing one card means missing out on these benefits from the other.

Choosing Bilt Palladium Card means losing:

-Free checked bags
-Global Entry credit

Which Card Is Right for You?

Get the Bilt Palladium Card if you:

+Prefer a high flat rate across all spending

Get the United Club Card if you:

+Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out

The Bottom Line

Both scenarios favor the Bilt Palladium Card on net value (rewards, usable credits, fees, and welcome offer).

Everyday (non-bonus) spend earns 2X on the Bilt Palladium Card vs 1X on the other card.

Published annual fees: Bilt Palladium Card $495/yr, United Club Card $695/yr — a $200 difference before welcome offers and credits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the United Club Card worth the higher annual fee?: The United Club Card costs $695/yr vs $495/yr for the Bilt Palladium Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $200 gap must be offset by higher earn rates, welcome offers, or credits you will use (the United Club Card also lists lounge access, travel credits).
Which card earns more rewards, the Bilt Palladium Card or United Club Card?: The Bilt Palladium Card has a higher base earn rate (2X vs 1X), but both cards have different bonus categories where they excel.
What benefits does the Bilt Palladium Card have that the United Club Card doesn't?: The Bilt Palladium Card offers lounge access, cell phone protection. The United Club Card offers lounge access, travel credits.
Should I get the Bilt Palladium Card or the United Club Card?: Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Bilt Palladium Card has a lower $495/yr fee; the United Club Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $695/yr.

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Official issuer pages: Cardless cards · Chase cards

Editorial disclosure: CardRewards.ai is an independent comparison service. Card data comes from issuers' published terms; catalog last published October 12, 2026, and each card page shows when its terms were last checked. Card issuers do not influence our rankings or content.