Choice Privileges Select Mastercard vs United Club Card
Annual fees: Choice Privileges Select Mastercard $95/yr, United Club Card $695/yr. Strongest bonus categories: Choice Privileges Select Mastercard on gas stations, United Club Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
Choice Privileges Select MastercardWells Fargo · $95/yr
United Club CardChase · $695/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard$95LowestUnited Club Card$695
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard60,000 pointsUnited Club CardUp to 100,000 miles
- Rewards
- Choice Privileges Select MastercardChoice Privileges PointsUnited Club CardUnited MileagePlus
- Foreign transaction fee
- Choice Privileges Select MastercardNoneUnited Club CardNone
- Network
- Choice Privileges Select MastercardMastercard World EliteUnited Club CardVisa Infinite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Gas Stations
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard5xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Grocery Stores
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard5xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Home Improvement
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard5xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Telecom
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard5xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Dining
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Hotels
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Ridesharing
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Transit
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Travel
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Everything else
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard1xUnited Club Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit · $120 every 4 years
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
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- $150/yr rideshare · $13 monthly
- Dining & delivery
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- $20/mo Instacart+ · $20 monthly
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- United Club membership with guest access
- Hotel status & programs
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- Automatic Platinum Elite status
United Club Card- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
- Airline perks
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—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
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- Avis President's Club®
- Other perks
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- No foreign transaction fees
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
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per traveler
- Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 12 hours
- Baggage
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- Baggage delay coverage $100/day up to 3 days
- Lost baggage coverage up to $3,000 per traveler
- Rental car
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- Primary car rental insurance up to $60,000
- Purchase & returns
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- Zero Liability on unauthorized transactions
United Club Card- Return Protection · up to $500
- Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
- Extended warranty
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard—United Club Card
- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Cell phone
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- Up to $800 cell phone protection
United Club Card— - Other protections
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- 24/7 lost/stolen card assistance worldwide
United Club Card—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- Automatic Platinum Elite status with meaningful benefits
- Industry-leading 10x earning at Choice Hotels
- Strong 5x earning on gas, grocery, home improvement, and phone plans
- 30,000 anniversary bonus points (worth ~$180 in stays)
- 20 elite night credits annually
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
- Choice Privileges Select Mastercard
- $95 annual fee that may be hard to justify for occasional guests
- Higher $3,000 spend requirement for welcome bonus vs no-fee card
- Choice Hotels limited to economy and midscale properties
- Points value relatively low compared to premium hotel programs
- No lounge access or premium travel benefits
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
Category-by-Category Winner
The United Club Card wins in 5 of 9 categories. The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard leads in 4.
Gas Stations
Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earns 5X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earns 5X vs 1X
Home Improvement
Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earns 5X vs 1X
Telecom
Choice Privileges Select Mastercard earns 5X vs 1X
Hotels
United Club Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Travel
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Dining
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Ridesharing
United Club Card earns 2X vs 1X
Transit
United Club Card earns 2X 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.
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
| Scenario | Choice Privileges Select Mastercard | United Club Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $192 Credits (our usable estimate): $30 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $127 Year one: $607 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: -$75 Year one: $1,005 | Close — depends on how much of the credits you use | United Club Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $768 Credits (our usable estimate): $30 − Annual fee ($95) Ongoing: $703 Year one: $1,183 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: $465 Year one: $1,545 | Choice Privileges Select Mastercard | United Club Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The United Club Card costs $695/yr — that's $600 more than the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard ($95/yr). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $600 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 $600 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $600 fee gap means the United Club Card needs roughly $600 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 Choice Privileges Select Mastercard means losing:
- -Airport lounge access
- -Free checked bags
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the United Club Card if you:
- +Spend $300+/month on restaurants and dining out
- +Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
The Bottom Line
Modeled value is close across spend levels — especially once statement credits are counted.
Published annual fees: Choice Privileges Select Mastercard $95/yr, United Club Card $695/yr — a $600 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 $95/yr for the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $600 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 Choice Privileges Select Mastercard or United Club Card?
- Both cards earn 1X on everyday purchases. The difference is in bonus categories — check the earn rate comparison above for a full breakdown.
- What benefits does the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard have that the United Club Card doesn't?
- The Choice Privileges Select Mastercard offers cell phone protection. The United Club Card offers lounge access, travel credits.
- Should I get the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard or the United Club Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the Choice Privileges Select Mastercard has a lower $95/yr fee; the United Club Card must earn enough extra (or offer a larger welcome bonus) to justify $695/yr.
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.