PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card vs United Club Card
Annual fees: PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card $0/yr, United Club Card $695/yr. Strongest bonus categories: PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card on gas stations, United Club Card on hotels.
Card data as of October 12, 2026.
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
PenFed · No annual fee
United Club CardChase · $695/yr
Overview
- Annual fee
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card$0LowestUnited Club Card$695
- Welcome offerCurrent public offer
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card15,000 pointsUnited Club CardUp to 100,000 miles
- Rewards
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardPenFed PointsUnited Club CardUnited MileagePlus
- Foreign transaction fee
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardNoneUnited Club CardNone
- Network
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® CardVisa SignatureUnited Club CardVisa Infinite
Earn ratesPer $1 spent
- Gas Stations
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card5xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Dining
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3xHighestUnited Club Card2x
- Grocery Stores
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Streaming
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card3xHighestUnited Club Card1x
- Hotels
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Ridesharing
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Transit
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Travel
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1xUnited Club Card2xHighest
- Everything else
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card1xUnited Club Card1x
Statement creditsAs the issuer states them · — means none on record
- Travel
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—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
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- $150/yr rideshare · $13 monthly
- Dining & delivery
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- $20/mo Instacart+ · $20 monthly
Perks & access— means none on record
- Lounges
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- United Club membership with guest access
- Hotel status & programs
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status
- Airline perks
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® 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
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- Avis President's Club®
- Other perks
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® 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
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Travel Accident Insurance ($250,000)
United Club Card- Trip cancellation coverage up to $10,000 per traveler
- Trip delay coverage up to $500 after 12 hours
- Baggage
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- Baggage delay coverage $100/day up to 3 days
- Lost baggage coverage up to $3,000 per traveler
- Rental car
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- Primary car rental insurance up to $60,000
- Purchase & returns
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- Return Protection · up to $500
- Purchase protection up to $10,000 per item for 120 days
- Extended warranty
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—United Club Card
- Extended warranty adds 1 year to manufacturer warranty
- Cell phone
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Cell Phone Protection ($500/claim)
United Club Card—
Pros & cons
- Pros
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—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
- PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card—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
Both cards win in 4 categories each — it comes down to which categories matter most to you.
Dining
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 3X vs 2X
Gas Stations
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 5X vs 1X
Grocery Stores
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 3X vs 1X
Streaming
PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 3X vs 1X
Hotels
United Club Card earns 5X vs 1X
5X via issuer travel portal
Travel
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.
Ongoing value favors the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card; year-one value favors the United Club Card.
| Scenario | PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card | United Club Card | Ongoing winner | Year-one winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light spender: $1,000/month | Rewards: $240 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $240 Year one: $240 | Rewards: $180 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: -$75 Year one: $1,005 | PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card | United Club Card |
| Heavy spender: $4,000/month | Rewards: $960 Credits (our usable estimate): $0 − Annual fee ($0) Ongoing: $960 Year one: $960 | Rewards: $720 Credits (our usable estimate): $440 − Annual fee ($695) Ongoing: $465 Year one: $1,545 | PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card | United Club Card |
Is the Fee Difference Worth It?
The United Club Card costs $695/yr — that's $695 more than the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card (no annual fee). To justify that gap, you need to extract at least $695 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 $695 fee gap for your own usage.
Bottom line: Use the year-one vs ongoing table for modeled earn value at your spend level. The $695 fee gap means the United Club Card needs roughly $695 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 PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card means losing:
- -Airport lounge access
- -Free checked bags
- -Global Entry credit
Which Card Is Right for You?
Get the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card if you:
- +Do most of your spending at grocery stores
Get the United Club Card if you:
- +Fly frequently and value airport lounge access
The Bottom Line
Ongoing value favors the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card; year-one value favors the United Club Card.
Published annual fees: PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card $0/yr, United Club Card $695/yr — a $695 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 $0/yr for the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card. Compare the year-one vs ongoing value table on this page — the $695 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 PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card 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 PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card have that the United Club Card doesn't?
- The PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card offers cell phone protection. The United Club Card offers lounge access, travel credits.
- Should I get the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card or the United Club Card?
- Use the spend scenarios on this page: the PenFed Platinum Rewards Visa Signature® Card has a lower $0/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.