The United Explorer Card‘s current elevated sign-up offer was originally supposed to end in mid-July before it was extended for another month, but alas the new deadline is fast approaching. So if you want to earn 40,000 miles after spending $2,000 in the first three months and a $100 statement credit after your first purchase, you have less than a week left. The current bonus will expire on Wednesday, August 15.
To jog your memory, the Explorer Card launched in June and in most respects it’s similar to the old United MileagePlus Explorer Card. But it boasts some additional bonus categories — in addition to earning 2x miles on United purchases, it gets you 2x on dining and hotels.
Another significant improvement is the addition of a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit every four years — if you travel even a few times a year, having this expedited airport access is huge. Finally, the card offers 25% off in-flight United purchases, including Wi-Fi as well as food and beverage.
Based on TPG’s valuations, 40,000 United miles are worth $560, and the $100 statement credit you’ll get after the first purchase on the Explorer Card bumps the total approximate value of this sign-up bonus to $660. Not bad at all for a card with a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first year. If you’re interested, just make sure you hit “Apply” by August 15 — on that date, the sign-up offer will be replaced with something that’s almost guaranteed to be lower.