Best card at a store
Best card for United Airlines in dollars (2026)
Published September 3, 2026. Updated September 14, 2026. Estimates use Pikt's card catalog and the same rewards engine as Pikt Checkout. Pikt personalizes each estimate to the cards you already carry, the purchase details, and any reward values you set. It compares supported earn rates, eligible offers, caps, and card constraints, then explains the result.
Answer
On a $426 purchase at United Airlines, Platinum Card earns the most: 5x points, worth about $42.60. Sapphire Reserve is next at $34.93, so the difference on this one purchase is $7.67. Platinum Card carries a $895 annual fee, which this one purchase does not cover on its own. This is a general ranking of 200+ personal cards. It does not use the cards in your wallet.
What counts as United Airlines
Airfare bought directly from United.
Pikt classifies United Airlines as flights booked direct, so the ranking below uses each card's rate for that category plus any rate a card has for United Airlines itself.
Top cards at United Airlines, on a $426 purchase
The table compares 200+ personal cards still open to new applicants. Rotating 5% categories count only when the issuer's published calendar includes flights booked direct this quarter, and those rows are marked. Rates you choose yourself appear separately below.
| # | Card | Rate here | Earns on $426 | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Platinum Card (opens in a new tab)American Express | 5x points | $42.60 | $895 |
| 2 | Sapphire Reserve (opens in a new tab)Chase | 4x points | $34.93 | $795 |
| 3 | Autograph Journey (opens in a new tab)Wells Fargo | 4x points | $29.82 | $95 |
| 4 | Amex Gold (opens in a new tab)American Express | 3x points | $25.56 | $325 |
| 5 | United Club Infinite (opens in a new tab)Chase | 5x points | $25.56 | $695 |
| 6 | AAdvantage Executive (opens in a new tab)Citi | 4x points | $24.71 | $695 |
| 7 | Strata Premier (opens in a new tab)Citi | 3x points | $24.28 | $95 |
| 8 | Autograph (opens in a new tab)Wells Fargo | 3x points | $22.37 | $0 |
| 9 | Southwest Rapid Rewards Priority (opens in a new tab)Chase | 4x points | $21.30 | $229 |
| 10 | United Quest (opens in a new tab)Chase | 4x points | $20.45 | $350 |
Points are turned into dollars at Pikt's published redemption value for each program, so a points card and a cash-back card can sit in the same column. Welcome bonuses, spending caps, and card-specific credits are not included in this one-purchase number.
Annual fees as of September 2026. Issuers change terms often, so check the issuer's own page before you apply.
How Pikt got this answer
Pikt ran 200+ personal cards through the same rewards engine as Pikt Checkout. Each card is open to new applicants, and its earn rates have been checked against issuer terms. The example uses a $426 purchase classified as flights booked direct at United Airlines. Points and cash back are converted to dollars. Read how Pikt turns points into dollars.
The store's category code, not the aisle, decides which bonus applies. Business cards, cards no longer open to new applicants, and cards whose rates Pikt has not verified are left out.
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