[YMMV] Chase Upgrade Offers (Marriott, IHG & United)

The Offer

Direct link to offer

  • Chase has a number of upgrade offers on different cards. None of the offers are particularly good. For example:
    • Marriott 5,000 points
    • IHG 20,000 points
    • United 20,000 miles

Our Verdict

None of these offers are particularly exciting or worth doing in my opinion.

View Comments (15)

  • Offered 20k:

    Earn up to 20,000 bonus miles after you upgrade to the Unitedâ„  Explorer Card and make a qualifying purchase by 12/31/2024* and spend $3,000 in the first three months of account upgrade

    Looks like 10K for first purchase and 10k for $3k spend:

    Earn 10,000 Bonus Miles: To be eligible for this bonus offer, you must upgrade by 12/31/24 11:59 p.m. E.T. You will qualify for and receive your bonus if you make a Purchase with your new credit card by 12/31/24 11:59 p.m. E.T.Additional 10,000 Bonus Miles: To be eligible for this bonus offer, you must upgrade by 12/31/24 11:59 p.m. E.T. You will qualify for and receive your bonus if you make Purchases with your new credit card that total an amount at or above the specified target amount during the first 3 months from account upgrade.

    • Do you get an offer via email, via chase.com/mybonus or from the chase app/website offers? I never get any emails nor anything from chase.com/mybonus

  • I might actually take it not that much success in getting the United business card recently does upgrade offer reset the 24 month clock?

  • Offered 10K miles to upgrade from United Gateway to Explorer. No upgrade offers on my United Biz

    • Same. Maybe worth it if cost of spend is 2% for you (~3% minus the United miles you get) but only barely.

  • Offered 10k miles for upgrading from United explorer to quest. Honestly, it’s probably worth it. In my mind, upgrading works out to paying ~$55 for 10k miles, which are worth ~$100.

    $250 - $95 + 0.8* $125 = $55

    The other benefit differences are a wash in my book.

    • the 125 credit should be taken at 1.0 because you can book a fully refundable united flight and cancel it after 24 hours. chase does not claw back credits. also you can use miles to pay for the annual fee.

    • Hi, I got the same offer but mine annual fees are coming up in January for Explorer. Do you think upon switching now $95 annual fees would be refunded towards this upgrade? I also haven't used up the free united lounge passes as i have cap 1 venture x. Honestly was thinking of cancelling the card after the years over but on the fence now with this offer. Do you think it's worth it? TIA.

      • They will almost certainly give you a prorated refund and then charge the new fee in a few months. As for whether the offer is worth it, it really depends on whether you will fly United a bit and use the miles + benefits.