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Chase Instacart Mastercard vs United Explorer Card

Both are Chase cards. Here is every spend category, ranked by what each card actually returns.

Best card by category Card terms as of Oct 29

Everything else

  1. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate
  2. Instacart Mastercard 1.0% 1% base rate

Dining

  1. United Explorer Card 2.4% 2x
  2. Instacart Mastercard 2.0% 2%

Gas

  1. Instacart Mastercard 2.0% 2%
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Travel · portal

  1. Instacart Mastercard · Chase Travel 5.0% 5%

Flights

  1. United Explorer Card 3.6% 3x
  2. Instacart Mastercard 1.0% 1% base rate

Hotels

  1. United Explorer Card 2.4% 2x
  2. Instacart Mastercard 1.0% 1% base rate

What the numbers are doing

United Explorer Card tops everything else at 1.2% only because this table values its points at 1.2 cents each. Value them at one cent and Instacart Mastercard wins that category instead.

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Instacart Mastercard $0 and United Explorer Card $150 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: United Explorer Card takes everything else, dining, flights and hotels; Instacart Mastercard takes gas.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseUnited Explorer Card1.2%
DiningUnited Explorer Card2.4%
GasInstacart Mastercard2.0%
Travel · portalInstacart Mastercard · Chase Travel5.0%
FlightsUnited Explorer Card3.6%
HotelsUnited Explorer Card2.4%

Content preview. Apple Wallet controls the layout; visible categories vary by device. Categories that rank the same as Everything else are left off; every other category is in pass details.

Every category, every card

Everything else

  1. United Explorer Card — 1.2%
  2. Instacart Mastercard — 1.0%

Dining

  1. United Explorer Card — 2.4%
  2. Instacart Mastercard — 2.0%

Gas

  1. Instacart Mastercard — 2.0%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%

Travel · portal

  1. Instacart Mastercard · Chase Travel — 5.0%

Flights

  1. United Explorer Card — 3.6%
  2. Instacart Mastercard — 1.0%

Hotels

  1. United Explorer Card — 2.4%
  2. Instacart Mastercard — 1.0%
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