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Chase Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 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. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 1.3% 1x base rate
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Dining

  1. United Explorer Card 2.4% 2x
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 1.3% 1x base rate

Groceries

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Gas

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

Flights

  1. United Explorer Card 3.6% 3x
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x

Hotels

  1. United Explorer Card 2.4% 2x
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 1.3% 1x base rate

Lyft

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus 2.5% 2x
  2. United Explorer Card 1.2% 1x base rate

What the numbers are doing

The table is earn rate only — annual fees are not netted out of it. These cards charge Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus $99 and United Explorer Card $150 a year, so a thin lead in one category may not cover the difference.

Where they differ: Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus takes everything else, groceries, gas and lyft; United Explorer Card takes dining, flights and hotels.

pointslipEveryday
Pass content preview
CategoryBest card
Everything elseSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus1.3%
DiningUnited Explorer Card2.4%
GroceriesSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus2.5%
GasSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus2.5%
FlightsUnited Explorer Card3.6%
HotelsUnited Explorer Card2.4%
LyftSouthwest Rapid Rewards Plus2.5%

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. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 1.3%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%

Dining

  1. United Explorer Card — 2.4%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 1.3%

Groceries

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%

Gas

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%

Flights

  1. United Explorer Card — 3.6%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%

Hotels

  1. United Explorer Card — 2.4%
  2. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 1.3%

Lyft

  1. Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus — 2.5%
  2. United Explorer Card — 1.2%
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