United Quest Card’s $125 Rebate Benefit Will Be Less Flexible Next Year

Updated: December 13, 2024, 5:49pm CST

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Changes to the $125 United Quest Card Credit
Final Thoughts

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The United Quest℠ Card has several interesting benefits for those who fly with United Airlines even only occasionally, but you may have a harder time taking advantage of one benefit starting in the spring.

Along with the ability to earn lots of miles from your spending, you get 2 complimentary checked bags and up to 10,000 bonus miles each year after booking award flights with your miles. Cardholders also currently earn up to $125 in credits each year for purchases made with United Airlines.

But that last perk is becoming a lot less valuable in 2025.

Here’s a look at the upcoming change to the $125 credit on the United Quest card.

Changes to the $125 United Quest Card Credit

The United Quest card has a $250 annual fee, and it offers numerous benefits in exchange for that fee. For those who fly even only semiregularly with United Airlines, these perks can be extremely valuable.

Among its perks, the United Quest card offers up to $125 in credits each account year (based on the date you opened your card) to offset purchases with United, so long as you pay with this card. Eligible purchases include inflight food and drinks, inflight Wi-Fi, seat upgrades, baggage fees, and even fees for attending exclusive events offered in partnership with Chase, who issues the card.

Presently, you get that $125 as a statement on your account. That reduces your card’s balance at the end of the billing cycle, so you then have $125 left in your pocket to spend how you’d like.

That won’t be the case soon.

United IAH Terminal C check in — You’ll be restricted to United and United Express flights soon with the United Quest Card rebate. Image Credit: Jessica Merritt

Starting on March 24, 2025, the $125 credit will be issued as United TravelBank cash. The public landing pages for the United Quest card don’t show this information, but it’s available on your statement if you currently have this card. Here’s the exact verbiage:

Starting 3/24/2025, your $125 annual United Quest(SM) Chase issued statement credits will change to United TravelBank cash, which you can apply to the flight of your choosing. View TravelBank cash in your MileagePlus account. For more information visit united.com/TravelBankTerms.

While United TravelBank cash works like cash for buying United flights, it has several restrictions. First, TravelBank funds can’t be used toward any partner flights — only United- and United Express-operated flights. Second, you can’t use TravelBank funds to pay taxes and fees on award flights when redeeming United miles. Third, you can’t use TravelBank cash in combination with flight credits or vouchers you might have from a previously canceled flight. Lastly, you can’t put TravelBank cash back in your pocket like you can with a statement credit.

Thus, this benefit is becoming much less flexible.

Bottom Line:

The United Quest card will change the way it issues its $125 in credits in March 2025, changing this benefit from a statement credit to United TravelBank cash. How you earn these funds or the maximum amount isn’t changing, but the funds will be a lot less flexible to actually use.

Final Thoughts

Starting on March 24, 2025, the United Quest card will stop issuing statement credits for the up-to-$125 annual benefit to offset United Airlines purchases. Instead, the funds will be issued as United TravelBank credit, which is less flexible than receiving a rebate as a statement credit.