United Business Card review: Valuable perks for United fans
| 2x | 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. |
| 1x | 1x mile on all other purchases. |
Editor's Note
United Business Card overview
The United℠ Business Card provides a lot of perks for a sub-$100 annual fee. From a first checked bag free on United Airlines flights to two United Club one-time passes a year and solid travel protections, the card can provide excellent value to small-business owners who travel on United even just a few times each year. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
If you have a small business and travel with United (even occasionally), you might want to consider signing up for the United Business Card. This card has a $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then a $99 annual fee, but its many benefits can be valuable enough to offset it year after year.
The United Business card earns United MileagePlus miles and provides perks that are specific to United Airlines. For the best chances of approval, you'll want a credit score of 670 or higher.
Here are all the United Business card benefits you need to know about to decide if it's right for you.
United Business Card pros and cons
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United Business Card welcome offer
The United Business card is currently offering 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Based on TPG's August 2024 valuations of United miles at 1.35 cents each, this bonus is worth about $1,013. This is the standard welcome offer we have seen.
You aren't eligible for the sign-up bonus if you currently have the United Business card or previously had the United Business card and received a new cardmember bonus for it within the last 24 months.
However, Chase considers the United Business card a distinct product from the United Club℠ Business Card and the no longer available United Explorer Business Card. So, if you have or previously had either of these cards, you're still eligible for the sign-up bonus from the United Business card.
The United Business card also likely falls under Chase's unpublished 5/24 rule. If you've opened five or more credit card accounts in the last 24 months, you might not be approved for it. That said, since this is a business card, it won't count toward 5/24 for you.
The information for the United Club Business and United Explorer Business has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Related: Best credit card welcome offers
United Business Card benefits
The United Business card is best suited for small-business owners who are looking for United Airlines benefits and don't have United or Star Alliance elite status.
The primary cardmember and one companion traveling on the same reservation will each receive their first standard checked bag free on United-operated flights.
Plus, the primary cardmember and companions on the same reservation will be invited to board United-operated flights before general boarding when the primary cardmember includes their United MileagePlus number.
You'll also get two United Club one-time passes each year, which can come in handy even if you don't have other cards that provide lounge access.
You'll also enjoy the following additional benefits:
- Annual United travel credit: $100 United travel statement credit after seven eligible United flight purchases of $100 or more with the United Business card within an account anniversary year
- Statement credit on United inflight purchases: 25% back as a statement credit on food, beverages and Wi-Fi aboard United-operated flights when you pay with your United Business card
- "Better together" bonus: 5,000 bonus miles each year on your United Business card anniversary when you have both the United Business card and a personal Chase United credit card
- Employee cards: Get employee cards at no additional cost and set individual spending limits on each employee card
- Expanded award availability: The primary cardholder may see expanded award availability when using miles to book any United-operated flight
- Earn Premier qualifying points: Get 25 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) for every $500 in card spending, up to 1,000 PQPs in a calendar year, that can be applied up to Premier 1K elite status
- Travel protections: Trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, auto rental collision damage waiver and travel accident insurance
- Shopping protections: Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
- No foreign transaction fees
Business owners who fly United regularly will easily get enough value from these benefits to justify paying the $99 annual fee after the first year.
Related: United Airlines significantly improves basic economy fares with a key change
Earning miles with the United Business Card
The United Business card earns 2 United miles per dollar on the following purchases:
- United purchases, including tickets, seat upgrades, Economy Plus, inflight food, inflight beverages, inflight Wi-Fi, baggage service charges and other United charges
- Local transit and commuting
- Gas stations
- Office supply stores
- Restaurants (including eligible delivery services)
According to TPG's August 2024 valuations of 1.35 cents per United mile, you'll get a 2.7% return on these purchases. You'll also earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases, which is a 1.35% return.
Redeeming miles on the United Business Card
You can use United miles to book award travel on United, other Star Alliance airlines and partner airlines.
It's worth noting that United uses dynamic award pricing rather than award charts. Although this makes it more difficult to determine the price of an award until you're ready to book, dynamic pricing can lead to inexpensive award flights in some situations.
Award charts still exist for using United miles on partner airlines — and there are some sweet spots to be found on these charts. Former TPG contributor Sarah Hostetler notes that if you fly from the U.S. to Paris (CDG), you could use the Excursionist Perk to get a free one-way flight to Amsterdam (AMS). Your itinerary could look like this:
- U.S. to Paris
- Paris to Amsterdam (free)
- Amsterdam to the U.S.
You'll generally get the most value from your United miles when you use them to book flights, but you can also use United miles to secure an upgrade, purchase inflight Wi-Fi, book hotel stays and car rentals or use them for merchandise, gift cards and once-in-a-lifetime events.
Related: How to travel more for fewer miles with United's Excursionist Perk
Transferring miles on the United Business Card
You can also transfer your United miles to Marriott Bonvoy at a 1:1 ratio.
However, this is far from the most valuable option, so we recommend avoiding it unless you need to top off your Marriott balance for a specific redemption. You can't transfer more than 100,000 United miles to Marriott in a calendar year, but I don't see this being an issue for most.
Related: How to maximize redemptions with United MileagePlus
Which cards compete with the United Business Card?
If you want to earn United miles on your business purchases, the United Business card has a few notable competitors.
- If you want a lower annual fee: The personal United℠ Explorer Card offers a marginally lower annual fee of $95 beginning in the second year ($0 introductory annual fee the first year), plus a credit of up to $120 for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fees every four years and slightly different bonus categories that earn 2 miles per dollar. To learn more, read our full review of the United Explorer Card.
- If you want more benefits: The United Club Business Card has a significantly higher annual fee of $450 but greater United-related benefits, such as a United Club membership for the primary cardholder and an additional free checked bag on United. To learn more, read our comparison of the United Business Card and the United Club Business card.
- If you want more general rewards: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers the ability to earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points on a variety of business expenses. Your points can then be transferred to 14 airline and hotel partners, including United MileagePlus, or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. To learn more, read our full review of the Ink Business Preferred.
For additional options, check out our list of the best business credit cards.
Related: 4 reasons someone in your family needs a United credit card
Is the United Business Card worth it?
The United Business card offers various United Airlines perks that allow many small-business owners, freelancers and side hustlers to easily justify the card's $99 annual fee after the first year. However, those who rarely fly United will be better off with a more general business credit card.
Bottom line
The United Business card provides solid travel protections along with its ample benefits, and if you make at least seven purchases of $100 or more with United each year on your card, you'll get a $100 statement credit.
Other perks, such as priority boarding and 25% back on inflight purchases, can add up over time. If you can get at least $99 of value each year from all of the card's perks, you should consider signing up for the United Business card.
Apply here: United Business Card
Related: Current United MileagePlus credit card welcome offers