United℠ Business Card: Review
The United℠ Business Card is an attractive option for business owners and other professionals who are frequently on the move — but only if you tick one very big box.
Is the United Business card worth it?
The United Business card can definitely be worth it if you frequently fly and are loyal to United Airlines. From a free checked bag and priority boarding to airport lounge passes and an annual money-back bonus, you’ll benefit a lot by signing up for a United Business Card — but only if you fly often enough.
This United Airlines card also gives you a free pass on annual fees for the first year. But remember, the annual fee goes up to $99 thereafter. As long as you fly UA often enough to get at least $99 in value out of the card perks, this card is worth the fees.
United Business Card: Highlights
Here’s a quick look at the key selling points of the United Business credit card:
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Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, $99 per year thereafter.
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Reward rate: Cardholders earn 2 miles for each $1 spent on United purchases. You’ll also get this 2:1 ratio for eligible food delivery services, gas stations, at office supply stores and some transit/commute-related expenditures. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on everything else.
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Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus points if you charge a minimum of $5,000 to your new United Business card within three months of opening your account.
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Key perks: Other perks include employee cards, a free first-checked bag on United flights, priority boarding privileges and two United Club one-time passes per year.
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Drawbacks: There’s an annual fee of $99 after the first year and it doesn’t offer intro APR on purchases or balance transfers. It also requires good-to-excellent credit for membership approval.
Pros and cons
Who is the United Business card best for?
The United Business credit card is best for United loyalists who fly semi-frequently to frequently and can benefit from the many United perks that come with the card.
Earning miles on local transit and some restaurant purchases is nice, but double miles on United purchases, a free checked bag each flight, discounts on in-flight purchases and priority boarding are the main events.
United℠ Business Card: Rewards
The United Airlines Business credit card is a rewards powerhouse — as long as you know what you stand to gain and how to stack up those miles.
Earning rewards
Earning rewards with the Chase United Business card is pretty straightforward:
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2x miles on United purchases: Get double points per $1 spent on all United purchases, including flights, bag fees, upgrading your seats, in-flight purchases of refreshments and Wi-Fi.
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2x miles on dining, including eligible delivery services: You also get double points per $1 spent on certain restaurant expenditures, including eligible delivery services.
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2x miles at gas stations, office supply stores and local transit and commuting: Add to your rewards stockpile with 2x miles from these other non-United retailers and services.
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1x mile on all other purchases: For everything not covered above, you stand to make an even 1:1 ratio — so 1 mile for every $1 spent.
Redeeming rewards
Once you’ve racked up your miles, you need to redeem them. With this rewards credit card, there are several ways to turn your miles into money:
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Statement credits: Use your United miles to pay yourself back for flights by applying your rewards to your card statement.
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United / Star Alliance air miles: Use miles to book United and Star Alliance flights to over 1,000 destinations internationally.
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Money + Miles: Book a trip using a combination of your United miles and cash to cover more expensive trips.
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United Club membership: Use your accumulated miles to pay for United Club membership and relax in one of nearly 50 lounges worldwide.
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Other purchases: Avid travelers can redeem United miles for prepaid baggage, TSA PreCheck fees, meals at eligible outlets at Newark International and Houston Intercontinental Airports and in-flight purchases. Miles can sometimes be redeemed for non-travel purchases too, including Apple products, newspapers and gift cards from participating stores.
Welcome offer
United Business’s welcome offer is an impressive 75,000 bonus miles, awarded only if you spend $5,000 on your card within three months of opening your account.
United℠ Business Card: Benefits
Check out the benefits that help make the this business credit card a favorite among frequent United travelers.
Travel benefits
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Free first checked bag: United Business cardholders get their first checked bag free, a savings of $35 per flight.
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United Club lounge passes: Use your two one-time passes per year to relax in a United Club lounge.
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Priority boarding: Board ahead of your assigned group as a United Business credit cardholder.
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$100 United travel credit: Members who book at least seven United flights of $100 or more per anniversary year get a $100 United travel credit added to their account.
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25% cash back on in-flight purchases: Get 25% back — as a statement credit — for anything you purchase during a United-operated flight using your United Business card.
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5,000 bonus miles per year: United’s gift-giving skills are top-notch, with yearly anniversary presents in the form of 5,000 bonus miles — but only if you have both personal and United Business cards.
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Auto rental collision damage waiver. Hit the road with additional peace of mind thanks to primary rental car insurance that applies to both collision damage and theft.
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Baggage delay insurance. Luggage delayed by more than six hours? United will give you up to $100 per day, for up to three days, so you can purchase on-the-go essentials.
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Lost luggage reimbursement: If that delayed luggage never shows up, you can get up to $3,000 to replace your belongings. This protection also applies to carrier-caused damage to your luggage and/or its contents.
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Trip cancellation/interruption insurance: Trips cut short or canceled altogether may be covered for up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip (coverage applies to non-refundable expenses only).
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Trip delay reimbursement: Trips delayed by more than 12 hours or overnight are eligible for reimbursement of up to $5000.
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Visa concierge: Enjoy access to complimentary Visa Signature Concierge Services. Call 24/7 for help with anything from booking show tickets and making dinner reservations to service referrals and gift assistance.
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MileagePlus exclusives: As a MileagePlus member, you get secondary perks (on top of card exclusives), such as free upgrades and free access to Economy Plus.
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Extended warranty protection: Extend the manufacturer’s warranty on eligible purchases by one year. This only applies to certain warranties initially covering three years or less of consumer use.
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Purchase protection: If you can’t return a dud you bought using your United Business card, you may be able to get reimbursement of up to $500 per item (capped at $1,000 per year) as long as you’re still within 90 days of the original purchase.
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DoorDash DoorPass membership: You could get a one-year DoorDash DoorPass membership with $0 delivery fees, lower service fees and 5% cash back on purchases in the form of DoorDash account credits. (Must be activated by 12/31/24)
Other benefits
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Employee cards: With a United Business credit card account, you can give your employees their own cards. As they spend, the points they accrue will be added to your account, meaning you rack up rewards even faster without sharing your main card.
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United Card events: Your United Card is like an all-access pass to special United Card Events. Purchase tickets to unique experiences like luxurious summer retreats in Jackson Hole, dinner experiences with celebrity chefs and exclusive concerts by award-winning artists.
United℠ Business Card: The fine print
With an abundance of benefits, it’s also important to look at the basics of this business-focused credit card.
Fees
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Annual fee: $0 intro fee for the first year; $99 from the second year on
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Foreign transaction fee: None
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Late payment fee: $40
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Cash advance fee: $15 or 5% of the total transaction amount, whichever is greater
Interest rates
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Regular APR: 21.99% - 28.99% variable APR
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Cash advance APR: Up to 29.99% variable APR
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Intro APR offer: None
Credit limit
The minimum credit limit for United Business Card holders is $5,000. However, applicants who are more creditworthy, with higher income and credit scores, for example, may receive more generous credit limits.
United℠ Business Card: Drawbacks
The Chase United Business card has a lot going for it, but before you sign on the digital line, it’s important to know the downsides of this airline credit card, too.
No intro APR on purchases or balance transfers
Some cards entice consumers to open an account by promising an introductory low- or no-interest period that applies to either new purchases or balances transferred over from another card. The United Business Card offers neither, so plan on paying the full 21.99%-28.99% APR if you carry a balance.
Annual fee (after the first year)
This Chase credit card has a $99 annual fee. That’s waived for the first year, but after that, you’ll need to pay nearly $100 just for the privilege of having the card. It’s still much less than some other business cards and a decent deal if you travel enough to offset the fee with rewards.
Requires good-to-excellent credit
While there is no official credit score threshold you need to hit to be considered for a United Business card, insiders say you’ll need a credit score of at least 670 to be approved. Higher scores, up to 850, give you even better odds, and you’ll also need a solid debt-to-income ratio and higher income level to make the cut.
How United℠ Business Card compares
Here’s how the Chase United Business credit card stacks up against some other business travel credit cards currently on the market.
United℠ Business Card vs. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card comes out swinging by offering 3 points per $1 spent for travel, shipping, telecommunications and advertising purchases. Those rewards are limited to the first $150,000 in eligible spending per year, and all other spending earns just 1 point per $1.
The annual fee is just $4 less than the $99 charged by the United Chase Business card, but the United card has no rewards cap, a much broader redemption scheme and more overall ways to earn miles.
▶︎ Read more: Ink Business Preferred review
United℠ Business Card vs. Capital One Venture X Business
The Capital One Venture X Business is a rewards giant, with cardholders earning up to 10x miles on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel. Capital One Travel flight and vacation rental bookings earn 5x miles, and you get 2x miles on all other purchases.
However, the Venture X Business’ annual fee is where it falls flat. You’ll have to pay a hefty $395 for the privilege of using this card, and you need to book the majority of your travel with Capital One to get a lot of value out of the card.
▶︎ Read more: Venture X Business review
Should you get a United℠ Business Card?
You should get a United Business card if the perks and redemption scheme align with your planned buying patterns and overall needs.
Most United Business card benefits reward consumers for purchasing United products, such as flights, in-flight add-ons and so on. If you’re running a business and travel frequently using United Airlines, you have the potential to save a lot of money and leverage extra protections in the process.
