United℠ Business Card Review [2024]: Generous Rewards and Free Checked Bags

CREDIT CARDS - BUSINESS CREDIT CARDS
This airline credit card offers tons of value to business owners with its welcome offer and fantastic travel perks.
Updated March 21, 2024
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Business owners who are looking for a way to earn travel rewards on their regular purchases should consider the United℠ Business Card. United and Chase recently revamped their business card offerings, which means you can take advantage of a potentially very valuable welcome offer.

The United Business Card offers value with all of its travel perks, but also with its miles-earning potential in popular spending categories. Let’s take a closer look at what makes this United Airlines credit card unique.

Great value for a low fee!

4.7

United℠ Business Card

Current Offer

Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open

Annual Fee

$99

Rewards Rate

2 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting; plus 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks
Card Details

In this United Business Card review:

Who should get the United Business Card?

The United Business Card is designed for business owners who love earning award flights and other travel perks. First, you can’t glance over the 100,000-mile welcome offer attached to this card. This is a valuable welcome offer for any frequent United traveler.

If you’re already a frequent flyer with United Airlines, then the United Business Card could be the best airline credit card for you. It comes with several benefits beyond the welcome offer, including priority boarding, a free first checked bag, a credit for in-flight purchases, and lounge access. Cardmembers who take advantage of these extra perks will more than make up for this card’s annual fee of $99.

If you don’t travel much, especially with United Airlines, it’s hard to picture this card making sense for you. A cashback credit card or more versatile travel rewards credit card might be a better fit for your business purchases.

Card basics

Card type Business
Credit card issuer Chase
Annual fee $99
Welcome offer Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open
Reward rate 2 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting; plus 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases
Recommended credit score Excellent, Good
Foreign transaction fee None

United Business Card benefits and perks

  • Generous welcome offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Cardmembers who’ve received the United Business Explorer welcome offer in the past 24 months are still eligible to receive this offer unless they converted directly to this card from the United Business Explorer card.
  • $100 statement credit: Each year, cardholders who make seven United flight purchases of $100 or more will receive a $100 United travel credit. Purchases could include everything from in-flight Wi-Fi to seat upgrades.
  • 5,000 bonus miles: If you have both the United Business Card and a Chase United personal card, you’ll receive 5,000 bonus miles each account anniversary year.
  • United Club passes: Gain access to United Club airport lounges worldwide, with two free one-time passes added to your MileagePlus account each year on your cardmember anniversary.
  • Boarding privileges: Cardmembers and companions on the same reservation receive priority boarding on all United flights.
  • Free checked bag: Skip costly baggage fees with the United Business Card. The cardmember and one travel companion on the same reservation get a first checked bag free on all United flights. That's a savings of up to $140 for you and a guest on a round-trip flight.
  • DoorDash benefit: Take advantage of the one-year complimentary DashPass subscription for cardholders (activate by 12/31/24). With DashPass, you'll pay no delivery fees and benefit from reduced service fees on eligible orders. After the first year, your DashPass subscription will renew at the regular monthly rate. 
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance: If your trip gets canceled or interrupted for a covered reason, you could get up to $1,500 back per person, up to $6,000 per trip.
  • Extended warranty protection: Eligible warranties for purchases made with your card can be extended by one year.
  • Free employee cards: Get cards for employees at no additional cost.
  • Premier Qualifying Points (PQP): If you want to level-up your business's MileagePlus loyalty status, this card lets you earn PQP that will count toward Premier status qualification. You can earn 25 PQP on every $500 spent on this credit card (up to 1,000 PQP per calendar year).

Drawbacks of the United Business Card

  • Most valuable for United frequent flyers: If United is not your preferred or most frequently flown airline, you may be better off with a more versatile business travel credit card
  • Not great for everyday spending: There are better travel credit cards available that provide more value for your everyday expenses, such as gas or eating out.
  • No intro APR offers: The United Business Card doesn't provide intro APR offers on purchases or balance transfers. Learn about better options for these types of offers in our list of the best 0% APR business credit cards.

Earning and redeeming United MileagePlus miles

Best ways to earn

There are several ways to earn United MileagePlus miles with the United Business Card. You can earn 2 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting; plus 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases. You can also build up miles quickly by supplying your employees with United Business Cards.

Categories Rewards rate
United purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting 2 miles per dollar
All other purchases 1 mile per dollar

Maximizing your redemptions

The MileagePlus program through United Airlines offers many redemption options for cardmembers to enjoy. The main draw of having an airline credit card is to earn award tickets, which is possible with the United Business Card. You can redeem your miles for United flights and upgrades, as well as flights on more than 35 partner airlines through Star Alliance and MileagePlus.

Domestic one-way award flights typically start at 12,500 miles, but you can occasionally find United Saver Award flights as low as 5,000 points for a one-way economy fare. Domestic business and first-class flights start at 25,000 miles.

In addition to award flights, you can also redeem MileagePlus miles for hotel stays, cruises, and car rentals. You can even redeem points for credit on TSA PreCheck fees.

Outside of travel, other redemption options include:

  • Merchandise
  • Apple purchases
  • Gift cards
  • Exclusive experiences

Redemption values vary, so it’s important to make sure that you’re getting good value for your miles when redeeming through MileagePlus.

United Business Card transfer partners

If you have a Chase card that earns Ultimate Rewards points, you can transfer those points to United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio. Transfers are instant, so if you need more United miles in a pinch, this is a decent way to boost your balance.

You can also use your MileagePlus miles for flights on more than 35 partner airlines in the Star Alliance and MileagePlus programs. Plus, United has partnered with several hotel rewards programs. You can earn MileagePlus miles for qualifying stays at a variety of properties.

Star Alliance Other airline partners Hotel and transportation partner rewards programs
  • Aegean Airlines
  • Air Canada
  • Air China
  • Air India
  • Air New Zealand
  • All Nippon Airways
  • Asiana Airlines
  • Austrian
  • Avianca
  • Brussels Airlines
  • Copa Airlines
  • Croatia Airlines
  • EgyptAir
  • Ethiopian Airlines
  • EVA Air
  • LOT Polish Airlines
  • Lufthansa Airlines
  • Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
  • Shenzhen Airlines
  • Singapore Airlines
  • South African Airways
  • Swiss International Air Lines
  • TAP Air Portugal
  • Thai Airways
  • Turkish Airlines
  • Aer Lingus
  • Aeromar
  • Air Dolomiti
  • Airlink
  • Azul
  • Boutique Air
  • Cape Air
  • Discover Airlines
  • Edelweiss
  • Emirates
  • Eurowings
  • Flydubai
  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • JSX
  • Olympic Air
  • Silver Airways
  • Virgin Australia
  • Vistara

United Business Card FAQs

What credit score is needed for the United Business Card?

You likely need good to excellent credit to qualify for the United Business Card, although approval still isn't guaranteed. A good FICO credit score ranges from 670 to 739; excellent scores range from 800 to 850.

How many miles do you need for a free flight on United?

One-way Economy Saver flights can be found for as few as 5,000 miles. Most domestic flights start at 12,500 miles for Basic Economy fares.

Do United miles expire?

United MileagePlus miles do not expire.

Is the United Business Card worth it?

The United Business card is packed with value if you are a frequent United flyer. It has incredible earning potential in spending categories that are popular with many small businesses. The welcome offer alone makes this card a solid choice for your next business credit card. If you aren’t interested in travel redemptions and perks, this isn’t the credit card for you or your business.

What is the best United Airlines card?

All of the United Airlines credit cards offer significant value to cardmembers. With the United℠ Business Card, you get lots of perks for a low annual fee of $99. If you love access to airport lounges, then the United Club Card may be a better option. Both cards come with the generous welcome offer. With its generous welcome offer and United Club membership, the United Club Card is a great choice for a personal credit card.

Other cards to consider

If the United Business Card doesn't sound like the best credit card for you, you may also want to consider the United Club℠ Business Card or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

The United Club Business Card provides premium travel rewards for business owners, and it offers a 75,000-mile welcome offer when you spend $5,000 within the first 3 months. Although it does have a much higher annual fee of $450, this card comes with United Club membership, which gives you unlimited access to participating airport lounges worldwide. If you travel frequently, this perk could help you save some serious money on food and drinks at the airport.

If you’re looking for a more versatile business credit card, the Ink Business Preferred Card is also worth considering. With this card, you can earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Plus, you’ll gain access to Chase Ultimate Rewards, one of the most popular credit card rewards programs in the world. Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed through the Chase portal for travel or with 14 partner airline and hotel programs. The Chase Ink Business Preferred card has a $95 annual fee.

Great value for a low fee!

4.7

United℠ Business Card

Why We Like It

Earn 100,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open

See how these cards compare:

United Club℠ Business Card
United Club℠ Business Card
  • Earn 75,000 bonus miles, plus 1,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP), after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months
  • Earn 2X miles on United Airlines purchases, plus 1.5X miles on all other purchases
  • United Club membership
  • Free employee cards
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
  • Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • 3X points on travel and common business spending categories
  • Flexible redemption options
  • Additional employee cards at no extra cost

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