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United℠ Business Card
- Our Rating 4.0/5 How our ratings work
- APR21.99% - 28.99% (Variable)
- Annual Fee$0
$0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99.
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Sign Up Bonus
75,000United MileagePlus Miles
Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Plus, $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $99. Dollar Equivalent: $1,050 (75,000 United MileagePlus Miles * 0.014 base)
The United℠ Business Card features an impressive bonus, which is among the best travel bonuses currently on offer. If you’re serious about getting awarded for travel and find United convenient or simply prefer it, you can maximize your United miles earned every year. Plus, business owners can also provide employees with cards, at no additional cost, to maximize rewards earning potential.
Worthwhile Perks for Business Owners Flying United
Chase and United Airlines launched a new version of this classic co-branded airline business credit card in 2019, which features a valuable sign-up bonus among its many perks. The United℠ Business Card comes with a sign-up bonus of up to 75,000 MileagePlus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
But the value of this airline credit card doesn’t end with its big bonus. United loyalists are sure to enjoy perks like free checked bags, travel credits and in-flight discounts.
Pros
- Free first checked bag on United flights
- Two United Club passes per year
- Low $99 annual fee with the ability to add free employee cards
Cons
- Other cards can provide better rewards on business-related purchases
Sign Up Bonus: 75,000 Miles
It's not uncommon for credit card issuers to sweeten the deal with bonus miles at the time of account opening. These bonus offers often require new cardholders to meet a specific spending threshold on eligible purchases during the first several months of account opening.
The United Business Card comes with a hefty 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $5,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Note that the United Business Card offer is only available for individuals who don’t already have this card and haven’t received a new cardmember bonus in the past 24 months.
Annual Fee
The United Business Card has a $0 annual fee, which is waived for the first year. You can maximize the card’s value by hitting the spending requirement to earn the full sign-up bonus.
United Business Card APR
The United Business Card currently has no introductory 0% APR offer. The card has a 21.99% - 28.99% (Variable) APR based on creditworthiness. APRs fluctuate throughout the year as card issuers adjust rates to the market. A balance transfer credit card is a better option if you want to transfer existing credit card balances and pay them off over time.
Credit Score
Credit card issuers typically don’t publicly disclose credit score requirements to qualify for specific cards. The United Business Card is designed for people with good to excellent credit scores (670-850).
It’s good practice to stay on top of your current credit scores, especially before applying for a new credit card. You can check and monitor your credit scores for free with the three major credit bureaus. If your credit score needs some help, Experian Boost™ is a popular service that can help boost your credit score.
United Business Card Rewards Rate
The United Business Card gives cardholders several ways to earn miles:
- 2x miles per $1 spent on United purchases, including tickets, inflight purchases, upgrades and more
- 2x miles per $1 spent at restaurants and select food delivery services
- 2x miles per $1 spent at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting
- 1x mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
This business airline co-branded card is an excellent option for small business owners who spend frequently on business-related and travel-related expenses. Similarly, this business credit card is a strong option if your business spends considerable money on entertaining clients, at office supply stores or fueling up company vehicles.
United Business Card Fees
The United Business Card carries a $0 annual fee. Cardmembers don’t pay foreign transaction fees with this card, making it the perfect companion when traveling outside the U.S. Cardmembers have access to balance transfers but are subject to fees of $5 or 5% the transferred amount, whichever is greater.
Cardmembers who carry a balance over from month to month are subject to interest charges. You can avoid this by paying off your card balance in full each month by the due date.
United Business Card Benefits
In addition to accelerated earnings for United purchases, this business credit card unlocks access to a plethora of travel perks for cardmembers, including:
| Free checked bag | Cardmember and one companion on the same reservation receive their first checked bag is free on flights booked with the United Business Card. |
| Travel credit | You can earn a $100 United travel credit after making seven United flight purchases of $100 or more each card anniversary year. |
| Anniversary bonus | Individuals who have both a United business card and United personal credit card earn 5,000 bonus miles each card anniversary. |
| Inflight discount | Cardmembers earn 25% back on select inflight United purchases like food, beverages and WiFi. |
| United Club passes | Cardmembers receive two United Club one-time passes after card opening and every card anniversary. United Clubs are exclusive airport lounges featuring complimentary amenities such as snacks, beverages, WiFi and comfy workspaces. There are 45+ United Club and affiliated airport lounge locations available. |
| Priority boarding | Cardmembers and companions on the same reservation get to board United-operated flights early, before general boarding. |
| Car rental insurance | Using your United Business Card for car rentals gives you access to theft and collision damage for most rental cars in the U.S. and abroad. |
| Complimentary DashPass | Cardholders are given access to DoorDash’s DashPass service – which waives delivery fees and reduces service fees at select restaurants – for one year. To qualify for DashPass, make sure to activate the offer by December 31, 2024. |
As you can see, this business credit card provides tons of value for business travelers. But those aren’t all of the perks included with this card. Other benefits for cardmembers include:
- No blackout dates
- Exclusive United events and experiences
- Baggage Delay insurance
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip Cancellation/ Trip Interruption Insurance
- Trip Delay reimbursement
- Purchase protection
- Extended warranty protection
- Visa concierge access
- Free employee cards
- No foreign transaction fees
- Accelerated point earning for United purchases
Using Your United Business Card Points
The best use of United MileagePlus points is to book award travel through United Airlines, partner airlines or other Star Alliance airlines. United Airlines used to have a published award chart, but it was dropped by the airline in 2019. Several factors go into the number of points needed for an award flight now, including travel time and the date and time of travel. Obviously, round-trip flights and one-way flights will differ in the value of your point redemption for rewards flights. You can find out how many miles are required for a flight during the booking process.
United award flights are subject to additional taxes and fees.
You’ll get the most value using your miles for flights, but you can also use them for other redemptions like:
- Seat upgrades
- In-flight Wi-Fi
- Hotel stays
- Car rentals
- Online shopping
- Gift cards
- Exclusive events and experiences
MileagePlus miles offer tons of flexibility for small-business owners.
United MileagePlus Miles Expiration
The good news for United Business Cardmembers is that your miles never expire. Your miles are good, even if you decide to close your credit card account.
United MileagePlus Travel Partners
If you plan to use your United miles to book award flights, the good news is you aren’t limited to just United flights. As a MileagePlus member, your miles are also good at the following MileagePlus partner airlines:
- Aer Lingus
- Aeromar
- Air Dolomiti
- Boutique Air
- Cape Air
- Edelweiss
- Eurowings
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Juneyao Air
- Olympic Airlines
- Silver Airways
United Airlines is part of Star Alliance, a collection of airlines offering flights to and from destinations around the world. You can use your United miles to book flights on any of these Star Alliance partner airlines:
Aegean
Air Canada
Air China
Air India
Air New Zealand
ANA
Asiana Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Avianca
Brussels Airlines
COPA
Croatia Airlines
EgyptAir
Ethiopian Airlines
EVA Air
LOT Polish Airlines
Lufthansa
SAS
Shenzhen Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airways
Swiss Air Liens
TAP Portugal
Thai Airways
Turkish Airlines
The Star Alliance gives you access to thousands of flights daily at over 1,300 airports worldwide.
Chase 5/24 Rule
The United Business Card is issued by Chase, but it's not subject to Chase’s unwritten 5/24 rule. This unofficial rule works this way: If you’ve opened five or more new credit card accounts, Chase or another card issuer, in the last 24 months, odds are you’ll be denied on new Chase credit card applications.
Why doesn’t the United Business Card count towards the 5/24? Most business credit cards don’t count because Chase uses your credit report to determine the number of accounts you have. Most business card issuers don’t report card account activity to consumer credit reporting agencies. Keep in mind that most personal credit cards will count towards this number.
It’s a good idea to keep track of all of your current (and closed) credit card accounts before applying for a new Chase credit card.
You can learn more about Chase’s 5/24 Rule here.
Other United Credit Cards
We love the United Business Card, but it's not the only United credit card available. The United Explorer℠ Card is a personal co-branded credit card that currently offers a big new cardmember bonus after meeting the spending eligibility threshold in the first three months of card opening. The card offers many of the same benefits as the business card, plus a credit of up to $100 on Global Entry or TSA PreCheck™ fees every four years. The United Explorer Card has no annual fee the first year, then $95 after.
Other United card options include the United Club Infinite Card, United Quest card, and the new no-fee United Gateway Card. All three cards are issued by Chase and subject to Chase’s 5/24 rule.
Bottom Line
There's no one business credit card that's perfect for every small business and sole proprietor. But with accelerated earnings for business-related and travel-related expenses, no foreign transaction fees and a sizable bonus offer after meeting the required threshold of eligible purchases at the time of account opening, this business credit card comes close.
Beyond the sign-up bonus, cardmembers will also receive a $100 annual United travel credit after seven United flight purchases of $100 or more. Earning this extra bonus will make up for the $0 annual fee attached to the card after the $0 introductory annual fee period concludes.
Another perk to highlight is a 5,000 bonus miles each anniversary if you have both this new United Business Card and a personal United card. These new benefits, along with a list of other valuable travel-related perks, make the United Business Card a near-perfect business credit card for those who travel regularly on United.
Ready to apply? Start here.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You earn the most miles with your United Business Card on spending at office supply stores, gas stations, restaurants, local transit — including ride share services, taxicabs, train fare, tolls and mass transit — and purchases made directly with United Airlines. Additionally, members who carry both a United business and consumer card receive an additional MileagePlus Miles bonus each cardholder anniversary.
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The United Business Card is ideal for United frequent flyers, people who fly a couple times each year, and travelers who regularly use airports that are United Airlines hubs. Given this business card's generous welcome bonus for new cardholders, it's also ideal for people who want to dip their toe in travel rewards. If you do not fly often, consider a cash-back credit card or even a travel rewards card that offers redemptions for vacation rentals, hotel stays, rental cars, and other travel-related expenses.
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The value of a MileagePlus mile fluctuates depending on the chosen fare class, destinations, and itineraries (check current value). Nevertheless, it tends to be a bit higher than other flight rewards programs. Plus, you'll get an excellent choice of airlines that partner with United under the Star Alliance, including Lufthansa, Air China, TAP (Portugal), Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways, Air Canada and more.
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You can reach customer service any time of the day by calling them domestically at 1-800-999-6977, or their international line at 1-614-248-2161.
Kevin Payne
Kevin Payne is a personal finance, credit card, and travel writer. He is the family travel and budget expert behind FamilyMoneyAdventure.com. Kevin lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with his wife and four kids. His work has appeared on several websites, including FinanceBuzz, Credit Karma, Millennial Money, Club Thrifty, Student Loan Planner and Slickdeals.
