United Business Card
- Best for: Business owners whose company flies mostly United
- What Sets It Apart: Up to 4,000 PQP a year from spending; 2x on gas stations, office supply stores, and local transit; free employee cards that earn you miles
- Cost: $150 annual fee; 19.99% to 28.49% variable APR; no foreign transaction fees
- Features: Free first checked bag for you and one companion; priority boarding; 2 United Club one-time passes a year; $125 United travel credit after five United ticket or fee purchases of $100 or more in a calendar year
- Pros: Bag savings for two can top the fee on one round trip; 100,000-mile welcome offer; free employee cards
- Cons: Employees get the free bag only on your reservation; no first-year fee waiver; club passes, not a membership
Open the United Business Card if your company flies mostly United. Its free first checked bag for you and a companion saves up to $200 a round trip, $50 more than the $150 annual fee, and the card adds two United Club passes a year. If you fly United only occasionally, the personal United Explorer Card is enough.
Chase issues the United Business Card to companies and sole proprietors alike, so a side business you run on your own can qualify. Either way, you’re personally responsible for the balance along with the business.
Key Features
- $150 annual fee, a 19.99% to 28.49% variable interest rate (APR), and no foreign transaction fees
- 2 miles per $1 on tickets and fees bought from United, dining, local transit, gas stations, and office supply stores; everything else earns 1 mile per $1
- 1 Premier qualifying point (PQP), which counts toward United’s Premier elite status, for every $20 spent, up to 4,000 PQP a year
- 90,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 miles for adding an employee card by then
- Free first checked bag for you and a companion traveling on your reservation, priority boarding, and two United Club one-time passes a year
Pros
- The full 100,000-mile offer is worth about $1,200, using NerdWallet’s value of 1.2 cents a mile
- Employee cards are free, and their spending earns miles for your account
- Earns PQP on up to $80,000 of spending a year, versus $20,000 on the personal United Explorer Card
- A $125 United travel credit each calendar year you make five United ticket or fee purchases of $100 or more
Cons
- Employees get the free bag and priority boarding only when they’re on your reservation
- After your account’s first 90 days, the free bag requires paying for the ticket with the card, and flights run by partner airlines never qualify
- Only two United Club passes a year, while the $695 United Club Business Card includes a full membership
- Each yearly partner credit requires specific spending, such as rideshares or Instacart orders
Get it if most of your business travel is on United, especially if you want company spending to count toward Premier status. If you fly United only a few times a year, the personal United Explorer Card gives the same bag, boarding, and United Club perks with no fee the first year.
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