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Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

United Business Card overview

The United℠ Business Card provides a plethora of perks for a $150 annual fee. From a first checked bag free on United Airlines flights to ride-hailing statement credits and more, the card can provide solid value to the right small-business owners. However, some businesses may find it inconvenient to track the card’s coupon book of monthly benefits. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐½

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The United Business Card is a mid-tier card for small businesses that use United for flights at least several times a year. The card offers perks like a free checked bag and inflight discounts on food and beverages to help businesses save on ancillary flying fees.

United recently refreshed its entire credit card portfolio. The United Business Card’s annual fee rose to $150, but we also saw the introduction of new statement credits and upgrade certificates to ease the sting. These benefits are not exclusively geared toward travel, so you’ll want to ensure they fit your spending habits.

For the best chances of approval, you’ll want a credit score of 670 or higher. If you have a small business and travel with United (even occasionally), you might want to consider applying for the United Business Card.

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

United Business Card welcome offer

New United Business Card holders can earn 125,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Plus, new cardholders can earn another 5,000 miles after adding an employee card in the first three months of account opening.

Based on TPG’s March 2025 valuations of United miles at 1.35 cents each, this bonus is worth up to $1,755.

Although this is not the highest offer we’ve seen on the card, it is the highest bonus we have seen on the card over the past two years. We recommend applying now if you want to add this card to your wallet.

You aren’t eligible for this welcome offer if you currently have or had the United Business Card and received a welcome bonus for it within the last 24 months.

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 welcome bonus on 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.

The information for the United Club Business and the 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 without United or Star Alliance status looking for United Airlines benefits.

This card can certainly satisfy that desire with the following United-linked benefits:

• First checked bag free: Get the first checked bag free as the primary cardmember and for a companion traveling on the same reservation on United-operated flights.
• Priority boarding: Get priority boarding as the primary cardmember and for a companion. If you don’t like gate-checking your carry-on because the overhead space is full, this perk will help you avoid that.
• Two one-time United Club passes: Note that these can only be used by the primary cardmember, an authorized user or a guest traveling with either type of cardmember.
• FareLock statement credit: Earn up to $25 in statement credits annually after purchasing FareLock for a United flight using the United Business Card.
• United travel credit: Earn $125 in United TravelBank cash after five $100-plus United flight purchases per calendar year.
• Economy Plus seat upgrades: Earn two continental U.S. Economy Plus seat upgrades after spending $25,000 in a calendar year.
• Discount on United inflight purchases: Receive 25% back as a statement credit on eligible inflight United purchases when you pay with your United Business Card.

Aside from the United-related benefits, this card offers a set of statement credits to help offset its annual fee. These credits can be useful for business owners, but their usefulness depends entirely on your spending habits and merchant preferences.

These statement credits include:

• Up to $100 United Hotels statement credit: Receive $50 in statement credits on your first and second prepaid hotel stays purchased through United® Hotels using your United Business Card each anniversary year.
• Ride-hailing credit: Receive $8 each month ($12 in December)  in ride-hailing statement credits for a total of $100 each calendar year. Yearly enrollment is required. Chase has a broad definition of what counts as a ride-hailing service. That means this credit will be more flexible for your business than the ride-hailing credits offered by other issuers, like American Express.
• United travel credit via car rental: Earn up to $25 in United TravelBank cash per eligible Avis/Budget rental when booking through cars.united.com. This benefit is limited to two $25 United TravelBank credits per anniversary year.
• JSX statement credit: Earn up to $100 in statement credits each anniversary year when making JSX purchases directly with the airline. JSX offers a semiprivate flying experience at commercial fares, so it may be worth exploring for a special company trip.
• Instacart+ membership and statement credits: Receive a complimentary Instacart+ membership for three months, then a 25% discounted annual plan. Cardholders can also earn up to $10 per month ($120 each calendar year) in Instacart credits on purchases made with the United Business Card. These benefits end December 31, 2027.

Overall, the statement credits and benefits are useful but require monitoring and tracking. The easiest statement credits to utilize are the ride-hailing credit and the $125 United TravelBank cash.

Businesses will find no value in the JSX and Instacart credits if they do not use these services organically. Fortunately, your business can still get positive value from this card’s annual fee through its other benefits.

You’ll also enjoy the following additional benefits:

• “Better together” anniversary bonus: Earn 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
• Expanded award availability: The primary cardholder may see expanded award availability when using miles to book any United-operated flight.
• Earn Premier qualifying points: Earn 1 Premier qualifying point for every $20 in card spending, up to 4,000 PQPs in a calendar year. These PQPs can be applied up to Premier 1K elite status.
• Travel protections: Cardholders will enjoy 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 can give your business peace of mind for expensive or important purchases.
• Employee cards: Get employee cards at no additional cost and set individual spending limits on each employee card.
• No foreign transaction fees

Business owners who fly United regularly will easily get enough value from these benefits to justify paying the $150 annual fee. However, this card will require extra effort and attention to detail to keep track of all its perks. If your business is looking for a card that doesn’t require a slate of monthly reminders, this isn’t the card.

Related: United Airlines MileagePlus: Guide to earning and redeeming miles, elite status and more

Earning miles with the United Business Card

The United Business Card earns 5 miles per dollar spent on United fares and 2 miles per dollar spent on the following purchases:

• United Hotels
• All other eligible United purchases
• Local transit and commuting
• Gas stations
• Office supply stores
• Restaurants (including eligible delivery services)

The bonus-earning for United Hotels feels too restrictive for business owners. Earning 2 miles per dollar spent on any hotel purchase would be more useful.

According to TPG’s March 2025 valuations, you’ll get a 6.8% return on United purchases and a 2.7% return on other category spending. You’ll also earn 1 mile per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases, which is an approximately 1.4% return.

Compared to the United Club Business Card, the United Business Card earns a stronger 2 miles per dollar across key business-related bonus categories. Nonetheless, not all businesses are alike, and some may benefit from the United Club Business Card’s 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all nonbonused spending.

Redeeming and transferring 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 on these charts.

Chris Nelson, a credit cards writer at TPG, loves United’s Excursionist Perk. He booked a round-trip ticket between the U.S. and Europe, flying from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) in Scotland. He then flew to Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) before heading to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The trip only cost him 60,000 United miles since the Excursionist Perk let him fly for free between Edinburgh and Madrid.

You’ll generally get the most value from your United miles when you use them to book flights. Other redemption options include:

• Secure a seat upgrade
• Purchase inflight Wi-Fi
• Book hotel stays and car rentals
• Purchase merchandise and gift cards
• Access once-in-a-lifetime events

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 Bonvoy balance for a specific redemption. You can’t transfer more than 100,000 United miles to Marriott in a calendar year, but that shouldn’t be an issue for most.

Related: Here’s what you should know before transferring Marriott points to airline miles

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 personal United card: The United℠ Explorer Card comes with the same annual fee of $150 beginning in the second year ($0 introductory annual fee the first year), plus ride-hailing credits, a free checked bag and United TravelBank credits. If the United Business’ bonus categories don’t fit your needs or you’re not invested in earning more PQPs, the Explorer Card is the perfect alternative. 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 $695 but greater United-related benefits, such as a United Club membership for the primary cardholder, the ability to earn United Club All-Access membership, two free checked bags and a better earning rate for PQPs. To learn more, read our comparison of the United Business Card and the United Club Business Card.
• If you’re a United fan but want more general rewards: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card offers the ability to earn valuable Ultimate Rewards points on different business expenses. Your points can then be transferred to several airline and hotel partners, including United MileagePlus, or redeemed directly for travel 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 United Airlines benefits and partner perks that allow the right small-business owners, freelancers and side hustlers to justify the card’s $150 annual fee. As a business owner, if you can’t utilize the card’s perks or maximize the opportunity to earn United elite status, you’ll be better off with a more general business credit card.

Bottom line

The United Business Card provides several ways to earn United travel credits and make progress toward United elite status. The card offers meaningful value for some, but its steep annual fee and the effort required to maximize its credits means it won’t be right for all businesses.

If your business can naturally use the credits this card offers or is aiming toward United elite status, this card is likely a no-brainer.

Apply here: United Business Card