United Business Card Review: Is The Card Worth The $150 Annual Fee?

The United℠ Business Card is a popular business credit card that’s issued by Chase, and it’s an excellent value for many small businesses, especially for users who are loyal to United MileagePlus. The card has a big welcome bonus, offers some helpful bonus categories, and comes with perks that can more than offset the annual fee. This post is my in-depth United Business Card review. Let’s dive in with a look at the details of this United Airlines business card, and then I’ll give you my overall thoughts on its benefits and how it compares to other options. Link: Learn more about the United℠ Business Card United Business Card summary & key details for October 2026Why having a United credit card has become essentialUnited Business Card bonus, eligibility, & feesUnited Business Card up to 100K miles welcome bonusUnited Business Card eligibility rulesUnited Business Card $150 annual fee & $0 authorized user feeUnited Business Card foreign transaction feesUnited Business Card rewards structureUnited Business Card up to 2x miles on spendingUnited Business Card Premier Qualifying Points toward statusUnited Business Card benefits & perksFree first checked bag on UnitedTwo United Club passes annuallyPriority boarding on United25% back on inflight purchases$125 United TravelBank Cash with annual spendingAnniversary bonus of 5,000 milesUp to $120 in Instacart credits annuallyTwo Economy Plus upgrades with $25,000 spendUp to $100 in credits on rideshare purchases annuallyUp to $100 in United Hotels credits annuallyUp to $100 in JSX flight credits annuallyUp to $25 in FareLock credits annuallyTrip delay & lost luggage protectionPrimary rental car coveragePurchase protection & extended warrantyIs the United Business Card worth it?Other ways to earn United MileagePlus milesHow does the United Business Card compare?United Business Card vs. United Quest Card comparisonUnited Business Card vs. United Explorer Card comparisonWhat other business credit cards should you consider?United Business Card FAQBottom line United Business Card summary & key details for October 2026 Before I get into my United Business Card review, here’s a high-level look at the card details, including its sign-up bonus and other key points: United Business Card annual fee: $150 United Business Card welcome offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. United Business Card rewards earn rate: 2x miles on United flights (8x total miles factoring in the MileagePlus membership bonus), other eligible United purchases, gas stations, dining, office supply stores, and local transit, and 1x miles on all other purchases United Business Card perks: Two United Club passes per year, free first checked bag on United, Group 2 priority boarding United Business Card statement credits: $125 United travel credit, up to $100 in credits for prepaid United Hotels stays, up to $100 in rideshare credits, up to $120 in Instacart credits, plus credits for booking through Avis or Budget car rental, JSX, and more United Business Card foreign transaction fees: None Best for: United loyalists with a small business who want airline perks without a premium-level annual fee These are what I consider to be the main pros and cons of the United Business Card: United Business Card prosUnited Business Card consStrong welcome bonus with both miles and PQPNot the most rewarding card for everyday spendingUseful benefits like a free first checked bag when traveling on UnitedEconomy Plus seat upgrades have a high annual spending requirementEarn PQP toward status for your spendingNo airport lounge access benefit Why having a United credit card has become essential Before I even talk specifically about the United Business Card, I’d like to briefly discuss why having a co-branded MileagePlus credit card is more important than ever before. As we know, US airlines make a lot of their profits from their loyalty programs, so getting people engaged there has really become a priority. However, no airline has taken it as far as United when it comes to giving people an incentive to pick up a co-branded credit card, both on the earning and redemption front. When it comes to earning MileagePlus miles, the number of miles you earn per dollar spent is based on your elite status, and whether or not you have an eligible co-branded MileagePlus credit card. Regardless of your elite tier, you earn an extra 3x miles per dollar spent on United spending. At my valuation of 1.3 cents per MileagePlus mile, that’s an incremental 3.9% return on spending, so that’s worth something. MileagePlus statusMileagePlus earn rateCardmember earn rateGeneral member3x miles per dollar6x miles per dollarPremier Silver5x miles per dollar8x miles per dollarPremier Gold6x miles per dollar9x miles per dollarPremier Platinum7x miles per dollar10x miles per dollarPremier 1K9x miles per dollar12x miles per dollar When it comes to redeeming MileagePlus miles, you’ll nowadays find that award pricing is heavily dependent on whether you have MileagePlus elite status and/or a co-branded credit card. United makes a vast majority of its Polaris business class award seats available exclusively to MileagePlus members (rather than members of partner programs), and the pricing is way better if you have a co-branded credit card. MileagePlus award pricing varies wildly based on status & credit card So if you’re at all engaged in MileagePlus, you’ll want to have a premium co-branded credit card, whether it’s the United Business Card, or another product. There’s huge upside to having a United MileagePlus credit card United Business Card bonus, eligibility, & fees Understandably, when people apply for credit cards, one major motivating factor is the welcome bonus. Of course in order to understand the welcome bonus, it’s also important to know the eligibility rules, and to understand any fees you’ll be paying. So let’s start with those details for the United Business Card. United Business Card up to 100K miles welcome bonus The United Business Card is currently offering a welcome bonus of 90,000 MileagePlus bonus miles plus 2,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) after spending $5,000 within the first three months. You can earn a further 10,000 bonus miles when you add an authorized user in the first three months your account is open. Based on my latest miles & points valuations, MileagePlus miles are worth 1.3 cents each, making the bonus miles potentially worth $1,300. That doesn’t factor in the PQPs, which can help you earn status. The value of that will obviously vary considerably depending on whether you’re pursuing elite status, and where you’d otherwise end the year. United Business Card eligibility rules The welcome bonus on the United Business Card isn’t available to those who currently have the card, or those who have received a new cardmember bonus on the card in the past 24 months. In addition to that, there are the typical restrictions when applying for Chase cards, including Chase’s well-known 5/24 rule: you’ll likely be denied if you’ve opened five or more credit cards in the past 24 months, though some cards (including many business cards) are excluded from that total. Chase doesn’t publish a minimum credit score you need to get approved for the United Business Card, but you’ll have the best approval odds with good to excellent credit. Redeem your United MileagePlus miles toward a Polaris ticket The United Business Card has a $150 annual fee. You can also add employee cards at no extra cost, and you can set individual spending limits for each one. This is a reasonable ongoing annual fee for a perks-rich card. United Business Card foreign transaction fees The United Business Card has no foreign transaction fees, so this is a good card for purchases abroad. Visa has excellent global acceptance, and you may earn bonus miles for purchases abroad, including at restaurants. Use the United Business Card abroad with no foreign transaction fees United Business Card rewards structure The United Business Card has a handful of bonus categories worth knowing about. Plus, spending on the card can earn PQP toward United MileagePlus status. Here’s how that all works. United Business Card up to 2x miles on spending While I wouldn’t say the bonus categories are industry-leading, the United Business Card does offer bonus miles on some purchases. With the card, you can earn 2x MileagePlus miles on: United Airlines purchases Local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls, and ridesharing services Gas stations Office supply stores Restaurants Earn 2x miles on transit with the United Business Card You can earn 1x miles on all other purchases. Based on my valuation of ~1.3 cents per United mile, that’s a 2.6% return on United purchases and the bonus categories, and a 1.3% return on everything else. While there are lots of cards offering bonus categories, I’d say that’s a pretty well-rounded rewards structure for an airline credit card. Earn 2x miles for United purchases with the card United Business Card Premier Qualifying Points toward status Spending money on the United Business Card can help you earn MileagePlus status, though not in as lucrative a way as the more premium version of the card. The card offers one Premier Qualifying Point (PQP) for every $20 spent on purchases, up to a maximum of 4,000 PQPs per year. For context, below are the MileagePlus elite requirements for 2027 (for the purposes of qualifying for elite status in 2028). As you can see, spending on the card won’t put that much of a dent into earning higher elite tiers, given the cap of 4,000 PQPs. MileagePlus Premier statusMileagePlusTier thresholdPremier Silver6,000 PQPsPremier Gold12,000 PQPsPremier Platinum18,000 PQPsPremier 1K32,000 PQPs United Business Card benefits & perks The United Business Card has a big welcome bonus and a fairly solid rewards structure for an airline small business credit card. The good news is that beyond that, the card has great perks as well. This is true whether you’re an occasional United flyer, or you’re an elite member who is looking for extra perks. Here’s what you need to know about all the benefits offered by the United Business Card. Free first checked bag on United The primary cardmember on the United Business Card and one companion traveling on the same reservation receive a standard free first checked bag when flying United or United Express. In order to be eligible for this, you have to pay for your ticket with your United Airlines credit card. Given that United ordinarily charges $45-50 per checked bag, this is potentially a value of up $100 per person on a roundtrip, or a value of up to $200 if two people are traveling. Two United Club passes annually For having the United Business Card, you receive two United Club passes annually. This includes the year where you open your card, and in any subsequent years. These will automatically be deposited into your MileagePlus account within four weeks. When it comes to United Club access, United Club passes ordinarily cost $59 each, so that’s a value of up to $118. Receive United Club passes with the United Business Card Priority boarding on United For having the United Business Card, you and your companions receive priority boarding on United and United Express flights. You can board before general boarding, after customers with Premier Access, and those requiring special assistance. This would be in Group 2. Receive priority boarding with the card 25% back on inflight purchases For having the United Business Card, you receive 25% back in the form of statement credits on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi, on United-operated flights when you pay with your card. The statement credit should post within six to eight weeks of your eligible purchase posting to your statement. $125 United TravelBank Cash with annual spending Every calendar year, you can receive a $125 United TravelBank cash if you make at least five United flight travel-related purchases on your United Business Card, each totaling at least $100. This includes purchases like seat upgrades, Economy Plus, inflight food, beverages, and Wi-Fi, baggage service charges, or other United fees. The statement credit will post to your account within 24 hours of your fifth qualifying purchase of $100 or more. Get a United travel credit with the United Business Card Anniversary bonus of 5,000 miles Every year on your account anniversary, you receive 5,000 bonus miles if you have the United Business Card in conjunction with a personal United credit card, like the United℠ Explorer Card (learn more). That’s a pretty awesome incentive to keep both a personal and business card, and frankly, it’s a really smart incentive for United to offer, given that many personal and business cards have overlapping benefits. Up to $120 in Instacart credits annually The United Business Card offers a $10 Instacart credit monthly, up to $120 total each calendar year. This applies for purchases made through Instacart with your United Business Card, and currently the benefit is valid through December 31, 2027. If you use Instacart anyway, then this could be worth close to face value. For others, the small increments of the credits will make it hard to get much value. Two Economy Plus upgrades with $25,000 spend If you spend $25,000 on the United Business Card in a calendar year, you earn two Economy Plus seat upgrades for flights within the continental United States. You need to buy the ticket with your card, and the upgrades must be used within 12 months. Up to $100 in credits on rideshare purchases annually The United Business Card offers up to $8 back per month on rideshare purchases (and $12 in December), in the form of a statement credit, when paying with your card. This allows you to earn up to $100 in statement credits every calendar year, and an annual opt-in is required. On the one hand, these statement credits are easy enough to use. The catch is that there are probably better cards for rideshare spending in terms of maximizing rewards. Up to $100 in United Hotels credits annually United Hotels is United’s hotel booking platform. The United Business Card offers up to $100 back on United Hotels purchases each anniversary year. Specifically, you can get a $50 statement credit on both your first and second prepaid hotel stays purchased through United Hotels with your United Business Card. This could prove valuable for some, though keep in mind there’s typically an opportunity cost to booking through a hotel portal (in terms of earning loyalty points, there being lower rates elsewhere, etc.). Up to $100 in JSX flight credits annually The United Business Card offers up to $100 back on JSX flight purchases per anniversary year. This comes in the form of a statement credit, and you must use your United Business Card to make the purchase. JSX is a hop-on jet service, which United owns a stake in. If you fly JSX with any frequency, then this is a great perk. Up to $25 in FareLock credits annually The United Business Card offers up to a $25 statement credit each anniversary year when you use the card to buy FareLock on a United or United Express operated flight. FareLock lets you hold a fare for three, seven, or 14 days. Trip delay & lost luggage protection The United Business Card offers a variety of protection benefits when traveling, assuming you pay for purchases with your card. These features include the following: Trip cancellation & trip interruption insurance — be reimbursed up to $1,500 per person and $6,000 per trip when your trip is canceled or cut short due to sickness, severe weather, etc. Trip delay reimbursement — if your flight is delayed by more than 12 hours or requires an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for unreimbursed expenses, such as meals and lodging, up to $500 per ticket Lost luggage reimbursement — be reimbursed up to $3,000 per passenger if you or your immediate family member check or carry on luggage that is damaged or lost by an airline Baggage delay insurance — be reimbursed up to $100 per day for three days for essential purchases when your bag is delayed by over six hours Make sure you check your cardmember agreement for all of the details since there are terms & conditions. Primary rental car coverage The United Business Card offers a primary collision damage waiver (CDW) benefit. Just decline the rental company’s collision insurance and charge the entire rental cost to your card. Coverage is primary when renting for business purposes and provides reimbursement up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage for most rental vehicles with an MSRP of $125,000 or less worldwide. Get rental car coverage with the United Business Card Purchase protection & extended warranty When you pay with the United Business Card, eligible new purchases are covered against damage or theft for 120 days, up to $10,000 per item. The card also adds an extra year to eligible United States manufacturer warranties of three years or less. In general, I don’t recommend using airline credit cards for everyday spending, unless you have a specific reason to do so. That being said, if you are a United flyer, then at least having some MileagePlus credit card is very important, given that it offers increased mileage earning rates, and reduced mileage redemption rates. It’ll make a huge difference. In the case of the United Business Card, I think this is a card that’s worth getting for the upside with MileagePlus, the reasonable annual fee, the welcome bonus, and the long term perks. That being said, I don’t think this card is worth spending much money on: The ability to earn PQPs is fairly limited with this card, and doesn’t justify the spending requirement While the card has some bonus categories, there are ultimately better credit cards for airfare, gas stations, restaurants, rideshare, etc. What perks make the United Business Card worthwhile? Beyond the improved mileage earning rates and reduced mileage redemption rates, non-elite members will benefit from the priority boarding, first checked bag free, two United Club passes, and 25% savings on inflight purchases. Furthermore, the card offers hundreds of dollars in credits. While there are some hoops to jump through to maximize those credits, most cardmembers should be able to get at least some value from them. Other ways to earn United MileagePlus miles The one thing I’d note is that while this is a great card for the perks, if you actually want to earn MileagePlus miles through spending, remember that MileagePlus is a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, so you can convert Ultimate Rewards points into United miles at a 1:1 ratio. There are so many great Ultimate Rewards cards that earn points at a potentially faster rate than you’d earn directly through United, so that’s something worth considering. See this post for the best credit cards for earning United miles. There are lots of credit cards that can earn United miles How does the United Business Card compare? Obviously you can’t view a credit card in isolation, so it’s important to compare the United Business Card to some other cards on the markets, both other MileagePlus credit cards, as well as other potentially lucrative business cards. United Business Card vs. United Quest Card comparison If you’re looking for a personal United Airlines credit card, consider the United Quest℠ Card (learn more), which has a pretty compelling value proposition and is my personal favorite United card. While the card has a $350 annual fee, the perks are potentially more than worth it. These include: A large welcome bonus: Earn 500 Premier qualifying points after your first purchase and 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. $200 in United TravelBank cash annually A 10,000-mile award flight discount each account anniversary year, plus another after spending $20,000 in a calendar year A variety of credits similar to those on the United Business Card, including up to $100 in rideshare credits For many, those first few perks alone will more than offset the annual fee. The United Quest Card also earns 10x total miles on United flights (compared to 8x total with the United Business Card), 5x miles on prepaid hotel stays booked through Renowned Hotels and Resorts, and 2x miles on dining, select streaming services, and all other travel (and 1x miles on everything else). United Business Card vs. United Explorer Card comparison If you’re open to a non-business United credit card, there’s also the United℠ Explorer Card (learn more) with a $150 annual fee. Like the United Business Card, it gets you a first checked bag free on United, two United Club passes annually, and several statement credits. The United Explorer Card also offers: A statement credit of up to $120 to cover the application fee for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS $100 in United TravelBank cash if you spend $10,000 on the card in a calendar year What other business credit cards should you consider? If you’re not set on a United card but you want a dedicated business credit card, there are some other great options that earn flexible points. Consider these if you want options for redeeming your rewards for more than just United and Star Alliance partner flights: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (learn more) packs a lot of value for its $95 annual fee — it earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to United, and it has great 3x points bonus categories The American Express® Business Gold Card (learn more) has a higher annual fee of $375 (Rates & Fees), but it could be worth it thanks to 4x points bonus categories and a variety of monthly and annual statement credits The Capital One Venture Business (learn more) is another option with a $95 annual fee — it has the simplest rewards structure of the cards on this list, as it earns 2x miles per dollar spent United Business Card FAQ Is the United Business Card worth it? The United Business Card could be worth it if you fly United at least a few times a year and want perks like priority boarding, a free first checked bag, and more with the airline. It has a strong welcome bonus and several annual credits, too. Depending on which benefits you can use, it could be worth the card’s $150 annual fee. What credit score do I need for the United Business Card? While Chase doesn’t share a specific minimum credit score requirement for the United Business Card, you’ll have the best chance of getting approved if your score is in the good to excellent range. What are the benefits of the United Business Card? The benefits of the United Business Card include two United Club passes per year, a free first checked bag on United, Group 2 boarding on United, various annual credits for rideshare and more, the ability to earn PQP on credit card spending, and no foreign transaction fees. Does the United Business Card get lounge access? The United Business Card doesn’t come with full lounge access. Cardholders get two United Club passes per year, however. Can anyone get a United Business Card? You’ll typically need a good to excellent credit score to qualify for the United Business Credit Card. You’ll also need to qualify for a business credit card, but this can mean anything from having a side gig freelancing, to tutoring, to owning an LLC. How much is the United Business Card annual fee? The United Business Card has a $150 annual fee. Bottom line If you have a small business and fly United Airlines with any frequency, then the United Business Card is definitely a card to consider. The card has a generous welcome bonus, and on top of that offers several perks that make this card worth holding onto. However, this isn’t a card I’d recommend using for your everyday spending. The thing to remember is that whether you go with the United Business Card, it is important to get a co-branded MileagePlus credit card, given that it gives you access to improved mileage earning rates, plus improved mileage redemption rates. If you’re looking for a personal card instead, consider the United Explorer Card or United Quest Card. If you want to learn more about the United Business Card, follow this link. The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees).