United Business Card: Rewards, Perks Make Up for Fee
Cardholders get free checked bags and limited airport lounge access with the United Business Card.
Overview
The bottom line:
Business owners who fly United frequently will appreciate free checked bags and United Club lounge passes. But you do have to spend enough to earn perks like annual travel credits and seat upgrades.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$150
Regular APR
20.49%-28.99% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
Rewards rate
1x-2x
2x miles on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. 1x mile on all other purchases.
Miles
Foreign transaction fee
$0
Intro offer
100,000 Miles + 2,000 PQP
Limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Miles
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free checked bag
New cardholder bonus offer
Annual bonus award and travel credit (terms apply)
Cons
Rewards have limited flexibility
Does not include automatic elite status
No statement credit for trusted traveler programs
More details from Chase
- Limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
- $150 Annual Fee.
- 2x miles on United® purchases, dining including eligible delivery services, at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting.
- 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster.
- Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the United℠ Business Card and a personal Chase United® credit card.
- Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United Club℠ one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges.
- Receive a $125 United travel credit after making 5 United® flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year with your United℠ Business Card.
- Member FDIC
The New United℠ Business Card is a practical, helpful travel companion for business owners who fly United Airlines. The card's annual fee increased from $99 to $150. But its benefits, including the ability to earn annual travel credits and seat upgrades, can easily outstrip that cost.
And compared with other airline credit cards, The New United℠ Business Card's bonus-rewards categories are highly useful — not only for business travel, but also for everyday use. That makes it practical for entrepreneurial types with side hustles.
Still, the card’s flexibility for redeeming rewards is limited since it’s tied to a single airline. A general travel card may be a better fit if you’re not a frequent United flier.
This card is best for:
✔️ Earning United MileagePlus® miles.
✔️ Free checked bag when flying United.
✔️ Occasional United Club lounge access.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Capital One Venture X Business
IN THIS REVIEW
At a glance: The New United℠ Business Card
💳 Card type: Business travel card
💲 Annual fee: $150.
💰 Sign-up bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
🎉 Rewards: 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. 1x mile on all other purchases.
📈 APR: The ongoing APR is 20.49%-28.99% Variable APR.
📍 Minimum credit limit: $5,000.
💷 Foreign transaction fee: None.
🎆 Other benefits:
- Earn $125 United travel credit annually by making five United flight purchases of $100 or more each calendar year.
- Earn two free seat upgrades each year (Economy to Economy Plus®) on flights in the continental U.S. by spending $25,000 on purchases on your card each calendar.
- First checked bag free for you and a companion on your reservation.
- Two United Club one-time-use passes per year.
- 5,000 bonus miles each anniversary when you have a personal United credit card as well as The New United℠ Business Card.
- Annual travel credits on United® Hotels purchases (up to $100), rideshare (up to $100), select rental cars (up to $50) and Instacart (up to $120). Terms apply.
See complete on Chase's website.
Benefits and perks
Bonus rewards
Unlike some other airline credit cards, The New United℠ Business Card earns double miles on more than just purchases with the airline. You'll also earn 2x miles on other spending categories relevant to business owners:
- Dining.
- Gas stations.
- Office supply stores.
- Transit and commuting.
That can make the card more valuable for everyday spending. It just might be the most useful compilation of bonus categories you’ll find on a business credit card for a major airline.
Free checked bags
The New United℠ Business Card offers a first checked bag free for you and a companion on your reservation. That can save as much as $160 on a round-trip flight for you and a traveling partner ($40 per person each way when you don’t prepay bag fees). Terms apply. That's more than enough to cover the cost of the card's annual fee.
Note: You get this perk only if you paid for the airfare with The New United℠ Business Card.
Travel credits
Chase added several travel credits when it refreshed The New United℠ Business Card in March 2025. The new perks include the ability to earn a $125 United travel credit if you make five United® flight purchases of $100 or more in a calendar year.
There are also statement credits ranging from $50 to $100 annually for select hotels, rental car, rideshare and even JSX jet service purchases. Terms apply.
Rich sign-up bonus
Sign-up bonuses can change but typically give you at least enough miles for a free domestic flight in economy class.
The current bonus: Limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Other perks
The New United℠ Business Card comes with a few other notable perks:
- Airport lounge passes: You get two free United Club passes annually. Typically, you'd pay $59 for just one day pass. Previously, this perk alone surpassed the card's annual fee. That’s no longer the case beyond the first year, but the value remains solid.
- Complimentary seat upgrades: The New United℠ Business Card cardholders who spend $25,000 on purchases in a calendar year receive two credits that can be redeemed to upgrade an Economy seat to an Economy Plus seat on eligible flights in the continental U.S.
- Priority boarding: The primary cardholder and those traveling on the same reservation get priority boarding, allowing you to board ahead of general boarding.
- Primary car rental insurance: You'll have to pay for the rental with your The New United℠ Business Card and decline the rental company's coverage. But the coverage is primary, so it kicks in before your own auto insurance, a relatively rare benefit.
Drawbacks and alternatives
Annual fee
The New United℠ Business Card's annual fee increased from $99 to $150. While the annual fee is higher than other entry-level business airline cards, you can largely offset it if you take advantage of the card's annual travel credits.
Still, if you prefer a business travel card with no annual fee, turn to the Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card
Checked-bag allowance
You'll get only two bag-fee waivers with The New United℠ Business Card. That's stingier than business credit cards from other large airlines. For instance, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card rates and fees
Reward redemptions
General travel business credit cards — the kind that don’t have an airline name on them — let you redeem rewards for a variety of different travel expenses. With The New United℠ Business Card, your best redemption options are award flights and seat upgrades on United and its Star Alliance partners.
If you don't fly exclusively with United, a general travel card could work better. A good choice for small businesses is the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card Capital One Venture X Business
United Business Card vs United Club Business Card
The New United℠ Business Card is an excellent entry-level option for earning United miles. But frequent fliers who want more access to United Club℠ lounges may prefer the United Club℠ Business Card
The card's higher annual fee ($695) includes unlimited United Club lounge access for you and one guest — you'd pay $650 to purchase a United Club membership outright — along with other perks and credits.
Here's how they compare:
| The New United℠ Business Card | United Club℠ Business Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $150. | $695. |
| United Club access | Two one-time passes per year. | Unlimited. |
| Sign-up bonus | Limited-time offer: Earn 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | Earn 80,000 bonus miles + 2,000 Premier qualifying points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. |
| Rewards |
|
|
| Checked bags | Free first checked bag. | Free first and second checked bags. |
| Perks |
|
|
How we evaluated the Chase United Business card
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared The New United℠ Business Card to other co-branded airline business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed Chase, the card's issuer, gathering information about employee cards, spending controls, credit limits and how often cardholders are considered for a credit limit increase.
Notes from card issuers
The information related to the United Club℠ Business Card credit card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card.