United Business Card: Rewards, Perks Make Up for Fee
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Our Take
5.0
Business owners who fly United frequently can save money with this card. And unlike many airline cards, it’s useful for everyday spending. But it ties you to a single airline.
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Quick Facts
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free checked bag
Lounge membership
Anniversary perk
Cons
Has annual fee
Rewards have limited flexibility
Earn 3 points per dollar on up to $150,000 a year in combined spending on travel; shipping; Internet, cable and telephone service; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines. All other spending earns 1 point per dollar. You can transfer points to several airline and hotel loyalty programs, including United. But you won't get airline-specific perks. Annual fee: $95.
Compare to Other Cards
Annual fee$0 intro for the first year, then $99 | Annual fee$0 intro for the first year, then $95 |
Regular APR21.99%-28.99% Variable APR | Regular APR21.99%-28.99% Variable APR |
Intro APRN/A | Intro APRN/A |
Full Review
For business owners who fly United Airlines, the United℠ Business Card can be a practical, helpful travel companion with benefits that easily outstrip the cost of its annual fee.
The card can help ease common business-travel headaches while flying United. That, perhaps, is most important when it comes to your luggage, whether you check it or take it aboard. And compared with other airline credit cards, its bonus-rewards categories are highly useful, not only for business travel but for everyday use. That makes it practical for entrepreneurial types with side hustles.
Still, its flexibility for redeeming rewards is limited compared with a general travel card that’s untethered to a single airline.
United℠ Business Card: Basics and benefits
Card type: Small business.
Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $99.
Sign-up bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Rewards:
2 MileagePlus miles per dollar spent on purchases from United (including airfare, bag fees, seat upgrades, and in-flight food, beverage and Wi-Fi).
2 miles per dollar spent on dining (including eligible delivery services), gas stations and office supply stores.
2 miles per dollar spent on local transit and commuting, including taxis, mass transit, tolls and rideshare services.
1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 21.99%-28.99% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fee: None.
Other benefits:
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 United℠ Business Card.
$100 annual United travel credit after seven United flight purchases of $100 or more.
25% back on United inflight purchases, including Wi-Fi, food and beverages.
Where the United℠ Business Card shines
Bonus rewards
Unlike some other airline credit cards, the United℠ Business Card earns double miles on more than just purchases with the airline. You'll also earn 2 miles per dollar spent 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 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 United℠ Business Card.
Priority boarding
The United℠ Business Card can get you on the plane earlier thanks to its priority boarding benefit. So even if you don't have bags to check, you can get on the plane sooner while there’s still space in the overhead bin for your carry-on.
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: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Other perks
The 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, so the value of this perk alone surpasses the card's annual fee.
Primary car rental insurance: You'll have to pay for the rental with your 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.
Money back for United loyalists. The card has a $100 annual United travel credit after seven United flight purchases of $100 or more. It’s yet another benefit that alone pays for the annual fee. The card also gives 25% back on United in-flight purchases, including Wi-Fi, food and beverages.
United℠ Business Card: Drawbacks and alternatives
Annual fee
The United℠ Business Card has a $0 intro for the first year, then $99 annual fee, which is pretty standard for a co-branded airline business card. While the perks offered by the United℠ Business Card can easily offset the annual fee if you fly United, those who prefer a business travel card with no annual fee can turn to theBank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card.
Checked-bag allowance
While you'll get free checked bags with the United℠ Business Card, it's stingier than business credit cards from other large airlines; you'll get only two bag-fee waivers. The Delta SkyMiles® Gold Business American Express Card, for comparison, offers the first bag free for you on Delta flights and up to eight other passengers on your reservation (see 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 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 Capital One Spark Miles for Business. And if you want a luxury card option, a great general travel card for business is the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, with an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees).
Consider United’s personal card
If you don’t necessarily need a business credit card, you might consider the similar personal version of the mainstream United Airlines card, the United℠ Explorer Card. It also earns double points on United purchases but has slightly different additional double-points categories — restaurants and hotel stays. It has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95.
It also has a few more perks than checked bags and early boarding. For example, it offers a credit of up to $100 for applying to airport security programs Global Entry or TSA Precheck every four years. The business version does not include those perks, and more generally, personal cards offer more consumer protections than business credit cards. On the other hand, while sign-up bonuses can change often, they tend to be higher on the business version of the card, along with a higher amount of required spending. That could be a reason to hold both a personal and business card. Another reason: 5,000 bonus miles each anniversary when you have a personal United credit card as well as the United℠ Business Card.
Is the United℠ Business Card right for you?
The United℠ Business Card offers useful rewards and perks for United business flyers who can quickly make up for the annual fee.
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