United Business Card

Rewards by category

Our take

The United Business Card is for a small business that already flies United. Purchases made directly with United earn 2x miles, and gas stations, restaurants, office supply stores, and local transit and commuting each earn 2x as well, with 1x on everything else. Chase advertises 8x on United flights, but 6x of that is MileagePlus member earning on the fare itself — only the 2x comes from the card, and that is what SwipeCaddy ranks.

At the 1.1-cent valuation SwipeCaddy uses for MileagePlus miles, 2x works out to roughly a 2.2% return: respectable in four everyday business categories, but not category-leading, and the 1x base is thin. The $150 annual fee is offset mostly by credits — $125 in United travel credit after five United flight purchases of $100 or more, up to $100 at United Hotels, up to $100 in rideshare credits with enrollment, and up to $120 with Instacart. The welcome offer is 100,000 bonus miles and 2,000 PQP after $5,000 in purchases in the first three months, plus 10,000 more miles for adding an employee card in that window.

In a small business wallet, treat it as the United specialist rather than the workhorse. Route United tickets, seat upgrades and bag fees, fuel, client meals, office supplies and rideshares here, and let a flat-rate business card cover the 1x remainder. There are no foreign transaction fees, and the free first checked bag plus two United Club one-time passes each year are worth real money if you fly United more than occasionally.

The math

Run $400 a month of dining through this card and you're earning about $106 a year at our conservative valuations. Against the $150 annual fee, that top rate needs roughly $6,250 a month of dining spend before it beats a no-fee flat 2% card.

Where it lands in our rankings: #5 for office supplies

Store bonuses

• United Airlines2x

Key benefits

• $125 United travel credit after 5 United flight purchases of $100 or more
• Up to $100 in United Hotels credits and up to $50 back on Avis or Budget rentals booked through cars.united.com
• Up to $100 in rideshare credits (enrollment required) and up to $120 in Instacart credits
• Up to $100 with JSX and up to $25 in FareLock credits
• 2 United Club one-time passes each year
• Free first checked bag for you and one companion on the same reservation
• 5,000-mile anniversary bonus when you also hold a personal United card
• No foreign transaction fees

Common questions

Does United Business Card have an annual fee?

Yes — $150 per year.

What does United Business Card earn on dining?

2x on dining.

What rewards does United Business Card earn on everything else?

1x on all other purchases, in United MileagePlus.

Is the United Business Card's advertised 8x on United flights real?

Only partly. Two of those points come from the card; the other six are the MileagePlus member miles you earn on the fare regardless of how you pay. SwipeCaddy ranks the 2x that the card actually contributes. Mileage earning also differs on Basic Economy and base option tickets, and Premier members earn more, so treat 8x as a ceiling rather than a rate.

What does the United Business Card earn away from United?

2x miles at gas stations, at restaurants, at office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting, which includes ride share services, taxicabs, train tickets, tolls and mass transit. Everything else earns the 1x base rate. Chase states no spending caps on any of those categories, so the 2x runs all year.

Related reading

• How we value points and miles (and why our numbers are lower than everyone else's)SwipeCaddy ranks cards by reward rate × a conservative cash value per point: 1¢ for cash back and transferable points (Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One, Bilt), 1.1–1.3¢ for airline miles, 0.4–1.4¢ for hotel points, and 0.8–0.9¢ for store currencies. Optimistic transfer values are recorded for context but never ranked, because most people never achieve them.