United℠ Business Card Review

CardName REWARDS

The CardName offers a rewards program that is fairly simple and straightforward, key features for many business owners and executives. Furthermore, having this card opens the door to additional award flight options (more below).

Right out of the gate, the CardName offers a new member bonus of 75,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months.

On an ongoing basis, you earn two miles for every $1 spent on United purchases, including tickets, in-flight food and beverages, WiFi, etc.; on dining (including eligible delivery services); at gas stations; at office supply stores; and on local transit and commuting. You earn one mile for each $1 spent on all other purchases.

As an added bonus, you can earn an annual anniversary bonus of 5,000 miles through the "Better Together" program when you have both a United personal credit card and the CardName.

Redeem your miles through the United MileagePlus program for flights, upgrades and more.

CardName BENEFITS

Beyond the rewards program, the CardName offers numerous perks and benefits that add value to your membership.

You get a free checked bag for both you and one companion on the same itinerary. If you travel frequently for business or pleasure, the value of this benefit can easily climb into the hundreds of dollars each year.

You also receive priority boarding and two United Club one-time use passes each account anniversary year.

For more money-saving, look forward to the annual $100 United travel credit each anniversary year that you make at least seven United flight purchases of at least $100 each.

Do you like saving money (and who doesn't)? You will earn 25% back in the form of statement credit on all in-flight purchases, including food and beverages and WiFi.

If you travel outside the country, you'll want to note that the CardName does not charge foreign transaction fees.

CardName AND SAVER AWARDS

United Airlines elite status members have access to extra – BETTER! – award flight options. The good news for cardholders, though, is that you also have access to these special reward flight options.

CardName members can log into their account and see reward flights available for fewer miles than those available to basic MileagePlus members. This access alone could make having the card worth your while and the annual fee, depending on how good your redemption is.

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR A SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT CARD?

Having a business credit card certainly has its benefits, qualifying for the CardName, or any business credit card, might be easier than you think.

There are two primary criteria: There needs be a business and you need to be an "authorized officer" of that business.

It's that simple.

Now, you might be wondering if your business is big enough to qualify for a business credit card. That's the beauty of it – size doesn't matter. You might be a sole proprietor or a 1099 freelancer; you might be an Uber driver or a landlord; you might be a contractor or founder of a brick-and-mortar store. As long as you are an "authorized officer" of your business, you have just as much standing to obtain a business credit card as someone representing an S Corp, an LLC or a partnership.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that your personal credit score and history will be used to determine your business card eligibility if you don't have an established business credit score.

Need more details? Check out Who can apply for a small business credit card?.

POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES OF CardName

The CardName does have a AnnualFees annual fee. On an ongoing basis, as with any card that charges an annual fee, don't get the card unless you actually plan on using it. There are other no-fee cards available if you just need an "emergency card" for your business. In fact, if you're just looking for a no-annual-fee United-branded card, the CardNamediscontinued could be an option.

The CardName doesn't offer an introductory APR on purchases or balance transfers, so keep that in mind if you're staring down some big purchases and might need extra time to pay them off.

When it comes to perks, the CardName has some good ones, but it is restricted by it being an airline-branded card. Your rewards and earnings will be a bit restricted, so make sure you can fully put the card to United-specific use.

The rewards program for the card is excellent and if you're a loyal United Airlines flyer, you will likely more than appreciate the card. But it does tie you to that one airline and its partners. If you're a "flight shopper" based on times, airports and fares, you probably won't be able to reap the full benefits.

CardName CARDHOLDER SCORES

CardRatings conducts a survey annually to learn what actual cardholders think of their cards. Here are the results:

*Scores above reflect the results of surveys with actual cardholders. Full methodology below.

HOW DOES THE CardName COMPARE TO OTHER BUSINESS CARDS

CardName vs. CardName

auto-pdp-btn

discontinued

These cards have some significant differences, for example, they are tied to different airlines (Citi is a CardRatings advertiser). Both cards waive the annual fee for the first year, so you have a chance to see whether you will truly use the card before the fee kicks in. For Citi the fee is AnnualFees, same as the United card.

There aren't any special reward options to look forward to with the AAdvantage card, but that doesn't mean it's not the right card for you. You need to assess whether American or United is your airline of choice. That should be your first consideration when deciding between these cards.

Beyond that, consider the rewards earning as they are different for the two cards. With the American Airlines card, you earn two miles per $1 on American Airlines purchases as well as on purchases at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and at gas stations. Right now for a limited time, new cardholders can earn 75,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after $5,000 in purchases within the first 5 months of account opening.

CardName vs. CardName

auto-pdp-btn

discontinued

CardName offers many of the same anciliary perks and benefits as CardName; however, their reward programs are completely different and you may find one card is preferable to the other based on your company's spending and travel habits.

CardName has a slightly lower annual fee (AnnualFees compared to AnnualFees for the United card). Neither charges foreign transaction fees and both can help you pad your United MileagePlus rewards bank since the Ultimate Rewards points you earn with the Ink card can be transferred to United MileagePlus.

Ink Business Preferred has a signup bonus of 100,000 bonus points (through the Chase Ultimate Rewards program) when you spend at least $8,000 in the first three months after account opening. That's a significant bonus, but the spend to earn it is also significant.

When it comes to the standard rewards program, CardName holders earn three points for every $1 spent on travel-related expenses as well as on shipping costs; Internet, cable, and phone services; and advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, up to $150,000 combined spending annually. Earn one point for each $1 spent beyond that and on all other purchases.

Remember, points accumulated in the Chase Ultimate Rewards program can be transferred to the United MileagePlus program. This means these cards would work well as a tandem in your corporate wallet, if you were inclined to obtain both. If you're just after one or the other, the Ink card offers you more flexibility with how you redeem your rewards and the airline on which you travel, but the United card offers more brand-specific perks.

CardName vs. CardName

auto-pdp-btn

discontinued

Rewards rate, redemption flexibility and lower initial costs are the best features CardName brings to the table in a comparison with CardName. CardName has a AnnualFees; the CardName charges AnnualFees.

While the CardName offers two miles per $1 spent in certain categories, Capital One Spark Miles offers two miles per $1 spent across the board. Plus, you can earn five miles for every $1 spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

When it comes to redeeming miles, CardName binds the cardholder to United Airlines. With Capital One Spark Miles, however, miles can be transferred to more than 15 travel loyalty programs or redeemed directly for statement credit to cover a wide variety of travel purchases such as tickets, flight related expenses, car rentals and more.

New Spark Miles cardholders can earn a 50,000-mile bonus when you spend at least $4,500 in the first three months of account opening.

IS THE CardName A GOOD CARD?

The CardName checks many boxes for the United-loyal business owner. The fee is reasonable and easily offset through perks, bonuses and rewards earned through regular use, not to mention access to Saver Award flights.

The rewards program is straightforward and user-friendly with a generous welcome bonus opportunity that could have you earning 75,000 bonus miles in just three months (details in the Rewards section above).

The key here is United Airlines. To maximize the value of the CardName, you need to be a loyal United Airlines flyer. If you prefer other airlines, or if you shop airlines on a trip-by-trip basis, you won't reap the full benefits.

Survey Methodology: CardRatings commissioned Op4G in September 2023 to conduct surveys among 1,869 cardholders nationwide. CardRatings website analytics from Jan. 1, 2023-Aug. 31, 2023 were used to determine a selection of the most popular cards and additional cards were included to add survey breadth. Responses to each of nine questions were given on a scale of 1-10 and respondents' scores were then averaged under broad topics. To determine the overall score, responses from questions 1-8 were summed and the answer to "How likely are you to recommend this card to a friend, coworker or family member?" was double weighted. “Current Scores” reflect scores from the most recent survey (2023); "Past Scores" reflect scores from the 2022 survey.