United Business
The welcome offer, the bag and boarding benefits, every partner credit and its catch, the insurance, and whether the $150 fee pays for itself.
Points Atelier may earn from partner links. Ratings never depend on it.
Business airline cards · Chase
Welcome offer
Up to 100,000 miles
Annual fee
$150
90,000 bonus miles and 2,000 Premier qualifying points after $5,000 in purchases in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 more miles after adding an employee card in the same period. Not available to current cardholders or anyone who received this card’s bonus in the past 24 months.
Employee cards: No feeForeign transaction fees: NoneRewards: United MileagePlus miles
The Atelier Take
For a business that flies United a few times a year, the free bag and two Club passes recover the $150 without much effort.
Who it suits
Business owners who fly United a few times a year and check a bag. Owners who already hold a personal United card gain 5,000 extra miles each anniversary.
Who should skip it
Businesses whose largest costs are advertising, shipping, software or phone bills: all of them earn 1x here.
Every credit, and the catch
Chase puts the partner credits above $600 a year, but each is tied to one brand, booking channel or spending pattern.
United travel credit
$125
Only after five United flight purchases of $100 or more in the year; paid as TravelBank cash that expires after 12 months.
Instacart credit
Up to $120 a year
Needs an active Instacart+ membership, free for 3 months and then paid; one order of $10 or more a month; ends December 31, 2027.
United Hotels credit
Up to $100 a year
$50 back on each of the first two prepaid stays of $50 or more booked through United Hotels.
Rideshare credit
Up to $100 a year
Up to $8 a month, and $12 in December.
JSX credit
Up to $100 a year
Flights bought directly from JSX, a semi-private carrier with a limited network.
Avis or Budget credit
Up to $50 a year
Paid as United TravelBank cash: $25 on each of two rentals of 2 days or more booked through mileageplustravel.united.com.
FareLock credit
Up to $25 a year
Only on FareLock fees, which hold a United fare and are not refundable.
What it earns
Rewards: United MileagePlus miles, which don’t expire and book flights on United and its partner airlines.
8x
Eligible United flights
6x as a MileagePlus member plus 2x from the card; less on Basic Economy
2x
Other United purchases
Seat upgrades, Economy Plus, inflight purchases and bag fees
2x
Dining, including eligible delivery
2x
Gas stations
2x
Office supply stores
2x
Local transit and commuting
Rideshare, taxis, trains, tolls and mass transit
1x
Everything else
TPG values United miles at 1.2¢ each, so 2x returns about 2.4¢ per dollar. United prices most awards dynamically, so value varies by route and date. Holding a personal United card as well adds 5,000 miles each anniversary.
United benefits
Free first checked bag
For the cardholder and one companion on the same reservation, when the ticket is bought with the card; Chase puts the saving at up to $200 per round trip.
United Club passes
Two one-time passes after account opening and each anniversary.
Group 2 boarding
For the cardholder and companions on the same reservation.
Premier qualifying points
1 PQP per $20 spent, up to 4,000 PQP a calendar year.
Award discounts
10% or more off United award flights booked with miles; 15% or more with Premier status.
Premier upgrades on award tickets
Cardholders with Premier status, and one companion on the same reservation, can receive complimentary Premier upgrades on award tickets, subject to availability.
Economy Plus upgrades
Two continental U.S. Economy Plus upgrades after $25,000 of spending in a calendar year.
Better-together bonus
5,000 miles each anniversary when the business owner also holds a personal United card.
25% back in flight
On food, drinks and Wi-Fi on United flights and premium drinks in United Clubs.
Will the $150 fee pay off?
Enter what would go on this card. The result values points at TPG’s valuation, adds the credits that would actually be used and, in year one, the welcome offer, then sets the total against a no-fee card that pays 2% back on everything.
1 · Spending on this card
Example figures are filled in; replace them with real ones.
Advertising
1x
Shipping
1x
Internet, cable and phone
1x
Office supply stores
2x
Software and cloud services
1x
United flights and other United purchasesCard miles only; the 6x as a MileagePlus member comes with any card and is left out
2x
Other flights
1x
Hotels
1x
DiningIncluding eligible delivery
2x
Gas stations
2x
Local transit and commutingRideshare, taxis, trains, tolls and mass transit
2x
Everything else
1x
2 · Credits that would be used
Tick only what would be used anyway, at full value.
3 · Assumptions
The result
Not counted: the 2,000 bonus PQP and PQP from spending, Group 2 boarding, Economy Plus upgrades after $25,000 a year, award discounts and the insurance.
Insurance and protections
Chase lists these on the card’s page; the car rental cover is primary for business rentals. Pay for the trip or purchase with the card to be covered.
Auto rental coverage
Primary when renting for business purposes: up to $60,000 for theft and collision damage on most rentals with an MSRP up to $125,000, when the rental company’s cover is declined.
Trip cancellation and interruption
Up to $1,500 per traveler and $6,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable fares.
Trip delay
Up to $500 per traveler when a trip is delayed more than 12 hours or needs an overnight stay.
Lost luggage
Up to $3,000 per traveler for lost, damaged or stolen bags.
Baggage delay
Up to $100 a day for 3 days for essentials when bags are delayed more than 6 hours.
Purchase protection
Damage or theft within 120 days of purchase, up to $10,000 per item.
Extended warranty
Adds one year to U.S. manufacturer warranties of three years or less.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The free first bag can cover the fee in one round trip for two
- 2x on gas, dining, office supply stores and local transit
- Two United Club passes each year
- Primary car rental cover for business rentals
Cons
- 1x on advertising, shipping, software and phone bills
- Partner credits are tied to single brands and take tracking
- No first-year fee waiver
- MileagePlus miles are valued at about 1.2¢
Card terms change often and some offers are personalized; the issuer’s page is the final word.