Amex Business Gold vs United Business: Which Is Better In 2026?

United Business Breakdown

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Why We Like It

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Here's a breakdown of why we're fans of the United℠ Business Card.

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• It enhances the travel experience for United loyalists with perks like priority boarding and lounge access.
• Cardholders can fast-track their way to MileagePlus Premier status through spending on the card.
• The card offers a solid suite of travel and purchase protections, adding peace of mind for business expenses.

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Pros

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• Complimentary first checked bag for you and a companion on United-operated flights.
• No foreign transaction fees on international purchases.
• Expanded award availability, offering more options when redeeming miles.

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Cons

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• The card charges an annual fee.
• Benefits are heavily focused on United, offering less value to businesses that don't frequently fly with the airline.
• MileagePlus miles can't be transferred to other airline or hotel partners, limiting redemption options.

United Business vs American Express® Business Gold Card

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Categories

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Deciding which is better, the American Express® Business Gold Card or the United℠ Business Card, comes down to your company's specific needs. Both cards are excellent tools for business owners but serve different strategic purposes.

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• American Express® Business Gold Card is designed for business owners with significant and varied expenses, offering flexibility for companies whose spending patterns change from month to month.
• United℠ Business Card is tailored for business owners who are frequent flyers with United Airlines, as its primary value is tied to airline-specific benefits.

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Redemption

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American Express® Business Gold Card: Points earned with this card offer significant flexibility, allowing you to transfer them to a wide array of airline and hotel partners or redeem them for other travel and statement credits.

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United℠ Business Card: Rewards are primarily redeemed within the United Airlines ecosystem, making it ideal for booking flights and seat upgrades on United and its partner airlines.

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Compare Top Rated Credit Cards with Kudos

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To find the best card for your spending habits, you can use a card comparison tool like Kudos to see how different cards stack up.

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• Test drive credit cards using your real spending data to see potential earnings before you apply.
• Receive personalized card recommendations based on your unique spending history to find your best match.
• Get a detailed analysis of your approval odds based on your credit report.
• Maximize your rewards with Kudos Boost when shopping at your favorite stores and get a welcome offer guarantee.

Who Should Choose the American Express® Business Gold Card?

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The American Express® Business Gold Card is tailored for established businesses with variable expenses and annual spending that exceeds $50,000. It's particularly valuable for companies whose top expenditures fall into two of the six eligible bonus categories each month, as the card automatically awards 4X points on up to $150,000 in these combined purchases annually, then 1X. Ultimately, this card suits entrepreneurs who can maximize the rewards structure to easily offset the annual fee and take advantage of its premium travel and purchase protections. Terms apply.

Who Should Choose the United Business?

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The United℠ Business Card is tailor-made for small business owners and entrepreneurs whose operations frequently have them flying with United Airlines. These cardholders will find immense value in perks like a free first checked bag, comprehensive travel protections, and the ability to earn Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) toward MileagePlus Premier status. Furthermore, businesses with international travel needs or multiple employees will benefit from the card's lack of foreign transaction fees and free employee cards, which help accelerate mileage accumulation.

Alternatives to Consider

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If our Amex Business Gold vs United Business comparison has left you feeling like neither card is the perfect match for your wallet, don't worry. There are several other excellent business credit cards on the market that might better suit your spending habits and travel goals.

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_{Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more. Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.}

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Tips for Application Success

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Before You Apply

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• Check Your Credit - Most premium business cards require a good to excellent credit score for approval.
• Plan Your Spending - Ensure you can comfortably meet the welcome offer's spending requirement with your regular business expenses.
• Know Your Rewards - Research the card’s reward categories and redemption options to ensure they align with your business needs.

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Application Strategy

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• Time your application before a large planned business expense to help meet spending requirements.
• Review issuer-specific application rules, such as bonus eligibility timelines.
• For co-branded cards, ensure you have a loyalty program account with the partner airline or hotel first.

Our Methodology

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We evaluate nearly 3,000 credit cards across the U.S. market — far more than the ~150 cards commonly featured on sites that focus only on products tied to affiliate commissions. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive, unbiased view of the credit card landscape so you can make confident, data-driven decisions.

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Our editorial team combines deep industry experience with rigorous verification standards. While our experts surface the most relevant recommendations in our guides, you can also explore the full dataset yourself through our card explorer tool, which includes thousands of cards — more than 95% of which do not provide us with commissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Can I transfer points from the Amex Business Gold card to airline partners?

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Yes, you can transfer American Express Membership Rewards® points earned with the Business Gold card to numerous airline and hotel partners (Terms apply). While United Airlines is not a direct transfer partner, you can often book United flights by transferring points to other Star Alliance member airlines.

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What kind of travel benefits does the United Business Card offer?

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The United℠ Business Card offers several perks designed for frequent United flyers, such as a free first checked bag and priority boarding on United flights. Cardholders may also receive benefits like annual United Club℠ one-time passes and discounts on in-flight purchases.

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Which card is better for earning flexible rewards?

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The American Express® Business Gold Card is designed for flexibility, automatically awarding bonus points in your top two eligible spending categories each billing cycle (Terms apply). The United℠ Business Card's rewards structure is more fixed, offering accelerated earnings on United purchases and other specific business categories.

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