Compare the Features and Benefits of United℠ Business Card and
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card

If you’re a business owner contemplating on getting a personal United credit card, it’s worth taking a closer look at the United Business Card first. Cardholders earn 2x unlimited miles on a diverse range of bonus categories, including United purchases (which includes United flights, seat upgrades, wifi or onboard purchases), dining including eligible delivery services, gas stations, office supply stores, and local transit and commuting. All other purchases accrue 1x miles. And don’t forget, beyond the initial hard inquiry when applying for a business card, it won’t report to your personal credit as long as you remain in good standing.

The annual fee is waived for the first year, but will cost $99 every year thereafter. Fortunately, maximizing the card is effortless thanks to its number of tangible benefits. You can get every first checked bag free on United flights and even earn an annual $100 United credit after purchasing seven United flight purchases. Coupled with the opportunity to enter the United Club twice per year ($59 value each time), that’s roughly a $200+ value off the bat toward travel.

Other non-tangible, yet equally useful, benefits that the United Business Card provides include priority boarding, a 25% discount on inflight purchases, and the ability to earn up to 1,000 Premier Qualifying Points every year. Depending on how often you’re flying United every year, these perks offer elite-like benefits just by holding this card.

And don’t forget the ability to earn PQPs towards elite status from spend. You’ll earn 25 Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) for every $500 you spend on purchases – up to 1,000 PQPs per year.

If you were purely looking to earn United miles, however, you might well do better with the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Card which would earn 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on the first $150,000 spent on all travel purchases, has similar trip protections, and its points transfer 1:1 to United – but also to more than a dozen other airline and hotel partners.

We have a detailed comparison of the United Business Card vs. the Chase Ink Business Preferred Card.

Chase is the issuer of this business card and is quite generous when it comes to providing travel and purchase coverages with high limits. Plus, Chase tends to offer partner benefits exclusively for cardholders. Currently, cardholders can register for one year complimentary DashPass benefits from DoorDash. This perk gets you unlimited deliveries on orders of $12 or greater with no delivery fee and lower service fees overall.

The Delta SkyMiles Platinum Amex card sits squarely between the ultra-premium (Reserve) and base-level annual-fee (Gold) Delta cards. While the $350 annual fee is still a sizable sum to consider, there’s a mile-long list of benefits for Delta loyalists.

With the Delta Platinum card, it’s not only easy to rack up thousands of SkyMiles from card spend alone, but you could spend your way to the finish line of Medallion status.

You’ll earn 3x bonus miles on Delta purchases and hotel bookings; 2x miles at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets; and 1x miles on all other eligible purchases.

For those that need a hand with reaching the next Delta Medallion® elite status level, this card earns 1 MQD (Medallion Qualifying Dollars) for every $20 spent on eligible purchases with your Card plus $2,500 MQDs each year – just for holding the card!

With your growing balance of Delta SkyMiles, you can book Delta award flights — and enjoy a 15% discount for being a cardholder. Beyond earning and redeeming miles, there are great ways to save money through the a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit every 4.5 years, a first free checked bag on Delta flights, cell phone protection, trip coverage, and purchase protections.

Another key benefit that may move the needle for you is the annual roundtrip companion certificate, good for domestic, Caribbean, or Central American roundtrip flights in the Main Cabin. You’ll receive this reward after paying your card’s annual fee every account anniversary (after account opening). This allows you to book a second flight for a friend or family member for the cost of government imposed taxes and fees. Pick your route wisely, as you can easily save hundreds of dollars (and pay for the $350 annual fee) with the certificate alone. (Terms apply.)

And you’ll also receive up to $390 in statement credits each year with up to $10 per month in statement credits on eligible Resy purchases using your enrolled Card, up to $10 back in statement credits each month on U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers after you pay with your Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (Enrollment Required) and up to $150 back annually on eligible prepaid Delta Stays bookings on delta.com. (Terms apply)

In summary, if you like flying Delta but don’t think you can justify the cost of the higher annual fee for the Reserve level card, the Delta Platinum card may be the perfect fit for your travel needs.

Rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card