United Business Card: Up to 100,000 Miles Plus 2,000 PQP

The United Business Card is running its welcome offer at up to 100,000 miles plus 2,000 PQP, which is 10,000 miles less than the up to 110,000 it offered before. Most of it, 90,000 miles and the 2,000 PQP, lands after you spend $5,000 in the first three months. The last 10,000 come from adding an employee card within that same window.

The terms worth knowing before you apply:

• 90,000 miles + 2,000 PQP after $5,000 in purchases within 3 months
• 10,000 miles for adding an employee card within 3 months, with the authorized user still on the account when the bonus posts
• $150 annual fee
• Not for current or recent cardholders of this card: you cannot hold it now, or have earned a new cardmember bonus on it in the last 24 months

The 2,000 PQP is the quiet part that makes this more than a stack of miles. PQP are United's status qualifying points, and most welcome offers hand you miles with no progress toward status at all. This gives you 2,000 PQP toward Premier status before you have flown anywhere, though PQP alone do not remove United's requirement for flown segments, and they do not count against the up to 4,000 PQP the card can earn from spending each calendar year.

The miles can be used for Star Alliance award travel, including business class on partners like Lufthansa or ANA when availability cooperates. United does not publish a fixed award chart, so pricing on United and partner awards can move around, but 100,000 miles gives you a meaningful balance to work with.

It is still a business card, so you need a business, even a sole proprietorship or a side gig, and the $5,000 has to be spend you would make anyway. If you do not fly United and have no interest in Star Alliance, the $150 fee is not buying you much.

Chase shows no end date on this offer. That is not a reason to force an application. If the card fits your United travel and the $5,000 spend is comfortable, it still gives you a lot to work with.