The annual fee on my United℠ Business Card posts every June, prompting me to ask if it's time to cancel one of my United Airlines credit cards. As someone who carries multiple credit cards, it might seem counterintuitive that I'd keep renewing both my no-annual-fee United Gateway℠ Card and my United Business Card. However, this combination delivers more value than it costs me.
My journey with two United credit cards began with the United℠ Explorer Card. Over time, I downgraded it to the no-annual-fee United Gateway Card. Initially, I wondered if it was worth keeping a card that spends most of its time in my sock drawer. Today, I only make a small purchase on the Gateway Card every six months to keep the account active.
I added the United Business Card later, which is when I realized there was actually a meaningful benefit to holding both a personal and a business United card. Each year, cardholders who have both an eligible United personal card and an eligible United business card receive a 5,000-mile anniversary bonus.
The 5,000-mile bonus is a significant incentive, especially considering our valuation of United miles at around $65 per 5,000 miles. This benefit alone doesn't justify paying an annual fee, but it certainly helps tip the math in favor of keeping both cards.
The no-annual-fee Gateway Card stays in my wallet due to its lack of ongoing fees and the fact that it doesn't require me to pay the Explorer Card's annual fee to remain eligible for the anniversary bonus. Holding the Gateway Card also means I don't have to keep paying the Explorer Card's annual fee simply to remain eligible for the anniversary bonus.
The United Business Card is where almost all of the value in this strategy comes from. The combination of ongoing perks keeps me renewing year after year, including two United Hotels statement credits (up to $50 each), expanded MileagePlus saver award availability, and two single-entry United Club passes annually.
I also appreciate having access to Pay Yourself Back, which allows me to redeem MileagePlus miles to cover the annual fee of the United Business Card. This results in more value than our valuation of 1.3 cents per mile, making it easier to justify keeping the card.
One lesson I've learned over the years is that you don't need to be loyal to an airline to benefit from its cobranded credit card. I only fly United a few times each year, but those trips are consistently better because I have the United Business Card.
The free checked bag alone can save a meaningful amount if I'm traveling with luggage, and priority boarding is another perk I enjoy, especially when overhead bin space starts filling up. These benefits make it clear that keeping both cards is worth the cost.
At first glance, keeping both the no-annual-fee United Gateway Card and the United Business Card might seem like overkill, especially since United isn't my primary airline. But together, they deliver enough value that I continue renewing them every June.
The Gateway Card quietly unlocks the annual 5,000-mile anniversary bonus at no ongoing cost, while the United Business Card provides the benefits I actually use. For my travel habits, it's a combination that continues to earn its place in my wallet year after year.
