Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business vs United℠ Business Card
Side-by-side comparison
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business | United℠ Business Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $149 | $150 |
| Welcome offer | 60,000 points | 100,000 miles |
| Advertising | 1% | 1% |
| Shipping | 1% | 1% |
| Office supplies | 1% | 2% |
| Phone & internet | 1% | 1% |
| Travel | 3% | 2% |
| Everything else | 1% | 1% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $588 | $570 |
| Points type | Locked to Southwest Rapid Rewards | Locked to United MileagePlus |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified August 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
Welcome bonus and value over time
| Over time | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business | United℠ Business Card |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | 60,000 points | 100,000 miles |
| To earn it | $3,000 in 3 months | $5,000 in 3 months |
| Est. first-year value* | $1,039 | $1,420 |
| Est. ongoing value / yr* | $439 | $420 |
This one splits by time horizon. In year one the United℠ Business Card is ahead by roughly $381, thanks largely to its welcome offer. But the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business earns more every year after, so if you keep it, it overtakes the United℠ Business Card only over the very long haul. Chasing the sign-up bonus and open to canceling before the second annual fee? Take the United℠ Business Card. Planning to keep it for years? The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business pulls ahead.
*First-year value counts the welcome bonus, estimated rewards, and annual credits, minus the annual fee; ongoing value is a typical year after. Every point at a flat 1 cent.
Perks, credits, and redemptions
| Perks | Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business | United℠ Business Card |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge access | None | Yes — United Club |
| Annual credits | None | None |
| Points & redemptions | Locked to a single program | Locked to a single program |
On perks and redemptions, only the United℠ Business Card gets you into airport lounges. Weigh those against the fee, since credits and lounge access only count if you will actually use them.
Transfer partners and point value
Neither card earns transferable points, so redemptions are cash-back or fixed portal value on both, roughly a cent per point. There is no airline or hotel transfer angle to separate them.
The verdict
On a typical year of business spending, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business earns about $588 a year in rewards and the United℠ Business Card about $570, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business charges $149, which you clear through its rewards and perks. The United℠ Business Card charges $150, which you clear through its rewards and perks. Counting rewards, fees, and any credits, the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business delivers more total value, about $19 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on travel. Neither leans on transferable points, so the deciding factors are the welcome offer, the card network, and which everyday perks you will actually use. On the sign-up bonus, the United℠ Business Card currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Business if your spending leans toward travel. Pick the United℠ Business Card if your spending leans toward office supplies.