First-year winner
United Business Card
$977 Year 1 edge
$1,965 vs $988
Compare Cards
Stack up the better credit card
Compare two cards side by side with your real spend, credits, fees, and rewards.
Card A
Card B
Monthly spend
Start with spending categories
Monthly Total
$2,430/mo
Reward assumptions
Credits & benefits
Count the credits and perks you actually expect to use. Credit rows start with conservative default values; edit them for your own merchant, timing, or travel friction.
Card A
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
Counted benefits
$0
Credits
None
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Perk
Capital One Travel Booking Tools
Price Protection · No listed cash value
Capital One Travel includes booking features such as price monitoring, change-support workflows, and issuer-managed travel booking features.
Perk
Capital One Entertainment Access
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible cardholders can access event inventory and experiences through the Capital One Entertainment platform.
Perk
Employee Cards and Virtual Cards
Other · No listed cash value
Capital One business cards are geared toward teams, with employee-card support and account tools for business spend management.
Perk
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Other · No listed cash value
Eligible international purchases do not incur an added foreign transaction surcharge.
Card B
United Business Card
Counted benefits
$620
Credits
$620
Cash-like credits counted in the model
Perks
None
Optional user-valued benefits
Credit
$125 United Travel Credit
Travel Credits · Listed $125/yr
Receive a United travel credit after making five United flight purchases of $100 or more in a calendar year.
Credit
$100 United Hotels Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Receive up to $100 back as statement credits on eligible prepaid United Hotels stays.
Credit
$100 Rideshare Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Enroll to receive up to $100 back as statement credits each calendar year on eligible rideshare purchases.
Credit
$50 Avis or Budget United Travel Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $50/yr
Receive United TravelBank cash for eligible Avis or Budget rentals booked through cars.united.com.
Credit
$120 Instacart Credits
Other · Listed $120/yr
Receive up to $120 in Instacart credits each calendar year for eligible Instacart purchases.
Credit
$100 JSX Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $100/yr
Receive up to $100 back as statement credits each year on eligible JSX flights.
Credit
$25 FareLock Credits
Travel Credits · Listed $25/yr
Receive up to $25 in credits each year on eligible FareLock purchases for United- or United Express-operated flights.
Perk
Two United Club One-Time Passes
Lounge Access · No listed cash value
Receive two United Club one-time passes each year.
Perk
Free First Checked Bag and Priority Boarding
Other · No listed cash value
The primary cardmember and one companion can receive a first checked bag free and priority boarding on eligible United itineraries.
Verdict
United Business wins year 1 and long term.
Winner after year 1
United Business Card
$377 ongoing edge
$865 vs $488
Long-term breakeven: the higher-reward option needs roughly $87,449 per year in this spend mix to overcome the fee and benefit gap.
Capital One
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
Year One
$988
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$488
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$583
2.00% effective return
Welcome Offer
$500
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
None
$0 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$4,500
3 mo window · $1,500/mo pace · Doable
Why it wins
- • Still delivers meaningful first-year upside from the welcome offer.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The annual fee is harder to justify if you do not use the credits and perks consistently.
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Chase
United Business Card
Year One
$1,965
Welcome offer + annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
After Year 1
$865
Annual rewards + counted benefits - fee
Annual Rewards
$395
1.35% effective return
Welcome Offer
$1,100
Current listed first-year bonus value
Credits + Perks
$620
$620 credits + $0 perks
Bonus Spend
$5,000
3 mo window · $1,667/mo pace · Doable
Why it wins
- • Comes with a particularly strong welcome offer.
- • Your expected credit usage offsets most of the annual fee.
- • Stays usable for international purchases.
Watch for
- • The points value case is thinner without transfer-partner flexibility.
Spend Mix Math
Where the value actually comes from
Category returns are based on the spend mix you entered, your point-value assumption, and the benefits you chose to count.
Dining
2x
$5,400
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
$108
2.00%
United Business
$108
2.00%
Groceries
2x
$7,800
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
$156
2.00%
United Business
$78
1.00%
Travel
2x
$3,000
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
$60
2.00%
United Business
$60
2.00%
Gas
2x
$1,920
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
$38
2.00%
United Business
$38
2.00%
General
2x
$11,040
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
$221
2.00%
United Business
$110
1.00%
Total annual spend
$29,160 across this mix
Capital One Spark 2X Miles$583
United Business$395
Raw Breakdown
Full side-by-side details
Use the spec table below when you want the literal field-by-field differences in rewards, benefits, transfer partners, fees, and approval profile.
| Metric | Capital One Spark 2X Miles | United Business Card |
|---|---|---|
| Costs | ||
| Annual fee | $95 | $150 |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Rewards | ||
| Dining rewards | — | 2x |
| Gas rewards | — | 2x |
| Other rewards | — | 2x 2X miles at office supply stores and on local transit. |
| Travel rewards | 5x 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel. | 2x 2X miles on eligible United purchases. |
| All rewards | 2x | 1x |
| Offer | ||
| Welcome offer | 50,000 bonus miles Spend $4,500 in 3 mo | Earn up to 110,000 bonus miles + 2,000 Premier qualifying points Earn 100,000 bonus miles + 2,000 PQP after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an employee card in the first 3 months. |
| Benefits | ||
| Estimated benefits | 4 listed | ~$620/yr |
| Benefit highlights | Capital One Travel Booking Tools · Capital One Entertainment Access · Employee Cards and Virtual Cards · +1 more | $125 United Travel Credit · $100 United Hotels Credits · $100 Rideshare Credits · +6 more |
| Profile | ||
| Credit needed | Good | Good |
| Network | — | — |
| Reward type | Miles | Miles |
Costs
Annual fee
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
$95
United Business Card
$150
Foreign transaction fee
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
None
United Business Card
None
Rewards
Dining rewards
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
—
United Business Card
2x
Gas rewards
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
—
United Business Card
2x
Other rewards
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
—
United Business Card
2x
2X miles at office supply stores and on local transit.
Travel rewards
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
5x
5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel.
United Business Card
2x
2X miles on eligible United purchases.
All rewards
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
2x
United Business Card
1x
Offer
Welcome offer
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
50,000 bonus miles
Spend $4,500 in 3 mo
United Business Card
Earn up to 110,000 bonus miles + 2,000 Premier qualifying points
Earn 100,000 bonus miles + 2,000 PQP after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months, plus 10,000 bonus miles after adding an employee card in the first 3 months.
Benefits
Estimated benefits
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
4 listed
United Business Card
~$620/yr
Benefit highlights
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
Capital One Travel Booking Tools · Capital One Entertainment Access · Employee Cards and Virtual Cards · +1 more
United Business Card
$125 United Travel Credit · $100 United Hotels Credits · $100 Rideshare Credits · +6 more
Profile
Credit needed
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
Good
United Business Card
Good
Network
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
—
United Business Card
—
Reward type
Capital One Spark 2X Miles
Miles
United Business Card
Miles