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Capital One Spark Business Credit Cards
5 min read
Capital One offers a myriad of business cards for all kinds of credit levels and business-related spending. They all feature unlimited free employee cards, unlimited rewards, and no foreign transaction fees.
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Capital One Spark is Capital One’s line of small business credit cards. For Capital One’s personal cards go to this page.
There are five Spark cards in total. Four are designed for large or small business owners with excellent credit scores, with a fifth designed for people with fair or average credit. Although some of them are made for excellent credit, you may still be approved if your credit falls within the “good” range, depending on other factors.
| Card | Annual Fee | Credit Level | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capital One Spark Cash for Business (Review) | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that | Excellent |
|
| Capital One Spark Cash Select – $500 Cash Bonus (Review) | $0 | Excellent |
|
| Capital One Spark Miles for Business (Review) | $0 intro for first year; $95 after that | Excellent |
|
| Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business (Review) | $0 | Excellent |
|
| Capital One Spark Classic for Business (Review) | $0 | Fair or Average |
|
These cards do not have foreign transaction fees.
Unlimited employee cards are available on all these cards for free. Spending on employee cards earn rewards, and you can set individual credit limits on each card.
These cards all earn an unlimited amount of cash back (or “miles”) at a fixed rate on all your business expenses. Some other business reward cards have an annual cap on certain bonus categories. You may find it beneficial to get more than one business credit card to maximize rewards. You could spend on a different business card that earns more in certain categories, then use one of these Capital One Spark cards for all other purchases when you’d earn less with another card.
Capital One recently introduced a set of airline partners, to which you can transfer the miles you earn with the Spark Miles and Spark Miles Select cards. This could potentially give you more than 1 cent per mile, a better value than the normal redemption methods.
Insider tip
Take note that the Capital One business credit cards do not usually report card activity to the credit bureaus like most other business cards. With most business cards, your positive activity is reported to certain business credit bureaus, and negative activity is reported to the consumer/personal credit bureaus.
But with the Spark business cards, all of your card activity (positive and negative) is reported to both the business and consumer credit bureaus. This means that your card spending will show up on your personal credit reports, where it will affect your credit utilization. If you have a high card balance, this could negatively impact your credit scores.
However, starting 10/20/20 for new cardholders, the Spark Cash for Business will not report any activity to the personal credit bureaus, as long as the account remains in good standing. It will report positive activity to business credit bureaus.
The business credit bureaus that Capital One reports to are Dun & Bradstreet, Experian Business, and Small Business Financial Exchange.
Spark Classic (Fair Credit)
The Spark Classic is a cash back card designed for people with fair or average credit. It’s a good offer for that credit level considering it has no annual fee and earns an unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases.
- Min. credit levelFair
- Annual Fee$0
- Regular APR24.49% Variable
- 1% cash back on all purchases
A balance transfer is a way to move debt from one card to another with the goal of saving money on interest.
- Intro Balance Transfer APRN/A
- Regular Balance Transfer APR24.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer FeeN/A
- Penalty APR30.90% Variable
- Late FeeUp to $39
- Returned Payment FeeN/A
- Additional Cards Annual FeeN/A
- Foreign Transaction FeeNone
The information related to Capital One Spark Classic for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
Spark Cash & Spark Miles (Excellent Credit)
For business owners with excellent credit, there are four different options: two different Spark Cash cards and two different Spark Miles cards. Within each family, there’s a rewards card with no annual fee, and a second card that earns more rewards and has an annual fee.
The Cash cards earn cash back rewards, while the Miles cards earn miles. These “miles” can be redeemed for travel purchases at a rate of 1¢ each, or they can be transferred to a variety of airline loyalty programs where they might be worth more than that.
Based on our research, the only reason to get a Spark Miles card over a Spark Cash card is if you want to transfer your rewards to a partner airline program, or if you like the 5X categories.
Spark Cash cards
The main differences between these cards are the cash back rates and the annual fees:
- Spark Cash: 2% cash back; $95 annual fee after the first year
- Spark Cash Select: 1.5% cash back; no annual fee
The Spark Cash cards are a great deal, since you can earn an unlimited amount of cash back no matter how much you spend on the cards. The main difference between these card is the amount of cash back each earns.
Based on the annual fee and cash back potential, we’ve calculated that if your small business spends more than $19,000 per year, you’ll earn more rewards value with the Spark Cash than the Spark Cash Select. This table shows the amount of cash back you’ll earn with each card (after the annual fee) at several levels of spending:
| Amount Spent Annually | Cash Back Earned, Spark Cash | Cash Back Earned, Spark Cash Select |
|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | -$45 | $37.50 |
| $4,750 | $0 | $71.25 |
| $10,000 | $105 | $150 |
| $19,000 | $285 | $285 |
| $25,000 | $405 | $375 |
| $50,000 | $905 | $750 |
| $100,000 | $1,905 | $1,500 |
- Min. credit levelExcellent
- Annual Fee$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- Regular APR20.99% (Variable)
- Earn a one-time $500 cash bonus once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- Purchase above your credit limit with no hassle and no over-limit fees
- $0 annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases
- $0 Fraud Liability if your card is lost or stolen
- Rewards won't expire for the life of the account, and you can redeem your cash back for any amount
- No foreign transaction fees
- 2% cash back for every purchase
Introductory bonus
A balance transfer is a way to move debt from one card to another with the goal of saving money on interest.
- Intro Balance Transfer APRN/A
- Regular Balance Transfer APR20.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer FeeN/A
- Penalty APR29.40% (Variable)
- Late FeeUp to $39
- Returned Payment FeeN/A
- Additional Cards Annual FeeN/A
- Foreign Transaction FeeNone
The information related to Capital One Spark Cash for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
- Min. credit levelGood
- Annual Fee$0
- Regular APR13.24% - 19.24% (Variable)
- Earn a $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere - with no limits or category restrictions
- No annual fee
- Rewards won't expire for the life of the account
- Redeem your cash back rewards for any amount
- Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen
- No foreign transaction fees
- 1.5% cash back for all purchases
- There is no limit to the amount of rewards you can earn
Introductory bonus
A balance transfer is a way to move debt from one card to another with the goal of saving money on interest.
- Intro Balance Transfer APRN/A
- Regular Balance Transfer APR13.24% - 19.24% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee$0 at the Transfer APR
- Penalty APR29.40% (Variable)
- Late FeeUp to $39
- Returned Payment FeeN/A
- Additional Cards Annual FeeN/A
- Foreign Transaction FeeNone
The information related to Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
Spark Miles cards
The main differences between these cards are the annual fee and how many “miles” they earn:
- Spark Miles: 5X miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 2X miles per dollar for other purchases; $95 annual fee after the first year
- Spark Miles Select: 5X miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel; 1.5X miles per dollar for other purchases; no annual fee
These “miles” can be redeemed for travel purchases at 1¢ each, or transferred to a partner airline loyalty program, which could provide a better value. So, the Spark Miles cards provide the same or greater cash back value than the Spark Cash cards, but with different redemption options. If you travel often and want to turn your rewards into airline miles, you may prefer the Spark Miles or Spark Miles Select over the equivalent Spark Cash card.
The same $19,000 spending threshold that applies to the Spark Miles vs. the Spark Miles Select also applies to the Spark Cash cards, provided you can redeem all your rewards for travel purchases. The Spark Miles Select comes with a 9-month 0% introductory APR on purchases before the regular 14.49% - 22.49% Variable APR kicks in, while the Spark Miles doesn’t.
For mile transfers, most of the transfer rates are 2:1.5 (2 Capital One miles for 1.5 partner miles), although some partners have a lesser rate.
| Airline Partner | Transfer Rate |
|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier | 2:1.5 |
| Air Canada Aeroplan |
2:1.5 |
| Air France KLM Flying Blue |
2:1.5 |
| Alitalia MilleMiglia |
2:1.5 |
| Avianca LifeMiles |
2:1.5 |
| British Airways Executive Club |
2:1.5 |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles |
2:1.5 |
| Emirates Skywards |
2:1 |
| Etihad Guest |
2:1.5 |
| EVA Infinity MileageLands |
2:1.5 |
| Finnair Plus |
2:1.5 |
| Hainan Fortune Wings Club |
2:1.5 |
| JetBlue TrueBlue |
2:1 |
| Qantas Frequent Flyer |
2:1.5 |
| Singapore KrisFlyer |
2:1 |
| TAP Portugal Miles&Go |
1:1 |
| Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles |
2:1.5 |
- Min. credit levelGood
- Annual Fee$0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- Regular APR20.99% (Variable)
- Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles - equal to $500 in travel - once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Transfer your miles to 15+ leading travel loyalty programs like JetBlue™, Air Canada, and Emirates™
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- Fly through security with one statement credit for either the $85 TSA Pre✔® application fee or the $100 Global Entry application fee
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar for every other purchase
Introductory bonus
A balance transfer is a way to move debt from one card to another with the goal of saving money on interest.
- Intro Balance Transfer APRN/A
- Regular Balance Transfer APR20.99% (Variable)
- Balance Transfer Fee$0 at this Transfer APR
- Penalty APR29.40% (Variable)
- Late FeeUp to $39
- Returned Payment FeeN/A
- Additional Cards Annual FeeN/A
- Foreign Transaction FeeNone
The information related to Capital One Spark Miles for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
- Min. credit levelGood
- Annual Fee$0
- Regular APR14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- 5X miles per dollar for:
- Hotels booked through Capital One Travel
- Rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 1.5X miles per dollar for every other purchase
Introductory bonus
A balance transfer is a way to move debt from one card to another with the goal of saving money on interest.
- Intro Balance Transfer APRN/A
- Regular Balance Transfer APR14.49% - 22.49% Variable
- Balance Transfer FeeN/A
- Penalty APR30.90% Variable
- Late FeeUp to $39
- Returned Payment FeeNone
- Additional Cards Annual FeeN/A
- Foreign Transaction FeeNone
The information related to Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
If you’re a business owner looking for a new card, one of these may be a good fit for your small business. To explore other options, read about our favorite business credit cards.
Capital One Business Card Features
Benefits
All Capital One business cards give cardholders a certain set of perks, provided by Capital One. They also come with more benefits and protections provided by either Visa or Mastercard.
The benefits provided by Capital One include:
- No foreign transaction fees: No extra charges for transactions made outside the U.S. or in foreign currency
- Experienced Business Customer Service Representatives: Specially trained to help with your business needs.
- Employee cards: Get free employee cards to manage spending and maximize your reward potential.
- Spending Summaries: Quarterly and year-end summaries of purchases.
- Connect to Quickbooks®: Transfer your spending data to Quickbooks, Quicken, or Excel.
- Fraud Protection: Real-time coverage of fraud attempts to help protect your account.
- Account Alerts: Personalized email or text reminders to help you stay on top of all account activity.
- Personalized Payment Due Date: Pick your own monthly due date.
Capital One will also provide a link to the Guide to Benefits that comes with each of their cards, a very handy resource.
What’s the best Capital One business credit card?
Our highest-rated Capital One credit cards are the Capital One Spark Cash Select – $500 Cash Bonus (Review) and the Capital One Spark Cash for Business (Review). Both Spark Cash cards earn cash back at a flat rate on every purchase with no limits, a compelling feature for businesses that spend a lot of money but don’t want to think too much about redeeming their rewards. The cash back will simply be added to your account as statement credits.
If you’re strictly interested in a travel rewards card, you should instead opt for one of the Spark Miles cards, the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business (Review) and Capital One Spark Miles for Business (Review). They’re similar to the Spark Cash cards, except they earn miles that can be redeemed through Capital One (or transferred to travel loyalty programs) and include some travel-oriented benefits.
That leaves the Capital One Spark Classic for Business (Review), which is designed for applicants with fair credit. If your personal credit scores aren’t great, but you’re confident you’d benefit from a business credit card anyway, this could be the card for you.
How many Capital One business credit cards can you have?
We contacted Capital One support directly to discuss per-person card limits, and here’s what we got: “You may not be approved for additional accounts if you have 5 or more open credit card accounts with Capital One.” This is consistent with what appears in these cards’ terms.
So you can have up to five Capital One business credit cards open at the same time, as long as you don’t have any other open credit card accounts with Capital One.
Brendan Harkness
Brendan has been writing about personal finance for over eight years, and is now taking on the challenge of bringing high-quality credit education to the masses. He makes sure that Credit Card Insider is covering the most important credit topics transparently and precisely, and that we have up-to-date reviews of credit cards so you can find cards that are right for you.
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