Spark 2% Cash
- Best for: Businesses with $19,000 to $150,000 a year in card spending, including purchases abroad
- What Sets It Apart: Uncapped 2% with no fee on purchases abroad, for less than the Spark 2% Cash Plus below $150,000 a year
- Welcome Offer: $1,000 cash bonus after $10,000 in purchases in the first 3 months; existing or previous Capital One business cardholders may not get it
- Rewards: 5% on hotel, vacation rental, and rental car reservations made through Capital One Business Travel; 2% on everything else, with no cap
- Features: Free employee cards with spending limits and virtual card numbers; expense management and accounts payable tools; extended warranty
- Annual Fee: $0 the first year, then $95
- APR: 24.74% variable on purchases and transfers
- Cost: No foreign transaction or balance transfer fee; cash advance fee of $5 or 5%, whichever is greater; late fee up to $39
- Credit Needed: Excellent
- Eligibility: U.S. businesses, sole proprietors included; closed to anyone with 5 or more open Capital One cards
- Pros: Same 2% as the Plus for less below $150,000 a year; no foreign transaction fee; cash back never expires
- Cons: Activity on your personal credit reports; $95 fee from year two; no intro APR
Get the Spark 2% Cash over Capital One’s Spark 2% Cash Plus unless your business can charge $30,000 in the Plus’s first 3 months for its $2,000 bonus, or $150,000 a year to get its fee refunded. Both pay 2% cash back, and this card costs $95 a year after a free first year, against $150 for the Plus.
The Spark 2% Cash is a standard credit card with a credit line, while the Spark 2% Cash Plus is a charge card designed to be paid in full. It suits a business that borrows on that line only now and then, since carrying $100 of purchases for a month at the 24.74% variable APR costs about $2 in interest, the same as their cash back.
Key Features
- 2% cash back on every purchase, and 5% on hotel, vacation rental, and rental car reservations made through Capital One Business Travel
- $1,000 cash bonus after $10,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- $0 annual fee the first year, then $95
- 24.74% variable APR, with no intro rate
- Free employee cards with spending limits you set
Pros
- The same 2% as the Plus for $95 a year instead of $150, until yearly spending reaches $150,000
- Out-earns the no-fee Spark 1.5% Cash Select above $19,000 a year, where the extra 0.5% covers the $95 fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- No cap on cash back, and it never expires while the account is open
Cons
- Account activity goes on the primary cardholder’s personal credit reports, which the Plus avoids in good standing
- A credit line that can start at $2,000, where the Plus has no preset spending limit
- A $95 fee from year two that the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash, which also pays 2%, doesn’t charge, though that card adds a 3% foreign transaction fee
- No 0% intro APR, where the Select offers 0% for 9 months on purchases
Unless your business will earn the Plus’s bonus or its fee refund, this card pays the same 2% for $150 less in year one and $55 less each year after. Owners who pay in full each month and want business spending off their personal credit reports should get the Plus instead.
Learn more about the Spark 2% Cash or see how it compares to the best small business credit cards.
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