Spark 1.5% Cash Select
- Best for: Business owners with excellent credit and light card spending
- What Sets It Apart: No annual fee or foreign transaction fee, plus 5% on hotels and rental cars reserved on Capital One’s travel site
- Welcome Offer: $750 cash bonus after $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months; current or past Capital One business cardholders may not get it
- Rewards: 1.5% cash back on every purchase; 5% on Capital One Business Travel bookings of hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars
- Features: Free employee cards with spending limits; virtual card numbers; extended warranty; roadside assistance
- Annual Fee: $0
- Intro APR: 0% for 9 months on purchases; none on balance transfers
- APR: 16.99% to 26.99% (variable) on purchases and balance transfers
- Cost: No 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; not available with 5 or more open Capital One cards
- Pros: No annual fee; interest-free start on purchases; cash back in any amount that never expires
- Cons: 1.5% where Capital One’s Spark 2% Cash pays 2%; 5% skips flights; no intro rate on transfers; reports to your personal credit
Get the Spark 1.5% Cash Select if your business needs 0% for 9 months on a big purchase or puts less than about $19,000 a year on its card. It pays 1.5% back with no annual fee. Spend more than that, and a Capital One card paying 2% earns more even after its fee.
Capital One aims the card, which its pages also call the Spark Cash Select, at business owners with excellent credit who want a flat cash back rate on everything they buy. Owners who’d rather earn travel miles get the same earning rates from the VentureOne Business card.
Key Features
- $0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
- 1.5% cash back on every purchase and 5% on Capital One Business Travel bookings of hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars
- $750 cash bonus after $6,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
- Intro APR of 0% for 9 months on purchases, then 16.99% to 26.99% (variable)
- Free employee cards with spending limits
Pros
- No annual fee to earn back
- An interest-free intro period on purchases, which Capital One’s 2% cards don’t offer
- Cash back redeemable in any amount, whenever you want, with no expiration while the account is open
- Sole proprietors, side businesses included, can apply without an EIN, using a Social Security number
Cons
- 1.5% back, while the Spark 2% Cash pays 2% for a $95 fee after its first year
- Aimed at excellent credit, with no version for good credit; the Spark 1% Classic, for fair credit, pays 1%
- The 5% rate skips flights, even those booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Balance transfers get no intro rate, though they carry no fee
- Account activity shows on your personal credit reports, so a high balance can lower your scores
It suits owners who’ll pay off a big purchase during the interest-free intro period, and owners who spend less than $19,000 a year on purchases that earn 1.5%. An extra 0.5% earns $95 on $19,000 a year, which covers the Spark 2% Cash’s fee, and $150 on $30,000, which covers the fee on the Spark Cash Plus, for owners who pay in full each month.
Learn more about the Spark 1.5% Cash Select or see how it compares to the best small business credit cards.
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