Overview
The bottom line:
This card is a slam dunk for high-spend businesses with consistent cash flow. But if you need more payment flexibility, a traditional business credit card will be a better fit.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$150
Regular APR
N/A
Intro APR
N/A
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions. Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site.
Cashback
Foreign transaction fee
0%
Intro offer
$2,000
Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year.
Pros & Cons
Pros
High rewards rate
No preset spending limit
No foreign transaction fees
New cardholder bonus offer
Cons
High annual fee
Balance must be paid in full every month
High spending requirement to hit bonuses
Requires excellent credit
More details from Capital One
- Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months
- Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. You can earn this bonus multiple times over the course of year 1!
- Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Enjoy purchasing power that adapts to your business. The Spark Cash Plus card has no preset spending limit, so it can adapt to your needs based on your spending behavior, payment history, credit profile and other factors
- Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while you earn rewards from their transactions with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- $150 annual fee - Spend $150,000 annually and Capital One will refund this fee every year
- Spark Cash Plus has no APR because your balance is due in full every month
- For businesses that need large spending capacity and want to maximize cash back
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a powerhouse charge card built for booming businesses.
The card has no preset spending limit, earns 2% cash back on all purchases and dangles a massive welcome offer for new cardholders: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year.
The bonus alone cancels out the card's $150 annual fee for your first year, and then some. But if your business spends enough to net the bonus, you may eventually qualify to have your fee refunded entirely. Capital One will refund your annual fee each year that you spend at least $150,000. (See .)
Since the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a charge card
This card is best for:
✔️ Unlimited cash back.
✔️ Big spenders.
✔️ Businesses with good cash flow.
Not a fit? Consider these business credit cards
Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
IN THIS REVIEW
At a glance: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
💳 Card type: Cash-back business credit card
💲 Annual fee: $150.
💰 Sign-up bonus : Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year.
🎉 Rewards : Earn unlimited 2% cash back on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions. Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site.
📈 APR : N/A. Balance must be paid in full each billing cycle.
💷 Foreign transaction fee : None.
🎆 Other benefits :
- Annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000.
See complete on Capital One's website.
🤓
No preset spending limit does not equal unlimited spending. How much you can spend at any given time will depend on your payment history, spending patterns and credit history, among other factors. Nerdy Tip
Benefits and perks
Unlimited 2% cash back
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus delivers a lucrative combo of unlimited 2% back and no preset spending limit, allowing companies with massive annual budgets to rake in rewards.
A business that spends $200,000 annually could earn $4,000 in cash back each year. Spend $2 million? That's $40,000 in cash back each year. And that's not counting the welcome offer.
Online commenters say they like another perk with Capital One rewards: They’re transferable. You can combine what you earn on your Spark Cash Plus card with other Capital One cards — including personal cards — to maximize their redemption potential.
Outstanding welcome bonus
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus sign-up bonus is hard to beat: Earn a one-time cash bonus of $2,000 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months and an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year. That potential total easily outpaces the card's annual fee of $150. (See .)
Plus, you can get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000. For businesses with big operating budgets and steady cash flow, the welcome bonus and the opportunity to have the annual fee refunded each year make the Capital One Spark Cash Plus a smart choice.
No foreign transaction fees
Like other Capital One business cards, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. Usually, credit card foreign transaction fees are around 3%. Those extra costs can add up if you travel internationally or make purchases from overseas suppliers.
Drawbacks and alternatives
High spend requirements for bonuses, perks
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus benefits big spenders the most. After all, there's no preset spending limit, you'll need to spend $150,000 in a year to get your annual fee back and the welcome bonus requires a big outlay. (Which, again, you'll need to pay off immediately.)
If your business won't use your credit line as much, consider the Capital One Spark Cash .
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
The Spark Cash and Ink Unlimited both offer competitive, attainable welcome offers:
- Spark Cash welcome offer: Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening.
- Ink Unlimited welcome offer: Earn $900 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
No payment flexibility
The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a true charge card. It has no preset spending limit, but no option to finance certain purchases either.
If you want wiggle room to finance large purchases or carry a balance during leaner months, the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card
Another solid option? A business credit card with a 0% intro APR offer, like the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card U.S. Bank Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Business Card
Purchases could be denied
The Spark Cash Plus card has no preset spending limit, which is appealing for high-spend businesses. But it can have a downside, too.
Several commenters on Reddit complain about charges being denied, even when they’ve been approved in the past. This makes it difficult for businesses to operate, with some saying they've switched away from the Spark Cash Plus.
Most business cards with no preset spending limit
If that feels like a hassle, opt for a business credit card with a set limit. It may not offer the same initial spending power, but at least it will have predictability. While your credit limit on these cards may increase periodically, it will rarely decrease. You are typically notified in writing of any limit change.
Difficult to get approved
You need excellent credit — typically a FICO score of 720 or higher — to qualify for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus. But many online commenters report being denied even with outstanding credit. Other factors that may play into your approval include annual revenue, anticipated monthly spending and time in business.
How we evaluated the Capital One Spark Cash Plus
NerdWallet's business credit card experts compared the Spark Cash Plus to other cash-back business cards, evaluating how the card's rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its peers. We also surveyed Capital One, the card's issuer, gathering information about employee cards, spending controls, credit limits and how often cardholders are considered for a credit limit increase. This data, alongside feedback from business owners — solicited directly and gathered via online forums like Reddit — helped inform our review of the Capital One Spark Cash Plus.
Notes from card issuers
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
The Spark Cash Plus doesn’t have a preset spending limit. Instead, your purchasing power varies from month to month based on your spending habits and payment history, among other factors.
Most Capital One business credit cards report all activity to your personal credit reports. The Spark Cash Plus and Venture X Business are exceptions. Outside of the initial credit application, these cards only report instances of nonpayment and will not impact your personal credit score if kept in good standing.
Yes, using the Spark Cash Plus card can help build your business credit score. Capital One reports card activity to the Small Business Financial Exchange (SBFE), which in turn provides information to the three main business credit bureaus — Dun & Bradstreet, Experian and Equifax — to help inform your business credit score.
So, while the Spark Cash Plus doesn’t appear as a line item on your business credit report, using it responsibly can help you build business credit.