Capital One Spark Miles Select Review: Solid Travel Rewards With No Fee
This business credit card gives you an unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar on purchases. You can redeem for any travel expense, with no blackout dates or restrictions.
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Personal Finance Expert | budgeting, banking, family finances, money savings strategies, ways to maximize your credit card rewards, how to boost your credit score
Kimberly Palmer is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet. She has been featured on the "<a href="https://www.today.com/video/how-to-save-money-on-your-vacation-this-summer-1257358915885?v=a">Today</a>" show and in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/style/financial-independence-30s.html?">The New York Times</a>. She is also the author of three books about money: "Smart Mom, Rich Mom," "The Economy of You" and “Generation Earn.” Previously, she was a money editor at U.S. News & World Report and AARP. Kimberly's work also appears at <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/ca/?trk=US_bio">NerdWallet Canada</a>. Email: <a href="mailto:kpalmer@nerdwallet.com">kpalmer@nerdwallet.com</a>. Twitter: <a href="//twitter.com/KimberlyPalmer">@KimberlyPalmer</a>.
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain. Email: <a href="mailto:kyoung@nerdwallet.com">kyoung@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain. Email: <a href="mailto:kyoung@nerdwallet.com">kyoung@nerdwallet.com</a>.
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Personal Finance Expert | budgeting, banking, family finances, money savings strategies, ways to maximize your credit card rewards, how to boost your credit score
Kimberly Palmer is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet. She has been featured on the "<a href="https://www.today.com/video/how-to-save-money-on-your-vacation-this-summer-1257358915885?v=a">Today</a>" show and in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/style/financial-independence-30s.html?">The New York Times</a>. She is also the author of three books about money: "Smart Mom, Rich Mom," "The Economy of You" and “Generation Earn.” Previously, she was a money editor at U.S. News & World Report and AARP. Kimberly's work also appears at <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/ca/?trk=US_bio">NerdWallet Canada</a>. Email: <a href="mailto:kpalmer@nerdwallet.com">kpalmer@nerdwallet.com</a>. Twitter: <a href="//twitter.com/KimberlyPalmer">@KimberlyPalmer</a>.
Personal Finance Expert | budgeting, banking, family finances, money savings strategies, ways to maximize your credit card rewards, how to boost your credit score
Kimberly Palmer is a personal finance expert at NerdWallet. She has been featured on the "<a href="https://www.today.com/video/how-to-save-money-on-your-vacation-this-summer-1257358915885?v=a">Today</a>" show and in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/02/style/financial-independence-30s.html?">The New York Times</a>. She is also the author of three books about money: "Smart Mom, Rich Mom," "The Economy of You" and “Generation Earn.” Previously, she was a money editor at U.S. News & World Report and AARP. Kimberly's work also appears at <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/ca/?trk=US_bio">NerdWallet Canada</a>. Email: <a href="mailto:kpalmer@nerdwallet.com">kpalmer@nerdwallet.com</a>. Twitter: <a href="//twitter.com/KimberlyPalmer">@KimberlyPalmer</a>.
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain. Email: <a href="mailto:kyoung@nerdwallet.com">kyoung@nerdwallet.com</a>.
Kenley Young directs daily credit cards coverage for NerdWallet. Previously, he was a homepage editor and digital content producer for Fox Sports, and before that a front page editor for Yahoo. He has decades of experience in digital and print media, including stints as a copy desk chief, a wire editor and a metro editor for the McClatchy newspaper chain. Email: <a href="mailto:kyoung@nerdwallet.com">kyoung@nerdwallet.com</a>.
NerdWallet's content is
fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness, and relevance by humans.
It undergoes a thorough review process involving writers and editors to ensure
the information is as clear and complete as possible. Learn more by checking
our
Editorial Guidelines.
Content was accurate at the time of publication.
Why trust NerdWallet
250+ small-business products reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
80+ years of combined experience covering small business and personal finance.
Objective comprehensive business credit card ratings rubric (Methodology).
NerdWallet's business credit card content, including our ratings, reviews and recommendations, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business credit cards. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, Washington Post, MarketWatch, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, MSN and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our coverage. We independently evaluate and rate dozens of small-business credit cards, scoring them on fees, rewards rates, bonus offers and other features to help you choose the best business card for your company.
Advertiser disclosure
You’re our first priority.
Every time.
We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with
confidence. And while our site doesn’t feature every company or
financial product available on the market, we’re proud that the guidance
we offer, the information we provide and the tools we create are
objective, independent, straightforward — and free.
So how do we make money? Our partners compensate us. This may influence
which products we review and write about (and where those products
appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or
advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. Our
partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products
or services. Here is a list of our partners .
Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business
Overview
SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATED
This page includes information about Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information about Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
The bottom line:
This is a strong option for a small-business owner who wants a simple travel rewards program with no fee and a relatively high rewards rate. Bigger spenders could get a better return with a different card, though.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
13.99% - 23.99% Variable APR
Intro APR
0% on Purchases for 9 months
Rewards rate
1.5x
Earn 1.5 miles per $1 on every purchase
Miles
Foreign transaction fee
0%
Intro offer
Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles - equal to $200 in travel - once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles - equal to $200 in travel - once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Miles
Pros & Cons
Pros
High rewards rate
No annual fee
No foreign transaction fee
Cons
More details from Capital One
Earn unlimited 1.5X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles – equal to $200 in travel – once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ using a Spark Miles Select card
Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 13.99% - 23.99% variable APR after that
No annual fee
Transfer your miles to 10+ 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
Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 1.5X miles from their purchases
For small-business owners seeking solid, flexible travel rewards without paying an annual fee, there's a lot to like about the Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business card.
The card offers a flat 1.5 miles back on purchases, although that rate rises considerably when you book hotels and rental cars via the Capital One Travel portal. You can redeem for things like flights, hotels or vacation packages, or you can transfer them to multiple travel partners. And unlike a lot of other business credit cards, there's an intro APR period, which is ideal if you need to finance purchases upfront.
Bigger-spending business owners, however, can find cards with more lucrative rewards.
Sign-up bonus: Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles - equal to $200 in travel - once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Ongoing rewards: Unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar spent on everything.
Redemption options:
Miles are worth a penny apiece when you:
Use Capital One's travel portal to book travel.
Book travel with your card elsewhere, then use your miles to get reimbursed via a statement credit against your travel purchase. Unlike the points or miles in programs tied to a specific airline or hotel chain, these rewards allow you to book how you want, with no blackout dates or exclusions. You can redeem miles for all or just part of a travel expense within 90 days of it posting to your account.
You can also transfer miles to one of more than a dozen travel transfer partners, but often not at a 1:1 ratio. (More on that below.)
🤓
Nerdy Tip
You can redeem miles for gift cards, cash back and more, but usually at a lower value per point, and we don't recommend it. If you expect you'll want cash back, consider a cash-back credit card.
Interest rate: 0% on Purchases for 9 months, and then the ongoing APR of 13.99% - 23.99% Variable APR.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Balance transfer fee: None.
Other benefits:
Employees receive free cards and earn rewards from their purchases; you can customize spending limits on employee cards and see all transactions.
Year-end itemized report of spending and easy to download purchase records.
Why you might want the Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business
Straightforward, no-fee rewards
For a no-fee card, earning 1.5 miles on your purchases — which also applies to inventory — is a solid rewards rate. And you don't have to worry about juggling any other bonus categories.
No-fuss reward redemption
You can redeem your miles on flights, hotel stays, vacation packages and more at a rate of 1 cent per mile, either by booking via Capital One’s travel portal or redeeming miles for travel statement credits. That means you’re not tied to any one airline, hotel chain or travel website, and there are no blackout dates. You can also choose to transfer miles to one of more than a dozen travel partners. Keep in mind, though, that for most partners, the transfer ratio is less than 1:1, so it may not be worth it.
Full list of Capital One transfer partners
Airlines
Aeromexico (1:1 ratio).
Air Canada (1:1 ratio).
Air France-KLM (1:1 ratio).
Avianca (1:1 ratio).
British Airways (1:1 ratio).
Cathay Pacific (1:1 ratio).
Emirates (1:1 ratio).
Etihad (1:1 ratio).
EVA (2:1.5 ratio).
Finnair (1:1 ratio).
Japan Airlines (2:1.5 ratio).
JetBlue (5:3 ratio).
Qantas (1:1 ratio).
Qatar Airways (1:1 ratio).
Singapore Airlines (1:1 ratio).
TAP Air Portugal (1:1 ratio).
Turkish Airlines (1:1 ratio).
Virgin Red (1:1 ratio).
Hotels
Accor (2:1 ratio).
Choice Privileges Hotels (1:1 ratio).
I Prefer Hotel Rewards (1:2 ratio).
Wyndham Rewards (1:1 ratio).
Welcome incentives
The sign-up bonus is decent for a no-fee card: Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles - equal to $200 in travel - once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening. And if you’re making a lot of big purchases for your small business, the card's 0% intro APR offer could be a useful way to finance a short-term loan: Cardholders get 0% on Purchases for 9 months, and then the ongoing APR of 13.99% - 23.99% Variable APR.
NO FOREIGN TRANSACTION FEES
Like all Capital One cards, the Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business has no foreign transaction fee. That's a definite plus if you travel internationally, and particularly if you buy inventory overseas. Many other cards charge a fee of around 3% on transactions outside the U.S. It's also a Mastercard, which means you likely won't run into problems with overseas acceptance.
Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business vs. other Spark cards
If you’re a big spender looking for bigger rewards, it might be worth it to go with a card that charges an annual fee in exchange for a higher rewards rate. Such cards also tend to offer bigger sign-up bonuses. Consider, for instance, this card’s big brother, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. It has an annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, then $95. But it earns double miles on purchases. Based on that 2X rate, the card would pay for its annual fee with $4,750 a year in spending. And if you spend more than $19,000 a year, the rewards you earn at the 2X rate would exceed a 1.5X rate, even taking into account the annual fee.
Plus, the sign-up bonus on the Capital One Spark Miles for Business is potentially quite rich indeed: 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.
Even if you're not a big spender, you can find no-annual-fee small-business cards with better rewards up to a cap. The $0-annual-fee The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card offers 2% cash back on eligible purchases on up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year (1% back after that). Terms apply ( see rates and fees ).
Cash-back rewards are more flexible
The cash back you get with the above-mentioned The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is more flexible than miles would be. But if that card's annual spending cap is a deal-breaker and you still want to avoid an annual fee, check out the Capital One Spark Cash Select. The card offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, a $0 annual fee and a sign-up bonus: Earn a $750 bonus when you spend $6,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.
Should you get Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business?
If you’re a small-business owner looking for a no-fee travel rewards card for yourself and your employees, the Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business card could be a good fit. But if you're a big spender or you would rather earn cash back than miles, you’d be better off with a different card.
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.