Capital One Spark Cash Review: Simple, Generous Rewards
Earn unlimited 2% back on all purchases.
The bottom line:
Unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, with no spending caps or foreign transaction fees, makes this card an excellent option for businesses that regularly purchase inventory overseas.
Credit card details
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Regular APR
24.49% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
Rewards rate
2%-5%
Earn unlimited 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere 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
$1,000
Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening.
Pros & Cons
Pros
High rewards rate
No foreign transaction fees
New cardholder bonus offer
No reward caps
Cons
Requires excellent credit
Reports all card activity to consumer credit bureaus
No Intro APR period
More details from Capital One
- Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening
- For businesses that want to earn 2% cash back on all purchases with the familiarity of a traditional credit line
- Earn unlimited 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- $0 annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases
- Rewards won’t expire for the life of the account, and you can redeem your cash back for any amount
- No foreign transaction fees
- Top rated mobile app
Compare to other cards
4.5
NerdWallet rating
Annual fee
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
Annual fee
$0
Annual fee
$0
Regular APR
24.49% Variable APR
Regular APR
16.74%-26.74% Variable APR
Regular APR
16.74%-24.74% Variable APR
Intro APR
N/A
Intro APR
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening
Intro APR
0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
Need more options? Check our picks for best business credit cards of 2026
The Capital One Spark Cash is an outstanding cash-back option for small-business owners. The card features unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases — no bonus categories to deal with, no spending caps to worry about — and, unlike most cash-back business cards, the Spark Cash does not charge foreign transaction fees (see ).
There is an annual fee — $0 intro for the first year, then $95 — which is one of the only drawbacks of this card. The Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card, for instance, has no annual fee and offers unlimited 2% cash back (plus a long intro APR period).
Another drawback of the Capital One Spark Cash? Capital One Spark business credit cards report all card activity to consumer credit bureaus (excluding the Spark Cash Plus), so spending on this card will show up on your personal credit report. Most other business credit cards only impact your personal credit if you don't pay your bill.
That's an important factor to consider if you'll carry a balance on your business card, which impacts your credit utilization and can negatively impact your personal FICO score.
Capital One Spark Cash: Basics
- Card type: Cash-back business credit card.
- Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95 (see
- Sign-up bonus: Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening.
- Ongoing rewards: Earn unlimited 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere no limits or category restrictions. Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site..
- Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 24.49% Variable APR.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
- Other benefits:
- Earn 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site.
- Free employee cards with the ability to set spending limits for each card.
- Itemized year-end spending reports.
- Option to download purchase records quickly and securely to accounting software, including Quicken, Quickbooks and Excel.
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Why you might want the Capital One Spark Cash
Simple, generous rewards on everything
Many business cash-back cards pay 1% on most purchases and a higher rate in certain categories. Those categories usually center on operating costs, such as office supplies, travel, telecommunications, advertising, shipping and so on. The Capital One Spark Cash offers 2% cash back on all purchases. That makes it ideal for businesses whose expenses don't line up with other cards’ categories, or that aren't concentrated in any particular categories.
Further, “2% on all purchases” includes inventory purchases — and, as many small-business operators can attest, inventory spending can easily dwarf operating expenses. Put $10,000 a month in inventory spending on the card, for example, and you've got $2,400 in rewards in a year. There is no limit on the amount of spending eligible for 2% rewards. You can set up automatic redemption to cash in your rewards when the balance reaches a certain amount, or you can redeem on request.
Big sign-up bonus
The Capital One Spark Cash starts you off with a huge sign-up bonus: Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening. That's one of the best business credit card promotions available from a cash-back card.
No foreign transaction fees
Unlike most cash-back credit cards, the Capital One Spark Cash doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. That's good if you do a lot of foreign travel — and great if you purchase inventory overseas. Credit card foreign transaction fees are typically 3%, meaning they can easily wipe out the value of any rewards you earn. Not a concern with the Capital One Spark Cash.
Why you might want a different card
Annual fee only makes sense for big spenders
The Capital One Spark Cash is one of the only major small-business cards to offer unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases, which makes it easier to justify the annual fee ($0 intro for the first year, then $95). But there are plenty of stellar cash-back cards that have no annual fee, including the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card (unlimited 2% cash back) and the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (unlimited 1.5%-5% back).
No 0% APR offer
Unlike most cash-back business cards, the Capital One Spark Cash doesn't come with a 0% APR period. If you're planning to carry a balance in the first few months after opening your account, a 0% APR offer could help you save plenty on interest charges.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, mentioned above, is a good alternative. So is the The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, which also has an annual fee of $0 and offers Earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year, 1% thereafter. Cash back earned is automatically credited to your statement. Terms Apply. Both cards offer a 12-month intro APR period (ongoing APRs vary by card) but both also charge foreign transaction fees.
Is the Capital One Spark Cash right for you?
The more money you spend in your business, the more attractive the Capital One Spark Cash becomes. If you value simplicity and have expenses high enough to justify the annual fee, it's the cream of the crop. If you don't have much in the way of business expenses, though, a no-fee card is a better option.
To view rates and fees of The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card, see this page.
Frequently asked questions
The Capital One Spark Cash earns an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.
Yes, a generous one. Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening.
The Capital One Spark Cash Select has a $0 annual fee. (See .) But it also pays a lower rewards rate. See our comparison article.
You don’t need an LLC, corporation or other formal business structure to apply for the Capital One Spark Cash. Sole proprietors such as freelancers, contractors and those with side-hustles can also apply for a small-business credit card. Issuers will consider your personal credit information, income and other factors when evaluating your application.