Capital One Spark Cash: A 2% Cash-Back Workhorse for Global Business Spend
This is a set-it-and-forget-it card. It favors businesses that value simplicity over bonus rewards and financing flexibility.
The bottom line:
This card is an excellent option for businesses that regularly purchase inventory overseas. It has no foreign transaction fees and earns unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases.
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 Spark Cash delivers the best value if you pay it in full each month. Businesses that need to float purchases should opt for a card like the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card instead. It has a long intro APR period, so interest charges won’t dilute your rewards for the first year. The Ink Unlimited has a lower cash-back rate — 1.5% vs 2% — but no annual fee. It does charge a 3% foreign transaction fee. (See .)
Can’t swing the spending to snag the Spark Cash welcome bonus? The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card delivers the same 2% back, but with a $50,000 annual cap. This makes it a great first business card for smaller companies. It also has a long intro APR period. That’s ideal for financing large purchases — as long as they’re not from international vendors. This card has a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.
Full review
The Capital One Spark Cash is an outstanding cash-back business card for small-business owners. The card earns unlimited 2% cash back. There are no bonus categories to deal with or spending caps to worry about. And it’s one of the only cash-back business cards without a foreign transaction fee (see ).
The card isn’t perfect, though. There’s an annual fee — $0 intro for the first year, then $95. That’s easy to offset, though. A harder pill to swallow: The Spark Cash appears on your personal credit report. A high balance can hurt your credit score, even if you pay the card off each month. Most other business credit cards only impact your personal credit if you don't pay your bill.
This card is best for:
✔️ Simple, flat-rate cash back.
✔️ $1,000 welcome bonus.
✔️ International purchases (no foreign transaction fee).
Card details: Capital One Spark Cash
🎉 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.
💰 Sign-up bonus: Earn a $1,000 cash bonus when you spend $10,000 within 3 months of account opening.
💲 Annual fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95 (see ).
💷 Foreign transaction fee: None.
📈 APR: The ongoing APR is 24.49% Variable APR.
🎆 Other benefits:
- Free employee cards with the ability to set spending limits for each card.
- Account holders can create virtual cards.
- Itemized year-end spending reports available.
- Option to download purchase records to accounting software, including Quicken, Quickbooks and Excel.
Where the Capital One Spark Cash shines
Unlimited 2% back, no caps or categories
The Spark Cash is an all-purpose card that earns top-tier rewards no matter where your business spends. You get the same 2% back on operating costs and inventory alike. With no cap on what you can earn, it’s as close to set-it-and-forget-it as you’ll get. Put $10,000 a month in inventory spending on the card, for example, and you've got $2,400 in rewards in a year.
A sign-up bonus that dwarfs its competitors
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.
🤓
Opt for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus if your business spends at least $150,000 annually and has the cash flow to handle a charge card. You could double your welcome bonus and qualify for an annual fee refund. Nerdy Tip
Cash back keeps its value overseas
Most cash-back business cards charge a 3% foreign transaction fee. That wipes out any rewards you earn on overseas purchases. Not the Capital One Spark Cash. You essentially save 5% on international purchases — 2% in cash back, plus the 3% fee.
That’s a big deal for businesses that purchase inventory and raw materials overseas. For example, the same $10,000 purchase that earns you $200 in rewards with the Spark Cash would cost your business $150 with the Ink Business Unlimited.
| Capital One Spark Cash | Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash-back earned | $200. | $150. |
| Foreign transaction fee | $0. | -$300. |
| Net reward/cost | +$200 (profit). | -$150 (net cost). |
Reasons to consider a different card
You don’t spend enough to justify the annual fee
If you can easily snag the welcome offer, the annual fee on this card shouldn’t scare you off.
But if spending $10,000 in three months (and paying it off) is a stretch, the math is harder.
Plenty of stellar cash-back cards have no annual fee. The Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card, for example, gives unlimited 2% cash back. And the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card offers unlimited 1.5% back.
Both charge a foreign transaction fee, though, so they’re not ideal for international purchases. If that’s the bulk of your spend, a Spark card is still the best option.
You need to carry a balance
Carrying a balance on the Spark Cash will cancel out any savings from 2% back or the lack of foreign transaction fee. (The card has a 24.49% variable APR.) If you need to finance a big buy or float seasonal expenses, go with a 0% APR business credit card instead.
The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, mentioned above, is a good alternative. So is The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card. It has no annual fee and earns 2% on the first $50,000 of purchases each calendar year. Terms Apply. Both cards offer a 12-month intro APR period (ongoing APRs vary by card).
Another alternative: The Capital One Spark Cash Select. It has no foreign transaction fee and a lower interest rate than its counterpart. The Cash Select’s APR varies depending on your credit score and ranges from 16.74%-22.74% variable APR. This card is a good option if you need to carry a balance from time to time, but don’t have a big purchase to finance.
You want to protect your personal credit score
Using the Spark Cash card can tank your personal credit score if you’re not careful. Eating up your credit line with large inventory purchases, for example, will spike your credit utilization ratio. And your FICO score will drop. Even if you pay the card in full every month.
That’s because Capital One reports all business card activity to consumer credit bureaus. (Note: The Spark Cash Plus and Venture X Business are exceptions.) Business cards from all other major issuers only show up on your personal credit report if you don’t pay your bill.
How we evaluated the Capital One Spark Cash
NerdWallet's experts do the following for our business credit card reviews:
- Compare the Capital One Spark Cash to similar cards. NerdWallet’s writers and editors evaluate how the card’s rewards, perks, fees and features stack up to its cash-back peers. This is the basis of our star rating.
- Get feedback from business owners. We gather insight directly from business owners when possible. We also scan online forums for discussion specific to the Capital One Spark Cash. Since we cannot confirm the accuracy of these comments, they do not affect our ratings.
- Survey the card’s issuer. We conduct an annual survey to get details that are less available to the public, but important for business owners. We ask about spending controls, minimum credit limits and credit limit increases, among other things.
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.