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Capital One Spark Cash Plus: Easy-to-Manage Cash Back

Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers 2% cash back on all purchases, but you can’t carry a balance.
By Rosalie Murphy
Last updated on September 3, 2021
Edited byRyan Lane
Fact checked and reviewed

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SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATED
This page includes information about the Capital One Spark Cash for Business, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information about the Capital One Spark Cash for Business has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.

Our Take

The bottom line:

Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers 2% cash back on all purchases, but you can’t carry a balance.
Full review

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Annual fee
$150
Regular APR
N/A
Intro APR
N/A
Apply now

on Capital One's website

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Earns cash back on primary and employee cards
  • Rewards don’t expire
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Balance must be paid in full every month
  • Has annual fee
  • High spending requirement to hit full welcome bonus, annual bonus offers

Full Review

The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
card pays
2
% cash back on all purchases. This simple approach — no rotating bonus categories to keep track of or spending caps to monitor — makes it easy to earn rewards without having to think too much about it.
If you’re a longtime Capital One customer, note that this business credit card effectively replaces the
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
. The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
comes with a higher annual fee than its predecessor: $
150
instead of
$0 intro for the first year, then $95
. (See rates and fees.) But if you spend more than $7,500 on the card in a year, the cash-back reward will offset the annual fee.
The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is also a charge card, not a credit card — another notable difference from the
Capital One Spark Cash for Business
. With a charge card, your balance is due in full every month. Late payments carry a 2.99% fee. Unlike a credit card, there is no option to make a minimum payment and carry the rest as a balance: You’re either on time or you’re late. Late payments could result in dings to your personal and business credit scores.
The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
has no preset spending limit, which is not the same thing as no limit. The spending limit varies depending on each cardholder’s payment history, credit profile and spending behavior.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus
: Basics

  • Card type: Small business.
  • Annual fee: $
    150
    .
  • Sign-up bonus:
    Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months.
  • Ongoing 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 Travel.
  • Interest rate: No APR. The balance is due in full every month, so interest can’t accrue.
  • Foreign transaction fees: None.
  • Other benefits:
    • Get your annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000.
    • Rewards won’t expire for the life of the account.
    • No preset spending limit.
    • (Benefits may change over time.)

Why you might want the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus

Generous, easy-to-manage rewards

Business credit cards often pay a flat cash-back rewards rate on most items plus a higher rate for purchases in certain categories, like gas or office supplies. The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
offers
2
% cash back on every purchase instead. If you don’t want to keep track of a card’s spending categories or if your business expenses don’t conveniently fall into those categories, then this card might be a good fit.
Further, unlike other cash-back business credit cards such as
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, your reward rate doesn’t change no matter how much you spend on the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
. If you put major purchases on your card regularly, you could earn hundreds or thousands of dollars in rewards each year. Just make sure to pay off the card in full each month.

Welcome bonus

The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
offers a large sign-up bonus:
Earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months.
That potential total easily outpaces the card's annual fee of $
150
. (See rates and fees.)
Plus, you can get your $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000. If you're planning to spend big, the welcome bonus plus the opportunity to have the annual fee refunded each year you meet certain spending requirements may make the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
a smart choice.

No foreign transaction fees

The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. Usually, credit card foreign transaction fees are around 3%, which can add up if you travel internationally or make purchases from overseas suppliers.

How it compares with other Spark cards

The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is one of several Capital One business credit cards.
Other cards in the Spark family include:
Capital One doesn't charge foreign transaction fees on any of its credit cards. For more details, see NerdWallet's comparison of Capital One Spark cards.
To view rates and fees of
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
, see this page.
To view rates and fees of
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
, see this page.
To view rates and fees of
Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit
, see this page.
To view rates and fees of
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
, see this page.

Why you might want a different card

Charge card vs. credit card

The
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
is a charge card. Instead of making a partial payment and carrying the rest of what you owe as a balance, you’ll have to pay off your balance each month or risk late fees — and possibly late payments noted on your credit report.
If your business cash flow is robust, that might not be a problem. But if you tend to carry a balance on your business credit card during leaner months, other options may be better for protecting your credit, even if you accrue some interest.
If you're comfortable with a charge card, you may also want to consider the
Brex Card
. That card requires applicants to have at least $50,000 in the bank at all times to demonstrate their ability to pay, but it has no annual fee and doesn't require a personal guarantee.

No introductory offer

Because you can’t carry a balance on the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
, there is no introductory offer of a 0% intro APR period. (See rates and fees.) If you’re hoping to use a new credit card to make a big purchase and then pay it off over several months, consider other options — like the
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
or
The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card
, which both offer 0% intro APR on purchases for the first 12 months.

Is the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
right for you?

As your business expenses grow, so do the rewards you could earn from the
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
. If you appreciate the simplicity of no rewards categories and have international suppliers or travel expenses, this card could generate significant cash back for your business over time, outweighing its annual fee.
That said, if your business has unreliable cash flow or if you’re worried about potential dings to your credit score, a traditional business credit card might be a better fit than a charge card.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Apply now

on Capital One's website

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