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That makes now a great time to compare all three Spark Cash welcome offers, how they differ, and which card might be the best fit for your business.
Comparison of Capital One Spark Cash Card Bonuses
Capital One currently offers three Spark Cash business cards, each with a valuable welcome bonus. Which one is right for you depends largely on how much your business expects to spend in the first few months after opening the account.
- Capital One Spark Cash Select: Earn $750 Cash Back once you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
- Capital One Spark Cash: Earn $1,000 Cash Back once you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Capital One Spark Cash Plus: Earn $2,000 Cash Back 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.
$0
- 1.5% cashback on every purchase
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
$0 intro for first year;
$95 after that
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase
- 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
$150
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel.
Key Differences Between Spark Cash Cards: Annual Fees and Earning Rates
All three Spark Cash cards earn cash back on every purchase, but the higher-earning cards also come with annual fees.
- The Spark Cash Select offers 1.5% cash back with no annual fee.
- The Spark Cash offers 2% cash back with an annual fee of $0 intro for first year; $95 after that.
- The Capital One Spark Cash Plus offers 2% cash back with an annual fee of $150.
From a long-term perspective, paying the $95 annual fee for the Spark Cash makes sense if your business spends more than about $19,000 per year, as the extra 0.5% cash back more than offsets the cost.
Since the Spark Cash Plus earns the same 2% cash back, its higher annual fee generally only makes sense if you can take advantage of the larger welcome bonus or expect to have the fee waived by spending at least $150,000 annually.
Related: Best Capital One
Which Capital One Spark Cash Card Bonus Is Right for You?
Which Spark Cash card bonus should you go for? The answer largely depends on how much you expect to spend in the first three months after opening your account.
Capital One Spark Cash Select
If you expect to spend less than $10,000 in the first three months, the Spark Cash Select is the best option. With no annual fee and a $750 welcome bonus once you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, you'll maximize your return without paying an annual fee.
It's an ideal fit for businesses with relatively modest spending.
- Earn $750 Cash Back once you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- 1.5% cashback on every purchase
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 annual fee
- 1.5% cashback on every purchase
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
Capital One Spark Cash
If you expect to spend between $10,000 and $30,000 in the first three months, the Spark Cash is likely your best option.
You'll qualify for the card's larger $1,000 cash back welcome bonus once you spend $10,000 within 3 months from account opening. You'll also earn an unlimited 2% cash back on purchases, which can easily offset the annual fee for businesses with moderate to high spending.
The Spark Cash hits the sweet spot for many small businesses. The spending requirement is attainable, and you won't need to track bonus categories to maximize your rewards.
- Earn $1,000 Cash Back once you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months from account opening
- 2% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase
- 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
If you expect to spend more than $30,000 in the first three months, the Spark Cash Plus offers the most rewarding welcome bonus of the three Spark Cash cards.
You'll earn a $2,000 cash back welcome bonus (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) while continuing to earn unlimited 2% cash back on purchases.
The $150 annual fee is higher than the other Spark Cash cards, but Capital One waives it if you spend at least $150,000 in a calendar year. That makes it a much better fit for established businesses with significant annual expenses.
- 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
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel.
Why Earn Cash Back with Spark Cards?
Unlike cards with complex bonus categories and spending caps, the Spark Cash cards keep things simple by earning unlimited cash back on every purchase. There's no need to remember which card to use where. Just use your card and earn rewards on every eligible purchase.
Plus, you can redeem your cash back with no minimum redemption requirement.
Better yet, if you also have a Capital One Venture-branded card, you can convert your cash back rewards to Venture Miles at a 1:1 ratio. That gives you the flexibility to redeem your rewards as cash back or turn them into transferable travel rewards, depending on which offers the better value for your needs.
Spark Card Application Rules to Know
To apply for a Capital One business card, including any of the three above, you'll need to have a business. Fortunately, there are plenty of things that qualify as a business for the purpose of opening a business credit card.
In addition, there's some language around welcome bonus eligibility that you should be aware of. On each of the cards above, the application terms and conditions include the following:
“The bonus may not be available for existing or previous Capital One Business card holders.”
That's understandably vague, but it's something to keep in mind if you currently have another Capital One business card or have had one in the past. If you're unsure whether you're eligible for the bonus, it's worth reviewing the full terms and conditions before applying.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Bottom Line
It's always a good time to add a Spark Cash card to your wallet. But the right one largely depends on how much your business expects to spend, especially during the first three months after opening the account.
No matter which card you choose, though, each offers a compelling mix of welcome bonus and ongoing rewards that can make it a valuable long-term addition to your wallet.
$0
- 1.5% cashback on every purchase
- 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
$0 intro for first year;
$95 after that
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase
- 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
$150
- 2% Cash Back on every purchase. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel.
I believe Capital One reports the application as personal cards except for the Spark Cash Plus so applying can hurt the 4/24 rule etc.
I would not necessarily call it “pure profit” as it was mentioned in the email: “$750 Cash Back + No Annual Fee = Pure Profit”. You will likely need to pay income taxes on this at about $30 🙂
Are these cards VISA or Mastercard? I purchase often from Costco but they only accept VISA.
Looks like the Capital One Spark Cash Select is a MasterCard, but other Capital One cards are Visas — like the Spark Cash Plus.
I’ve had the Spark Cash Plus but cancelled around 2 years ago, and am considering cancelling my Venture X Business. Would I be eligible for any or all of the Spark card bonuses?
Capital One has a “1 Charge Card Limit” for business cards: you can’t be the primary cardholder of both Spark Cash Plus and Venture X Business at the same time, so you’d need to drop the Venture X Business first. Also, the Spark Cash Plus bonus page says that bonuses “may not be available for existing or previous Capital One Business card holders.” Because you’ve held Spark in the past (and currently hold Venture X Business), that language could block your eligibility — even after you cancel Venture X Business. But it’s unclear how much Capital One is actually enforcing this.
Are virtual credit card numbers with spending limits available on these cards, like other Capitol One products?