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The Capital One Spark Miles for Business earns an unlimited 2x miles on all purchases, plus 5x on hotels and rental cars booked through the Capital One Travel portal. Much like the consumer-oriented Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Spark Miles card earns miles that can be transferred to other partners and charges a $95 annual fee — though the Spark Miles card waives the annual fee during the first year.
For those with significant business spending that doesn't fall into bonus categories on other credit cards — or those who want simple earning on all purchases without worrying about bonus categories — the Spark Miles card can be an excellent option. Let's break down the pros, cons, and benefits of this card.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening; worth $500 in travel if redeemed for a fixed-value, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $100)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Page Contents
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business Pros
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business Cons
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business Welcome Offer
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business Benefits
- Capital One Spark Miles for Business Earning Rates
- Redeeming Miles With the Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- Application Restrictions and Strategy
- Cards That Compete With the Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- Final Thoughts
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Pros
- Earn 2x miles on every purchase.
- $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit.
- Earn valuable Capital One miles that can be transferred to partners.
- Annual fee waived the first year.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Cons
- Charges $95 annual fee in years two and beyond.
- High 26.24% APR (Variable).
- Limited bonus categories.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Welcome Offer
New applicants for the Spark Miles card can earn 50,000 bonus Capital One Miles when you spend $4,500 within 3 months from account opening.
Though later to the game than other card issuers, Capital One's transferable miles are an excellent flexible reward currency. With a total of 18 transfer partners, you can transfer your miles to three hotel and 15 airline partners. With these partners, it's easy to maximize the miles that you'll earn. Partners include Avianca Lifemiles, British Airways Executive Club, Air France–KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Red, Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, and Choice Privileges. These partners include representation from all three airline alliances, which means you'll be able to use them for flights with domestic airlines such as Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines.
In recent AwardWallet user redemptions, the average value of Capital One miles is 2.66¢ each. Since you'll earn at least 2 miles per dollar on the spending required to earn the bonus, plus the miles from the bonus itself, this offer can be worth close to $1,500.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Benefits
The Spark Miles card doesn't have a ton of benefits, but it does provide a few that are worth noting.
$100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
Most travel credit cards offer up to $100 in credit for a Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee, and the Spark Miles card is no exception. These two programs allow you to speed through airport security and/or immigration by registering you as a safe traveler. If you're interested in applying, skip TSA PreCheck and go straight for Global Entry, since the program includes TSA PreCheck access.
When you use your Spark Miles card to pay, you'll receive a credit reimbursing you for the cost. It's valid once every four years, which is excellent since Global Entry membership lasts for five years.
Airport lounge access
If you travel a few times a year, you're likely tired of the crowds within the airport. Spark Miles cardholders get lounge access at either a Capital One Lounge or a Plaza Premium Lounge up to two times per year. Beyond this, eligible cardholders can pay a discounted rate for day access.
Virtual card number
Hackers pose real threats when you shop online. With Capital One, you can get a virtual card number (different from the number printed on the card) to use when shopping online. This prevents would-be thieves from getting your actual card number and causing damage.
Extended warranty
Get an extra year added to the original manufacturer's warranty for items you've purchased with your card. The warranty must be three years or less to qualify.
No foreign transaction fees
Using this card for purchases in another country or currency will not incur any foreign transaction fees.
Other potential benefits
Capital One issues various types of Visas and Mastercards, based on creditworthiness. You may receive additional benefits, depending on what type of card you're issued. Be sure to consult your card's benefits guide for additional offerings.
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Earning Rates
The Spark Miles‘ real strength lies in its ability to earn 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere. This is both better and worse than competitor options, as some cards will reward you with more points on specific categories but fewer on everyday spending.
You'll also earn 5x miles on hotel and rental cars booked within the Capital One Travel portal. This mimics the earnings we see on the consumer Capital One Venture. This may be worthwhile for rental cars, but you'll want to be wary of travel booked through the portal. Hotels and rental car companies don't honor elite status benefits when using a third party to complete your booking. You won't be able to skip the rental car line or enjoy upgrades at your hotel, so take this into account.
Redeeming Miles With the Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Transfer to partners
Capital One Miles are some of the most valuable you'll find, especially if you use them for transfers. One of our favorite redemptions includes using 25,000 Turkish Airlines miles to fly round-trip first class to Hawaii from anywhere in the United States. You also can find great value when transferring Capital One Miles to Choice Privileges. Though less well-known than competitors like Hilton and Marriott, Choice has several sweet spots and doesn't charge you additional points for booking a suite versus a regular room.
Capital One Travel portal
Capital One pushes its travel portal pretty heavily. Instead of paying, and getting increased earnings on bookings with this portal, you can choose to use your Capital One Miles for flights, hotels, and rental cars. You'll want to be wary of this option, however, as you'll only receive a value of 1 cent per mile on these redemptions. This falls well below the average AwardWallet user redemption of 2.66¢.
Statement credits for travel purchases
You can redeem miles from your Spark Miles card as a statement credit for any travel purchases. Like the travel portal, Capital One will only give you 1 cent per mile in value with this method. However, this can be a great option when booking travel not available elsewhere, such as a metro station ticket machine.
And if you're determined to book travel with the Capital One Travel portal and use your miles to offset the purchase, it's best to do it in this order:
- Pay cash for your booking on the Capital One travel portal to earn 5x miles (on hotels and rental cars with the Spark Miles card).
- Use Capital One miles as a statement credit for 1 cent per mile to wipe away the charge after the fact.
Using this method, you'll be able to maximize your earn while still redeeming miles, and you'll come away with better earnings in the end. Redeeming directly through the portal doesn't give you this option.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
Capital One has some pretty interesting rules when it comes to applying for credit cards. Unlike other banks, which may approve you for a card but not offer you the welcome bonus, Capital One doesn't tend to approve applicants unless they qualify for the bonus. This can be a welcome relief when trying to understand the archaic requirements other card issuers impose.
However, while there's no solid information about how many times you're able to get the bonus for the Spark Miles card, the offer page does include this language:
“The bonus may not be available for existing or previous Spark cardholders.”
There aren't any data points stating that you'll be able to get the card and not the bonus, but it has become an option. Capital One also tends to be the strictest when it comes to opening a new card, applying the following rules:
- A maximum of two personal Capital One credit cards at any given time.
- No rule on the number of business cards.
- One new card every six months.
- Issuer pulls from all three credit bureaus.
- Recent inquiries are a major factor in approval.
You'll also want to note that Capital One's business cards will probably report to your personal credit report. This is in contrast to other business credit cards and will impact your Chase 5/24 count.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Cards That Compete With the Capital One Spark Miles for Business
There are plenty of business credit cards out there. These run the gamut from no-annual-free options to cards that'll cost you hundreds of dollars per year to keep them in your pocket. There are also cards that provide far more benefits, such as hotel elite status. If you're not sure the Spark Miles card is for you, consider the following:
- If you're after a bigger sign-up bonus, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card comes with a massive 100,000-point welcome offer after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. It also earns valuable Ultimate Rewards, which can be transferred to partners such as Hyatt, British Airways, and Southwest. Finally, it earns 3x on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on shipping, select advertising, internet, phone, and travel. Check out our full Ink Preferred review for more details.
- If you're looking for a no-annual-fee option, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express has no annual fee (Rates & Fees) and earns 2x Membership Rewards on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year, then 1x). These points can then be used for redemptions with partners such as ANA, Hilton Honors, Qatar Airways, and more. You can find more details in our review of the Blue Business Plus card.
- If you want to earn more points on spending, the most expensive option on our list is also the most rewarding: the American Express® Business Gold Card. Although it charges a $295 annual fee (Rates & Fees), it also earns 4x Amex points in your top two spending categories each month. These categories include airfare purchased directly from the airline, U.S. purchases for select advertising, U.S. purchases for select computer hardware and software, U.S. purchases at gas stations, U.S. purchases at restaurants, and U.S. purchases for shipping. You'll earn 4x on up to $150,000 of annual purchases, providing a significant return on spending. Full details are in our Amex Business Gold review.
Related: Top Small-Business Credit Card Offers
Final Thoughts
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business can be a compelling option for those looking to maximize their everyday business spending. With a low annual fee and an unlimited ability to earn 2x miles on your purchases, those who have major expenses can easily rack up rewards. However, the card is limited when it comes to other perks.
Despite this, the Spark Miles card will be a good fit for many, especially since it earns miles that can be transferred to hotel and airline partners for extremely valuable redemptions.
- Earn 50,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening; worth $500 in travel if redeemed for a fixed-value, or potentially much more when transferred to airline partners
- 2 Miles per $1 on every purchase, everywhere
- Fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✔® (up to $100)
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
- 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions
- 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and American Express® Business Gold Card (Rates & Fees)
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