AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.
If you have a business, well, Capital One wants your business. And to try to win you over, Capital One is currently offering two huge sign-up bonuses on two of its best business cards.
Right now, you can earn up to 350,000 bonus miles through the Capital One Venture X Business or $2,000 Cash Back via the Capital One Spark Cash Plus. These huge bonuses come on top of the rewards you'll earn along the way from the spending required to unlock them.
That's a lot of miles or a big sum of cash back. But which card is better for your business? Which bonus should you pursue? Here are the similarities and differences between the Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus to help you decide.
Page Contents
Current Welcome Offer on the Venture X Business
Capital One's newest business card, the Venture X Business is offering up to 350,000 bonus miles — 150,000 miles once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months from account opening, and an additional 200,000 miles once you spend $200,000 in the first 6 months.
- 10X miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on purchases through Capital One Entertainment (through 12/31/2025)
- 5X miles per $1 on flights booked via Capital One Travel
- 5X miles per $1 on vacation rentals booked via Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per $1 on other eligible purchases
However, you'll come away with at least 210,000 miles, thanks to earning a minimum of 2x miles on the spending required to unlock the bonus.
For context, AwardWallet redeem Capital One miles at an average of 2.01¢ each. At that redemption value, 210,000 miles (the first part of the welcome bonus and minimum 2 miles per dollar on the minimum spend) are worth nearly $5,000. That means you can expect about a 19% return on the first $30,000 spent on the card!
Related: Complete Guide to Capital One Rewards Miles
Current Welcome Offer on the Spark Cash Plus
Capital One's premium cash-back card for businesses is the Spark Cash Plus. It's currently offering new applicants a bonus of $2,000 cash back once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Plus, businesses with big spending capacity can earn an additional $2,000 for every $500,000 spent during the first year.
- 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's travel booking site.
If you account for the fact that the Spark Cash Plus earns a minimum of 2% back on all purchases, you'll earn at least $600 in extra cash back while reaching the $30,000 spending requirement during your first 3 months.
That means you'll pocket, at a minimum, $2,600 in cash back from this offer. The bonus could be worth substantially more if you meet spending thresholds and have a card that also earns Capital One miles since you can convert cash back to Capital One miles.
Transferring your minimum earnings of $2,600 cash back earned through this offer would yield 260,000 miles and provide additional redemption options for your rewards. And those miles alone are worth nearly $6,000 toward award travel.
But if you only end up with $2,600 in cash back rewards, that's nothing to complain about either.
Related: The Best Small Business Credit Card Bonuses Available This Month
Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus: Similarities
The Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus have several things in common, which you should factor into your decision:
- No preset spending limit: Neither card has a preset spending limit, meaning you won't encounter a traditional credit limit but also need to pay the bill in full each month.
- Won't report to your personal credit report: Capital One won't report either of these cards to your personal credit report — so long as you keep your account in good standing.
- Simple earning rates: Both cards earn a solid, flat rate on everyday spending and bonus earnings in the Capital One Travel portal. The Venture X Business earns 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel, and 2X miles on all other purchases. Similarly, the Spark Cash Plus earns unlimited 2% Cash Back on every purchase. 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site.
- Extended warranty benefit
- No foreign transaction fees
- Free additional cards for employees
- Access to your virtual card number
Related: The Best Capital One Credit Card for Every Purchase
Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus: Key Differences
While both cards have huge welcome bonuses and spending power that adapts to your needs, they have some important differences you should understand.
The Spark Cash Plus has a lower annual fee at $150. It also earns cash back, though you can combine your Capital One cash back with miles if you have cards that earn both types of rewards. Another unique benefit is that you can get your annual fee refunded each year in which you spend $150,000 or more on purchases.
With the Venture X Business, you'll earn miles instead of cash back. You can redeem these miles as a statement credit (effectively using them like cash), or you can transfer these miles to 16 airline and three hotel partners, unlocking the ability to redeem earnings at much higher values.
Moreover, Venture X Business cardholders can receive up to a $120 statement credit every four years to offset their application fee to Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, plus cardholders get unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and can enroll for a Priority Pass lounge membership.
Cardholders also receive 10,000 bonus miles on each account anniversary, up to $300 in travel credits through Capital One Travel each year, and access to the Capital One Premier Collection for premium hotel bookings with value-added benefits. To make up for these extended benefits, there's a higher annual fee: $395.
Related: 22 Credit Card Benefits Every Traveler Should Know About
Who's Eligible for the Bonus on the Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus?
While Capital One has strict limits on how many personal credit cards it will approve you for, these limits don't appear to apply to business cards.
However, Capital One limits how quickly you can get new cards. You must wait at least six months between applications. Applying for a second Capital One business card in less than six months will result in your application being automatically rejected.
Moreover, Capital One is very sensitive to the number of new accounts and recent credit inquiries on your credit report. The issuer also tends to pull your report from all three major credit bureaus. Bear this in mind as you prepare to apply for either of these cards.
Lastly, it's worth highlighting the application terms on these cards. On the Spark Cash Plus, you'll see this:
“The bonus may not be available for existing or previous Spark cardholders.”
On the Venture X Business, you'll see this exclusion:
“The bonus may not be available for existing or previous Capital One Business cardholders.”
Thus, if you have or had either of these cards, you may not be eligible for the bonus on that same card again. However, that shouldn't impact your ability to earn the bonus on the other card.
Lastly, before you pass over these offers because they're business-oriented cards, understand that many things qualify as a business even without a storefront or a warehouse. If you have a side gig doing babysitting, preparing tax returns for friends and family, or working as an independent contractor, you may qualify for a business credit card. However, you should be mindful of the spending requirements; lower-spending businesses may find it challenging to secure the welcome offer on either card.
If you don't qualify for a business card but still want to earn Capital One miles, a personal Venture Card can deliver many of the same benefits and rewards.
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Bottom Line
The welcome offers on Capital One's premium business cards have immense value. True, the spending requirements for the bonus on the Venture X Business and Spark Cash Plus are beyond the capabilities of many small businesses, requiring an average of at least $10,000 per month in spending for the initial three months. That's a lot of money.
However, for businesses with substantial spending capacity who are looking to leverage their expenses for a massive welcome bonus, these offers are worth serious attention. You'll come away with a huge amount of cash back or miles from not just the bonus but also the excellent earning rates on the spending it takes to earn the welcome offer.
The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
