Capital One Spark Cash: Is it the Best 2% Cash Back Option for Your Business?

If you’re a business owner who wants straightforward, high-value rewards without juggling bonus categories, the Capital One Spark Cash is a great choice. With unlimited 2% cash back on purchases, it easily beats the typical 1.5% business cards on the market. The card shines for companies with consistent, high monthly expenses who want simplicity and strong earning power.

That said, the annual fee ($0 intro for first year; $95 after that) cuts into its value. If you spend less than $19,000 per year, you’re likely better off with the $0 annual fee Capital One Spark Cash Select. Not to mention, the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card also offers the chance to earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases for a $0 annual fee — though it comes with a smaller welcome offer and lacks some of the Capital One Spark Cash‘s travel perks.

Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that

Regular purchase APR: 25.24% (Variable)

Foreign transaction fee: None

Sign-up bonus: Earn $1,000 Cash Back once you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months from account opening

Rewards: 2% - 5% cash back

• Earn 2% Cash Back on every purchase
• Earn 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site

Other benefits:

• Free employee cards with purchase tracking and card limits
• Year-end summaries to aid at tax time
• Roadside assistance
• Extended warranty protection
• Access to Capital One’s travel booking site

Recommended credit: Excellent

• Earn a large welcome offer

  With the Capital One Spark Cash card, you can earn $1,000 Cash Back once you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months from account opening. This welcome offer is one of the best around, and if you can meet it, this significantly raises the value of the card. However, the spending requirement is hefty.

  If you can’t meet this threshold, you can find sign-up bonuses for business cash back cards with more modest spending requirements, including the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card.

• Earn unlimited 2% cash back

  The Capital One Spark Cash shines for simplicity: You’ll earn 2% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One's travel booking site. The unlimited 2% cash back rate makes it a useful card for business owners who don’t want to worry about maximizing rewards in different spending categories. There are lots of cards that earn 1.5% back on business spending, but few that can earn you 2% back on all purchases.

  → Should you use a personal credit card for business expenses?

• No foreign transaction fees

  The Capital One Spark Cash is international-friendly: It has no foreign transaction fees, which makes it ideal if you source from overseas or travel for business.

• Helps you manage business spending

  The Capital One Spark Cash includes features that help you manage and track your business spending, giving it an edge over personal 2% cards, such as the Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card. For example, you can get free employee cards and set spending limits for each. It also integrates with many bookkeeping systems to make things easier at tax time. You’ll get:

  • Free employee cards
  • Virtual card numbers
  • The ability to assign an account manager
  • Integration with Quickbooks, Quicken and Excel
  • Year-end-summaries

  → Read: 9 Tips to Manage Your Business Finances

• Annual fee

  With an annual fee ($0 intro for first year; $95 after that), the Capital One Spark Cash only makes sense if you spend more than $19,000 on the card in a year. Otherwise, you’re better off with a 1.5% cash back card without an annual fee. Moreover, the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash℠ Card lets you earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with a $0 annual fee, so it is a better deal in the long run.

  Do you really have to pay that annual fee? Some Reddit users claim to have successfully had their annual fee waived on the Capital One Spark Cash. Asking for a fee waiver can often get you the result you want; one LendingTree survey shows that 9 out 10 people who ask to have their annual fee waived or reduced were successful.

• Starting credit limit may be lower than average

  Capital One has a reputation for offering lower-than-average starting credit limits on its cards. Some cardholders on Reddit report difficulties making large purchases for their business after landing a lower-than-expected limit with Capital One. That said, Capital One may allow eligible cardholders to exceed the limit for some purchases and offers a Confirm Purchasing Power tool to check whether your purchase may be approved. Additionally, Capital One doesn’t charge over-the-limit fees on any purchases.

  LendingTree data: What’s the average starting credit limit for a Capital One card?

  Based on LendingTree data, the average starting credit limit for a Capital One card for individuals with a credit score of 760 or higher is $11,416. Although this may seem high, it is actually lower than starting credit limits you may see with other issuers, including American Express and Chase.

  Credit score	Average starting credit limit
  760 and Up	$11,416
  720 - 749	$6,026
  680 -719	$2,667
  640 - 679	$1,405
  600 - 639	$842
  560 - 599	$600
  520 - 559	$501
  Under 520	$461
  All Scores	$1,474

  Source: LendingTree analysis of the credit limits over 450,000 individual credit card accounts issued in 2025.

  → See the best high-limit credit cards

• Reports to personal credit reports

  Another common gripe from cardholders is that Capital One reports all your business card activity to your personal credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion) rather than business credit agencies like Dun & Bradstreet or Experian Business. That’s a problem if you want to keep business and personal credit separate. Conversely, Capital One charge cards like the Capital One Spark Cash Plus do not appear on your personal credit report.

The Capital One Spark Cash works best for businesses spending $19,000 to $150,000 annually; below or above that, another Spark card may fit better. If you spend less than $19,000, the Capital One Spark Cash Select is a better pick because you’ll keep more cash back in your pocket. Spending more than $150,000 per year makes the Capital One Spark Cash Plus a superior choice, as Capital One refunds the annual fee at this spending threshold.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus

If you spend $150,000 or more in a year, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus may be the better option. It offers the same unlimited rewards rate and many of the same benefits as the Capital One Spark Cash, but it is geared toward a higher annual spending level. You’ll 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. It has a $150 annual fee, but you can get this fee refunded by spending at least $150,000 on the card each year.

It’s a charge card, which means you have to pay your balance in full each month. Also, your credit limit isn’t preset — it’s not unlimited, but it can fluctuate based on a variety of factors and may give you more flexibility for making large purchases. These features make it a better card for business owners who have a higher spending level and sufficient cash flow to pay the card off fully every month.

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Signify Business Cash℠ Card

The Signify Business Cash℠ Card may be the best of all business 2% cash back cards. It also lets you earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases like the Capital One Spark Cash with a clear upside: A $0 annual fee.  

The downside is that you only earn a $500 cash rewards bonus when you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months. It doesn’t offer 5% back on travel purchases and charges foreign transaction fees. If you strictly care about earning a large welcome offer or you need a card you can carry internationally, the Capital One Spark Cash is the better choice.

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The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card

The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card is the better option for business owners who spend less than $50,000 per year. For no annual fee, it lets you earn 2% cash back on all eligible purchases on up to $50,000 per calendar year, then 1%*.

If you need a card for large purchases, it may also be the better choice. American Express has a reputation for offering higher starting credit limits than Capital One. Furthermore, The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card has an expanded buying power feature that enables business owners to make large purchases normally over their credit limit.

For those looking for an unlimited 2% cash back card and with business spending between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, the Capital One Spark Cash may be the right card for you. You’ll earn simple cash back rewards at an unlimited high rate that will outmatch the card’s annual fee.

However, if your business spends more than $150,000 annually, then the Capital One Spark Cash is the more rewarding option. Or if you just don’t want a card with an annual fee, then consider the Signify Business Cash℠ Card or The American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card (see rates & fees).

We take a comprehensive, data-driven approach to identify the best cash back credit cards. We use an objective rating and ranking system that evaluates over 200 credit cards from more than 50 issuers. All recommendations are made by LendingTree’s editorial team, completely independent of affiliate partnerships or compensation. Every card is selected based on its merit and ability to help people achieve their financial goals. We use the following criteria to make our picks:

• Average value over two years (50% of rating): We calculate the cash back earned for the average cardholder using Bureau of Labor Statistics data and an annual spend of $20,000, minus the annual fee. This value includes sign-up and annual bonuses. We look at the average rewards earned over two years to balance out a card’s ongoing value with its first-year value.
• Flexibility of rewards (30% of rating): We consider how easy the rewards are to use, looking at factors like expiration dates and minimum thresholds to redeem.
• Other features (20% of rating): We also compare a card’s benefits, such as purchase and travel protections, against benefits from other cards.