How Does LendingTree Get Paid?
LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
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Advertising Disclosure

LendingTree is an advertising-supported comparison service. The site features products from our partners as well as institutions which are not advertising partners. While we make an effort to include the best deals available to the general public, we make no warranty that such information represents all available products. We are compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order).
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American Express Disclosure
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

American Express Disclosure

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus Review

Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus

Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus Review

Rewards Rate
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Sign-Up Bonus
$500 Cash Back once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$0
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It may not have been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. This site may be compensated through a credit card issuer partnership.

Who's this card best for?

The first thing to note is that there are two versions of this card. There’s the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus, aimed at small business owners with excellent credit. And there’s the Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months, aimed at small business owners with good credit.

In the case of the first version, there’s a sign-up bonus. You can earn $500 cash back once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

With the second version, there’s no sign-up bonus, but there’s a useful introductory APR period: 0% on purchases for 12 months. After, a 20.74% - 28.74% (variable) APR applies.

Both versions earn cash back on every purchase and offer benefits such as free employee cards.

Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus overview

    • Earn a $500 bonus when you spend $4,500 in the first 3 months of account opening
    • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back for your business on every purchase, everywhere — with no limits or category restrictions
    • No annual fee
    • Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
    • Rewards won't expire for the life of the account
    • Redeem your cash back rewards for any amount
    • Free employee cards, which also earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all purchases
    • $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen
    • For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the 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
    720 850
    Excellent
  • Free employee cards
  • Employee card spending limits
  • Roadside assistance
  • Extended warranty
  • Year-end spending summaries
  • Downloadable purchase records
  • Recurring transactions report
  • Merchant transaction details

Intro Purchase APR

N/A

Regular Purchase APR

17.99% - 23.99% (Variable)

Intro BT APR

N/A

Regular BT APR

17.99% - 23.99% (Variable)

Annual Fee

$0

Cash Advance Fee

3% of the amount of the cash advance, but not less than $3

Foreign Transaction Fee

None

Balance Transfer Fee

$0 at this Transfer APR

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Sign-up bonus or intro APR
  • Earn unlimited cash back
  • No annual fee or foreign transaction fee

Cons

  • No elevated rewards on office expenditures
  • Low rewards earnings rate
  • Requires good to excellent credit

What we like

  • No annual fee

    For business owners who want a small business credit card to manage expenses and earn rewards, but don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus is a good choice, because its annual fee is $0. The Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months also comes with a $0 annual fee. This means everything you earn with your card is net cash back in your bank account (assuming you don’t incur interest charges or other fees, that is).

  • Earn a sign-up bonus or get an intro APR

    Depending on what version of the card you get, you’ll either have the chance to earn a sign-up bonus or take advantage of an intro APR period on purchases.

    With the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus, earn $500 cash back once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

    And if you get the Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months instead, enjoy 0% on purchases for 12 months, after which a 20.74% - 28.74% (variable) APR applies.

  • Simple rewards structure

    If you don’t want to keep track of a broad range of earning categories or spending caps, you’ll appreciate that this card keeps things simple. Cardholders earn 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. There’s no limit and rewards don’t expire as long as your account is open. Redemption options include statement credits, checks, credits for previous purchases, gift cards and more.

  • No foreign transaction fee

    If business takes you outside the United States, you can travel with ease knowing you don’t have to worry about a foreign transaction fee — there is none.

  • Employee cards

    Issue cards to employees at no additional cost and set customized spending limits.

What to watch out for

  • It's possible to earn a higher cashback rate

    Earning 1.5% cash back on every purchase; 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through capital one travel isn’t bad. However, it is possible to earn a higher rate on a business card with no annual fee – such as 5% back in certain categories or 2% back on everything up to an annual spending limit.

  • Redemption limitations

    This is a cashback card where your rewards can’t be redeemed for travel or transferred to any of Capital One’s airline or hotel transfer partners. If you’re looking for a travel card that earns miles, consider the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business instead.

  • Requires good to excellent credit

    When applying for the Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months version of the card, you’ll need at least good credit. And when applying for the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus, the standards are higher — you’ll need excellent credit.

    If your credit is only fair, you might have better approval odds with the Capital One Spark Classic for Business, which still earns cash back to the tune of unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through capital one travel

Alternate business card

Compare it to the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

| Disclosures
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card
on Chase's secure site
0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months
17.74% - 23.74% Variable
$0
Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
  • Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
  • No Annual Fee
  • Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
  • Member FDIC
660 720 850
Excellent/Good

How Does LendingTree Get Paid?

LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appears on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.

 

For business owners looking to earn cash back, a competing card worth considering is the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, issued by Chase. Similar to the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus, this card charges a $0 annual fee and lets cardholders earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business. However, it offers a more generous sign-up bonus.

Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. However, note that the spending requirement is higher than that of the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus. With the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, you’ll need to spend $2,500 per month to meet the target. Smaller businesses might find this challenging.

The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card also comes with a helpful intro APR: 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months. After, a 17.74% - 23.74% variable APR applies.

Unfortunately, there’s a foreign transaction fee of 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars. If business requires you to travel abroad, leave this card at home and take one with no foreign transaction fee.

Compare the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus to similar cards

Comparison of four different credit cards
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months Ink Business Unlimited<sup>®</sup> Credit Card Capital One Spark Classic for Business
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Capital One Spark Classic for Business
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site
Read Review
Welcome Offer
$500 Cash Back once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening N/A Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. N/A
Rewards Rate
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 1.5% Cash Back on every purchase; 5% Cash Back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business Unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Intro Purchase APR
N/A 0% on purchases for 12 months 0% Intro APR on Purchases for 12 months N/A
Regular APR
17.99% - 23.99% (Variable) 20.74% - 28.74% (Variable) 17.74% - 23.74% Variable 29.74% (Variable)
Annual Fee
$0 $0 $0 $0
Recommended Credit
Excellent Good Excellent/Good Fair
Card Details
Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card Capital One Spark Classic for Business

Is this card right for you?

If you want a business credit card that earns cash back on every purchase and offers tools to help manage your expenses, but your business doesn’t spend enough in a year to make a card with an annual fee worth it, the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus is a fine choice.

When it comes time to decide which version of the card to apply for, evaluate how good your credit score is. With excellent credit, you can apply for the Capital One Spark Cash Select - $500 Cash Bonus with confidence.

But if your credit score is just good, you’ll have a better chance applying for the Capital One Spark Cash Select - 0% Intro APR for 12 Months version.

Finally, if your business spends enough that you’re willing to pay an annual fee to earn a higher cashback rate, consider the Capital One Spark Cash Plus. This card earns 2% cash back on every purchase; 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through capital one travel and charges a $150 annual fee. It’s also a charge card, meaning you have no preset spending limit.

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.

The information related to the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business and the Capital One Spark Classic for Business has been independently collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of these cards prior to publication.

Apply Now
on Capital One's secure site