Capital One Business Credit Cards: The Best Spark Business Cards of 2021

Looking for the right credit card for your business? If so, it’s likely you’ve come across the Capital One Spark business cards. After all, the Capital One business credit cards are known for their competitive, unlimited rewards programs, low fees, and even their options for business owners with fair or poor credit.

This being said, however, with all of the business credit cards on the market, you may be wondering: Are the Capital One Spark business cards right for my business?

We’re here to help you answer that question.

In this review, we’ll break down all of the Capital One business credit cards—discussing their features, perks, and fees—so that you’ll have all the information you need to decide which, if any, of these cards is right for your business.

The Capital One Spark Business Cards: Our Review

• Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
• Capital One® Spark® Cash Select for Business
• Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business
• Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business
• Capital One® Spark® Classic for Business
• Capital One® Secured Mastercard®
• GM BuyPower Business Card From Capital One®

The first Capital One Spark business card, the Spark Business Cash, is a straightforward, flat-rate cash back business credit card. In fact, the Spark Business Cash offers one of the highest flat-rate cash back earning potential on the market.

With this in mind, let’s dive into the details:

This Capital One business card comes with a flat 2% cash back on all your spending, with no limit on how much you can earn. Unlike some other cash back business credit cards, there are no limits, category restrictions, or spending thresholds. You’ll be able to redeem the cash back you earn in any amount and your rewards won’t expire for the life of your account.

Additionally, with a Spark Business Cash account, you’ll be able to get free employee cards—each of which will also earn an unlimited 2% cash back on all purchases. Plus, Capital One will also waive the card’s $95 annual fee for your first year as a cardholder.

This being said, however, after your first year, you will be subject to a $95 annual fee with the Spark Business Cash card. Other than this fee though, this Spark business card is relatively fee free—there are no foreign transaction fees, no balance transfer fees, and you’ll have access to $0 fraud liability if your card is lost or stolen.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a high-earning cash back card with flexibility and low fees, the Spark Business Cash is going to be one of your best options for a Capital One small business credit card.

If you want a cash back card with a 0% introductory APR offer and no annual fee, then the Capital One Spark Cash Select could be for you.

Although the Spark Cash Select doesn’t earn quite as much as the Spark Business Cash, this Capital One business card still earns an impressive 1.5% cash back on all purchases with no limits. Plus, like the Spark Cash, business credit card rewards that you earn with the Spark Business Cash Select don’t expire, can be redeemed for cash back in any amount, and are not restricted by spending categories.

Moreover, this Capital One Spark business card stands out from the Spark Business Cash card with its 0% intro APR offer. With the Spark Cash Select, you’ll have access to a nine-month 0% intro APR period, during which time you’ll be able to carry a balance on purchases you make, interest-free. After this period ends, however, you’ll receive an APR that will vary based on the market Prime Rate and your creditworthiness, so be sure to check the terms of your agreement for the latest APR information.

In addition, this Spark Business card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, no balance transfer fees, and includes the same $0 fraud liability guarantee.

On top of all of these perks, if you spend $3,000 within your first three months with the Cash Select, you’ll access a one-time $200 cash welcome bonus.

Overall, if you think you’ll be making big purchases that you want to pay off over time, don’t want to pay an annual fee, and prefer simple, flat-rate cash back rewards, the Spark Cash Select is going to be the best Capital One business credit card for you.

On the other hand, if you’d prefer looking into one of the best business credit cards for travel, you might consider the Capital One Spark Miles card.

With this Capital One Spark business credit card, you’ll earn an even, straightforward two miles for every dollar you spend, with no limit on how much you can earn. Plus, like the other Spark business cards, these travel rewards won’t expire and they have no limits or category restrictions.

You’ll be able to redeem your miles for any travel-related purchases, including flights, hotels, and ride-sharing services. You can also transfer your miles to over 10 leading travel loyalty programs including JetBlue and Air Canada. Moreover, if you book hotels or rental cars with your Spark Miles card through Capital One Travel, you’ll earn 5x the rewards miles.

If these perks weren’t impressive enough, this Spark business card also offers a statement credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry application, has no foreign transaction fees, no balance transfer fee, and Capital One waives the annual fee for your first year as a cardholder. However, after the first year, the Spark Miles card will require a $95 annual fee.

With this in mind though, you can earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Therefore, if you’re searching for the Capital One business card that will offer you the most lucrative travel rewards rate possible, then the Spark Miles might be your very best bet.

If you’d prefer a no annual fee business credit card, the Capital One Spark Miles Select is going to be the better travel-specific option from Capital One.

This being said, with this Capital One Spark business card, not only will you pay no annual fee, but you’ll also earn an unlimited 1.5 miles for every dollar you spend. You’ll also be able to add free employee cards to your account and earn an unlimited 1.5x miles on their purchases as well.

Like the Spark Miles card, you’ll be able to redeem these miles for travel-related purchases as well as transfer them to over 10 travel loyalty programs. Plus, once again, if you book hotels or rental cars through Capital One Travel with your card, you’ll earn 5x rewards points.

Moreover, if you’re going to be making large purchases within your first months with this Capital One Spark business card, you’ll be able to take advantage of the card’s nine-month 0% intro APR period—during which time, you’ll be able to carry a balance on purchases interest-free. After this time, of course, you’ll receive an APR that will vary based on the market Prime Rate and your creditworthiness, so you’ll want to check the terms and conditions for your latest APR information.

Finally, on top of these ongoing travel perks, the Spark Miles Select gives you an opportunity to earn 20,000 bonus miles if you spend $3,000 within your first three months as a cardholder. Plus, like the other Capital One business credit cards, the Spark Miles Select has no foreign transaction fees and no balance transfer fee.

All in all, if you want a Capital One Spark business card with competitive travel rewards and perks, but don’t want to pay an annual fee, the Spark Miles Select is going to be the top option for you.

Do you need a business credit card for fair credit? If so, the Spark Classic is going to be the Capital One business credit card for you. In fact, the Spark Classic is one of the only unsecured (meaning it doesn’t require a deposit to open an account) business credit cards available to business owners with average personal credit—accepting scores of around 580 and above.

Plus, even more noteworthy, this Spark business card also allows you to earn cash back, even while you’re building or rebuilding your credit. The Spark Classic earns a flat 1% cash back on every dollar you spend, of course, with no limits or restrictions. Moreover, just like the other cash back Capital One business credit cards, you can redeem your cash back for any amount and your rewards won’t expire for the life of your account.

Additionally, you can add free employee cards to your Spark Classic account and earn an unlimited 1% cash back on all of those purchases as well. This being said, although the Spark Classic has no welcome bonus, it does not have an annual fee, foreign transaction fees, or a balance transfer fee.

Therefore, if you spend responsibly with this Capital One Spark business card, you’ll be able to build your personal and business credit, while still earning cash back on your purchases.

On the other hand, if you have very limited or poor credit, the Capital One Secured Mastercard is going to be your best option.

As we briefly mentioned above, compared to an unsecured card, this secured business credit card will require you to put down a refundable security deposit to open your account. This being said, however, although most secured credit cards require that you put down a security deposit of at least 90% of your credit line, the Secured Mastercard is more flexible.

Depending on your creditworthiness, you’ll be able to access a line of credit with this Capital One business card after putting down as little as about 25% of your credit line’s worth. Plus, you’ll get access to a higher credit line after making your first five monthly payments on time, with no additional deposit required.

Unlike the Spark business cards we’ve discussed, this secured credit card is first and foremost meant for building credit, so it doesn’t offer any intro perks or ongoing rewards. With this in mind though, by spending responsibly on this card, you’ll be able to improve your personal credit, build business credit, and then hopefully you’ll be able to qualify for one of the other Capital One business credit cards.

Moreover, the Capital One Secured Mastercard carries no annual fee, so unlike other secured card options, you’ll be able to build your credit with this card for free.

Finally, although not technically a Spark business card, Capital One also offers a business credit card designed specifically for business owners who are frequent GM customers.

With this BuyPower business card, you’ll earn 5% cash back on purchases of GM parts, accessories, and services at authorized GM Dealers. Additionally, you’ll earn 3% cash back on purchases at gas stations, restaurants, and office supply stores, and 1% cash back on all other purchases. All of these cash back rewards can be exclusively redeemed toward the purchase or lease of an eligible, new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac vehicle. This means, of course, that the cash back you earn cannot be redeemed for any other rewards like actual cash or outside purchases.

This being said, however, there is no limit on how much you can earn and redeem with this Capital One business card. Plus, the GM BuyPower card has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and even offers a 12-month 0% intro APR period. During this period, you’ll be able to carry a balance on your card interest-free—once the 12 months are up, though, you’ll receive a variable APR that will be based on the market Prime Rate and your creditworthiness, so you’ll need to double check your APR information.

Therefore, as the only co-branded Capital One business credit card on this list, the GM BuyPower card is only going to be a viable option for business owners who spend frequently with GM and want to redeem their cash back rewards specifically for GM vehicles.

There’s no doubt that Capital One offers some of the most competitive business credit cards on the market—and—in addition to the card-specific rewards we’ve discussed, you can expect a Spark Business card to include fraud alerts, purchase records, year-end summaries, and customer support, among other benefits. This being said then, when should you choose a Capital One Spark business card over other options? On the whole, these may be the best options for you if:

• You want access to simplified, unlimited rewards across many different categories.
• You’d prefer a flat-rate rewards business credit card to a card with tiered-rewards.
• You’re looking for an unsecured card and only have average personal credit.
• You’d prefer cards with very few fees and no foreign transaction fees at all.
• You’re looking for a GM-specific business rewards credit card.

On the other hand, the Capital One Spark business credit cards might not be right for every business owner. Therefore, you might consider other options if:

• You’d prefer to access tiered rewards.
• You’re willing to pay a higher annual fee for luxury perks.
• You’re looking for cards that offer a 0% intro APR period that applies to balance transfers as well as purchases.
• You’re looking for a business charge card instead of a business credit card.
• You’d prefer a business credit card that’s co-branded with a retailer other than GM.

At the end of the day, only you can decide which of these Capital One Spark business credit cards—if any—is right for your business. This being said, however, considering the rewards, low fees, and other perks associated with the Spark business cards, there’s no doubt if you do choose one and use it responsibly, you’ll be building credit and earning while you spend.

Therefore, in order to determine which card is best for your business, you’ll want to first and foremost decide what you’re looking for in a business credit card and what features are most important to you. You’ll want to consider factors such as annual fees, foreign transaction fees, intro APR periods, rewards structure, type of rewards, qualifications, and anything else in particular that you value in a business credit card.

Once you’ve established the qualities you’re looking for, you can use these guidelines to compare the Capital One Spark business cards to one another, as well as compare them to alternative options—to ultimately find the card that will best fulfill your business needs.