Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit Review

This card offers busy business owners the ease of flat-rate cash back on every purchase . In addition to the rewards, cardholders enjoy a long list of extra benefits and a nice welcome bonus opportunity.
author Jennifer Doss

Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit

Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit
Our Rating:   
Excellent

CardRatings Editor's Analysis: Pros & Cons

  • This card is great for new business owners who prefer to skip the annual fee.
  • A good earn rate and easy-to-manage rewards program with no sign-ups or caps to keep track of makes this a user-friendly option for cardholders.
  • New cardholders can earn a $750 bonus once spending $6,000 in the first three months of account opening.
  • This card does not offer a 0% intro APR option and charges an ongoing APR of RegAPR.
Terms and Limitations Apply.

At CardRatings.com we discuss the most up-to-date news and trends within the credit card space. Since we first pioneered the concept of online credit card reviews in 1998, our team of financial experts has provided comprehensive and unbiased credit card reviews for more than 175 cards, plus hundreds of additional resource articles to help educate everyday cardholders so they can feel more confident about their card choices. All our content is written and reviewed by industry experts. Though our content may occasionally contain references to products from our partners, we maintain strict editorial integrity and advertiser relationships and compensation never influences ratings, reviews or featured products. The difference between editorial content and advertising must always be clearly stated. Learn more.

CAPITAL ONE® SPARK CASH SELECT BENEFITS

Simplicity is the beauty of the CardName. The offer and benefits are easy to understand and easy to take full advantage of.

The CardName offers new cardholders a $750 bonus once spending $6,000 in the first three months of opening an account. More savings come in the form of a $0 annual fee. The cash-back rate of 1.5% is not as high as some other cards, but it applies to all purchases made with your CardName and that can easily add up to thousands of dollars per year that you can re-invest into your business.

If your business has several employees with the authority to make purchases on the company credit card, you can also request additional cards at no charge. This allows multiple people to be able to make purchases on the account while racking up the rewards for your business.

As a Spark Cash Select cardholder, you also get the following benefits:

  • $0 fraud liability for unauthorized charges
  • Ability to pick your own monthly due date
  • Itemized report of yearly spending provided at the end of the year to help you with budgeting and taxes
  • Ability to set up automatic payments
  • Free employee cards with spending limits you can customize (See Rates and Fees)
  • Ability to designate an account manager to make all payments and purchases
  • Travel benefits, such as travel assistance, rental collision coverage, and roadside assistance
  • Security alerts available to monitor suspicious activity

Top Features

 Cash Back on Gas
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase
 Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase
 Cash Back on Other
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase

WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THE SPARK CASH SELECT CARD

As a business owner, you can always find a use for some extra cash and the CardName provides you with several ways to bolster your bank account. The $0 annual fee is a savings of at least $95 a year over many, if not most, small business rewards cards. See Rates and Fees

You can earn a one-time $750 bonus after you spend $6,000 in purchases in the first three months. And then there is the enticing 1.5% cash back on every purchase with no limit on how much you can earn. Even if your business makes just $5,000 in purchases per month using the CardName, that would mean $750 in cash back each year. And the best part, you can redeem cash-back rewards at any time in any amount. No minimum. The rewards won't expire for the life of the account.

The simplicity of the CardName might be the best part. You don't have to worry about rotating categories – or any categories at all, in fact – to maximize your cash-back rewards. It's a straight 1.5% across the board on all purchases.

HOW TO QUALIFY FOR THE CAPITAL ONE SPARK CASH SELECT CARD

In order to qualify for CardName, you should have excellent credit, which is considered at least an 800 FICO score. When you apply, you'll need to submit business information such as your Employer ID Number, annual revenue, and business Tax ID Number. In addition, you will be required to submit your basic personal information. Approval for the CardName generally occurs within about ten business days.

POTENTIAL DOWNSIDES OF THE CAPITAL ONE SPARK CASH SELECT

For anyone looking for a high cash back rate for their purchases, there are better choices out there. If you travel a great deal on business, you can still earn quite a bit of cash-back rewards with the CardName, but you might do better with a card that offers reward miles or some special redemption options when it comes to travel. With some, the travel rewards you earn can carry a higher cash value than the 1.5% the CardName offers.

Also, if you have the time and inclination to manage your account closely, a card that offers higher cash-back rewards in particular categories your business frequently shops in could prove worth your time and attention. Finally, your creditworthiness and your ability to make on-time payments is critical to making the most of the CardName. To begin with, you need excellent credit to qualify for this card. And paying on time is critical as missed or late payments will quickly rack up interest charges that will eat into any of your rewards.

HOW CAPITAL ONE SPARK CASH SELECT COMPARES TO OTHER CREDIT CARDS

Capital One Spark Cash Select vs. CardName

discontinued

Like the CardName, the CardName is a simple business card that allows you to get all of your supplies and earn cash back. However, the difference is the amount of cash you can earn with each card as well as some of the ongoing benefits and rewards opportunities.

While the CardName offers 1.5% cash back on all purchases, CardName provides unlimited 2% cash back on purchases, as well as the welcome offer opportunity to earn a one-time cash bonus of $1,200 once you spend $30,000 in the first three months.

Both cards provide numerous helpful benefits like free employee cards, itemized spending summaries, and travel assistance. See Rates and Fees

Spark Cash Select vs. Chase Ink Business Unlimited

discontinued

The CardName and the CardName are comparable in that they both have no annual fee and they both provide 1.5% cash back on all purchases. However, the CardName card has the additional benefit of an intro APR of 0% on purchases for the first 12 months and then RegAPR. See Rates and Fees

Also, the CardName offers $750 bonus cash back if you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months.

However, for the international traveler, the Spark Cash Select card is a better choice with no fee on foreign transactions, compared to the Ink Business Unlimited card's foreign transaction fee of foreign_fee.

Both cards allow you to add employee cards for free and set spending limits.


Spark Cash Select vs. CardName

American Express is a CardRatings advertiser.

discontinued

CardName provides a 2% cash back rate on all eligible purchases up to $50,000, then the amount drops down to 1% thereafter.

Also, there is an introductory APR of 0% on purchases for the first 12 months after opening the account, and then RegAPR. In addition, CardName includes Expanded Buying Power, so you can spend above your credit limit, with an amount adjusted based on your credit and payment histories, as well as how much you use your card.

Both cards provide free cards for employees, as well as tools to help you better manage your expenses. Also, both have no annual fee.

SHOULD I GET THE CAPITAL ONE SPARK CASH SELECT CARD?

If you want a card that will bring in some rewards as you save on many of the fees other cards have, the CardName is a good choice.

If you are the owner of a growing business that doesn't do much traveling, this card can provide multiple opportunities to save money and earn money that can be invested back into your business.

In addition, the rewards program is easy to understand and make the most of. Anyone who likes to see their bank account grow without having to jump through too many hoops should also have this card in their wallet.

For rates and fees for CardName (See Rates and Fees).

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.

Capital One Spark Cash Select for Excellent Credit Compared to Other Cash back Cards

Apply online for Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
Apply online for Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
Apply online for Citi Double Cash<sup>®</sup> Card
Citi Double Cash® Card
Cash Back on Gas
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase 
Cash Back on Gas
3% Cash Back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). 
Cash Back on Gas
1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 
Cash Back on Gas
1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay 
Cash Back on Gas
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase 
Cash Back on Groceries
6% at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $6,000 per year in purchases, then 1%) 
Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 
Cash Back on Groceries
1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay 
Cash Back on Groceries
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 
Cash Back on other
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase 
Cash Back on other
1% Cash Back on other purchases. 
Cash Back on other
1.5% cash back on all other purchases. 
Cash Back on other
1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay 
Cash Back on other
1.5% Cash Back on every purchase, every day 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is believed to be accurate as of the date it was written. Please keep in mind that credit card offers change frequently. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information in this article. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards. Please verify all terms and conditions of any credit card prior to applying.

This content is not provided by any company mentioned in this article. Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed here are those of the author's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any such company. CardRatings.com does not review every company or every offer available on the market.