With a generous rewards structure, flexible redemption options and a useful suite of business tools, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business is particularly advantageous for companies with diverse expenses and regular travel needs. Although it comes with a high APR, the overall value it provides could be substantial. This card has the potential to transform everyday business spending into lucrative travel rewards and could be a valuable asset in managing your business finances.
MoneyGeek’s Take
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Review
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card offers high miles on expenses, a lucrative welcome offer and flexible redemptions. Despite a higher APR and annual fee, its benefits are considerable.
Updated: October 23, 2024
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
MoneyGeek partners with leading industry experts and advertisers to help you get to your financial happy place. Our content is accurate when posted but offers may change over time. We may receive compensation for partner advertisements, but our editorial team independently reviews and ranks products. Learn more about our editorial policies.
Moneygeek.com credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.
- PROS
- Earn miles on every purchase
- Flexible redemption options
- Application credit for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck
- Useful business tools and free employee cards
- No foreign transaction fees
CONS- Annual fee after first year
- High regular APR
- No intro APR offers
- Introductory Offers
- Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months.
- Rewards
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere.
- Get unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
- Perks & Benefits
- Transfer your miles to over 15 travel loyalty programs.
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services.
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.
- Free employee cards that also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases.
- APRS, Fees, and Penalties
- Enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that.
- Introductory Offers
Capital One Spark Miles for Business Overview
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a fairly robust business credit card offering many features such as a generous miles reward system, an attractive sign-up bonus, extensive redemption options without restrictions or expirations and a reasonable annual fee waived for the first year. Here's an overview of its key features before we dig a little deeper:
- Rewards rate: Earn 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and earn 2X miles per dollar on all other spending.
- Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months, equal to $500 in travel
- Regular APR: 25.74% variable
- Annual fee: $95 ($0 in the first year)
- Intro APR offer: None
Spark Miles for Business Miles Estimator
Estimate the value of the rewards you could earn with the Spark Miles for Business card. Use this calculator to see how many miles you can accumulate based on your spending habits. Enter your estimated spending in the categories below to get started.
Important Disclaimers:
- This calculator is for planning and evaluation purposes and is not sponsored or endorsed by Capital One.
- Some of your purchases may not be eligible for earning points.
- The value of points at redemption will vary.
How much do you spend on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel per YEAR? (5x miles)
How much do you spend on other purchases per MONTH? (2x miles)
Important Card Details
Understanding the benefits and caveats of a credit card can be crucial for effective financial management, especially for businesses. Below, we'll take a detailed look at the features of the Capital One Spark Miles for Business to empower you with comprehensive knowledge, so you can make informed decisions best suited to your business needs.
Modest Annual Fee
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business card comes with an annual fee of $95, which is waived in the first year. While this fee may initially seem off-putting, the card's benefits can more than offset the cost. The bonus miles, high rewards rate and travel perks make the fee worthwhile, especially for businesses with significant spending patterns.
Above Average APR
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business does carry a higher-than-average APR at 25.74% variable. This can make maintaining a balance expensive. However, if you plan to pay off your balance in full each month, this won't be a significant issue. If your business occasionally carries a balance, you may want to consider pairing this card with a lower-interest card for those situations. Remember, the primary value of this card lies in its rewards, not as a borrowing tool. Use it wisely to maximize its potential.
Miles on Everyday Spending
Every dollar spent with the Spark Miles card earns you two miles. Bookings made through the Capital One Travel website will earn you five miles per dollar. Capital One Spark Miles for Business is a fantastic option for businesses that spend across various categories, with 2X miles earned for every dollar spent on everyday purchases. The bonus 5X miles per dollar you earn on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel makes this an ideal card for businesses with regular travel and varied everyday expenses, turning those costs into a generous return in the form of travel rewards.
Great Welcome Offer
A standout feature of this card is its substantial welcome offer. New cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months. That's a rate of return over 11% on your spending, and it's easily achievable for most businesses. This one-time boost can provide a significant head-start toward redeeming travel rewards.
Flexible Redemption Options
This card offers impressive flexibility in redemption options, setting it a notch above many competitors. Miles can be transferred to over 15 travel loyalty programs, and there's no expiration date or earning limit. Plus, with no minimums for redemption and no blackout dates, you can control how and when you redeem your rewards. This flexibility enhances the real-world value of the miles earned.
Useful Business Tools
Aside from the travel rewards, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business also offers a suite of handy business tools. These include free employee cards — making it easier to accumulate rewards — and quarterly and year-end summaries to streamline your bookkeeping. Also, the downloadable purchase records can help monitor and track business expenses efficiently.
How the Capital One Spark Miles for Business Compares
Let’s take a high-level look at the Capital One Spark Miles for Business features alongside another highly-rated card designed for business owners.
How This Card Compares
Capital One Spark Miles for Business
- Rewards rate: Earn 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and earn 2X miles per dollar on all other spending.
- Welcome offer: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after spending $4,500 in the first three months, equal to $500 in travel.
- Regular APR: 25.74% (variable)
- Annual fee: $95 ($0 in the first year)
- Intro APR offer: None
- Best for: earning miles on varied spending
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
- Rewards rate: Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year, 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year and 1% cash back on all other card purchases with no limit to the amount you can earn.
- Welcome offer: Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
- Regular APR: 17.99% - 23.99% (variable)
- Annual fee: $0
- Intro APR offer: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months, then a variable APR of 18.49% to 24.49% after that
- Best for: businesses spending big on office supplies
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
Editorial Disclosure: Opinions, reviews, analyses and recommendations are the author’s alone and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Advertiser Disclosure: MoneyGeek has partnered with CardRatings.com and CreditCards.com for our coverage of credit card products. MoneyGeek, CardRatings and CreditCards.com may receive a commission from card issuers. To ensure thorough comparisons and reviews, MoneyGeek features products from both paid partners and unaffiliated card issuers that are not paid partners.