Spark Cash Plus

Rewards by category

Our take

The Spark Cash Plus is built for businesses that spend broadly rather than in one or two neat categories. Every purchase earns a flat 2% cash back, and hotels and other travel booked through Capital One Business Travel earn 5%. That flat structure is why it ranks fourth for superstores and department stores and fifth for other travel on our boards — it stays competitive almost everywhere without any category juggling.

The tradeoff is the $150 annual fee, and the refund condition deserves a close read: Capital One refunds it each year you spend at least $150,000. That bar is realistic for a genuinely high-volume business and out of reach for most, so price the fee in unless your books clear it. There is no signup bonus to soften the first year, and the 5% travel rate only applies when you book through Capital One Business Travel.

In a small business wallet the Spark Cash Plus works best as the floor. Let the flat 2% catch everyday purchases, route hotel and other travel bookings through Capital One Business Travel for 5%, and add a category card only where a rate beats two cents on the dollar. Since rewards are plain cash back valued at face value, there is no points math to second-guess and no award chart to learn.

The math

Run $250 a month of hotels through this card and you're earning about $150 a year at our conservative valuations. Against the $150 annual fee, that top rate needs roughly $425 a month of hotels spend before it beats a no-fee flat 2% card.

Common questions

Does Spark Cash Plus have an annual fee?

Yes — $150 per year.

What does Spark Cash Plus earn on hotels?

5% on hotels (book via capital one business travel).

What rewards does Spark Cash Plus earn on everything else?

2% on all other purchases, in Cash Back.

What does no preset spending limit mean on the Spark Cash Plus?

The Spark Cash Plus is a charge card, and it carries no preset spending limit. For a business whose monthly purchasing volume swings — seasonal inventory, uneven invoices — that flexibility can matter as much as the rewards rate. If your spend is steady and moderate, the feature is neutral, so judge the card on its flat 2% floor and portal travel rates instead.

Does the Capital One Spark Cash Plus charge foreign transaction fees?

No. The Spark Cash Plus charges no foreign transaction fees, and it runs on the Mastercard network. For a business that pays overseas vendors or sends people abroad, that keeps the flat 2% cash back intact on international purchases instead of losing part of it to a surcharge. If foreign spend is a regular line item, that is a quiet but real advantage.