Capital One Spark Cash Plus review: Business owners earn 2% cash back with no preset spending limit

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a business credit card that earns 2% cash back on all eligible purchases and has no preset spending limit, so it can adapt to your needs based on your spending behavior, payment history and credit profile. This card is excellent for small business owners who consistently make large purchases and don't want the fuss of tracking points and miles.

The card has a modest $150 annual fee — but is the card worth the investment? Select reviews the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, analyzing its welcome bonus, cash back from spending and APR to help you decide if it's the best card for you.

• Welcome bonus
• Benefits and perks
• How to redeem cash back
• Rates and fees
• Card comparison
• Who this card is best for
• Bottom line
• FAQs

The welcome bonus with the card is straight forward, but requires a large spending budget to maximize it.

Earn $2,000 cash back once you spend $30,000 in the first 3 months. Earn an additional $2,000 cash bonus for every $500K spent during the first year

While some credit cards offer a seemingly never ending list of benefits, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is simple, yet effective. The card comes with:

• 2% cash back on all eligible purchases
• No preset spending limit
• Add employee cards for free, and earn unlimited 2% cash back from their purchases
• Extended warranty and protection
• Roadside assistance
• $150 annual fee refunded every year you spend at least $150,000
• No foreign transaction fees

Select calculated how much cash back the average American can earn in a year when using their Capital One Spark Cash Plus. We worked with the location intelligence firm Esri, who provided us with a sample annual spending budget of $22,126.

The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953).

With all spending considered, this would give a cardholder $442 in cash back in the first year, and if you meet the requirements for the full $3,000 welcome bonus, $3,442. Cardholders could earn more (or less) cash back depending on their annual spending habits.

Redeeming Capital One cash back is extremely simple.

In your Capital One customer portal, you will see your accrued cash back, and you will be given two options to redeem it:

• Credit it directly to your credit card account
• Have a check mailed directly to you

You can redeem it at any time, and there is no minimum to redeem it.

The card has a $150 annual fee. It does not have any foreign transaction fees.

You have the option to carry over a portion of your balance with interest (25.74% variable APR) if needed. Pay at least the minimum payment amount by your payment due date, otherwise you'll be charged a 2.99% late fee.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a solid choice for business owners who need spending power for large purchases. However, it isn't the only credit card to consider for your business expenses.

Select analyzed two other credit cards to see how they match up with one another.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs. Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card is an excellent choice for a business credit card as it earns up to 5% cash back using a tiered cash-back system (see rates and fees). As you spend on the card, you will 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 on dining and gas each account anniversary year
• 1% cash back on all other qualifying purchases

In addition, the card comes with a more achievable welcome offer compared to the Capital One Spark Cash Plus: earn $750 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three months after account opening

If you are deciding between these two cards, there are two factors to consider: the amount you're spending and where you are spending.

If an established credit line is bothersome and you need flexibility to spend as needed, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is likely the better of the two. If you feel that you can earn more cash back by taking advantage of the cash back categories, consider the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card for your wallet.

Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs. Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card (see rates and fees) is another great business credit card for earning Chase Ultimate Rewards points. So instead of filling your pocket with cash back, you can earn thousands of dollars worth of travel rewards with your business expenses.

As you spend on the card, you will earn:

• 3X points for every dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in the following categories each account anniversary year — Shipping purchases, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines, Internet, cable and phone services and travel
• 1X points for every dollar spent on all other qualifying purchases

In addition, the card with a valuable welcome offer: 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠. You'll also be able to transfer Chase points to one of Chase's hotel or airline partners, including United and Hyatt.

Similar to the comparison above, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus is best if you need spending flexibility and want cash back to use for your business. However, if you have travel a lot, you'll likely enjoy the rewards earned from the Chase Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card more than cash back.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a great option for a small business owner who is looking for a no-frills credit card to help save money on their expenses.

Earning a simple 2% cash back on all eligible purchases makes using the card quite simple, as there are no spending categories to remember or unique redemptions to keep track of.

However, this card is also great to create a credit card strategy around. For example, you could pair it with the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to earn maximum cash back on specific categories, as well as multiple welcome offers.

It is also great for business owners who need spending flexibility for their business as the card does not have a preset spending limit. However, this does not mean that you can spend an unlimited amount on the card.

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Credit Card is a great business cash-back credit card to have in your wallet if you want a simple rewards-earning structure. However, before you apply for the card, ensure that the $150 annual fee is worth it. If it isn't, you may want to consider a different business credit card.

If you aim to have multiple credit cards and begin maximizing your business purchases, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card can be a great addition to your strategy. But most importantly, before applying for several cards, ensure that you and your business are financially sound to take on several credit cards. Because paying additional interest to earn credit card rewards is never a good idea.

What is a Capital One Spark card?

Capital One Spark cards are not just one card, but multiple business credit cards offered by Capital One.

What credit score do you need for Capital One Spark?

There are six different Capital One Spark credit cards, and each of them require a different credit score for approval.

How do you apply for Capital One Spark?

You are eligible to apply for a Capital One Spark card by having a small business.

To determine which credit cards offer the best value, Select analyzed 234 of the most popular credit cards available in the U.S. We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, balance transfer fee and foreign transaction fees, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available. We also considered additional perks, the application process and how easy it is for the consumer to redeem points.

CNBC Select teamed up with location intelligence firm Esri. The company's data development team provided the most up-to-date and comprehensive consumer spending data based on the 2019 Consumer Expenditure Surveys from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can read more about their methodology here.

Esri's data team created a sample annual budget of approximately $22,126 in retail spending. The budget includes six main categories: groceries ($5,174), gas ($2,218), dining out ($3,675), travel ($2,244), utilities ($4,862) and general purchases ($3,953). General purchases include items such as housekeeping supplies, clothing, personal care products, prescription drugs and vitamins, and other vehicle expenses.

Select used this budget to estimate how much the average consumer would save over the course of a year, two years and five years, assuming they would attempt to maximize their rewards potential by earning all welcome bonuses offered and using the card for all applicable purchases. All rewards total estimations are net the annual fee.

While the five-year estimates we've included are derived from a budget similar to the average American's spending, you may earn a higher or lower return depending on your shopping habits.