Capital One Business Credit Cards Comparison

While you might not think of your side-gig as a small business, it could be enough to qualify you for a small business credit card.

Capital One has an impressive range of small business credit cards for every budget, from $0 annual fee cards to luxury travel rewards cards. Likewise, Capital One offers cards that earn points as well as those that earn cash back.

Let’s compare each cards’ offerings and work out which card is best suited to you.

Capital One Business Credit Cards Comparison: Overview

Here’s a quick overview of Capital One’s business cards, their annual fees and who they’re best suited to.

Capital One Venture X Business

The Capital One Venture X Business is the heavyweight of Capital One business credit cards. For an annual fee of $395, you’ll enjoy competitive points multipliers on purchases made through the Capital One Travel portal—up to 10X miles per dollar spent—in addition to an array of travel benefits.

Venture X Business card holders receive a statement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee every four years, as well as a $300 annual travel statement credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel.

You’ll also have access to Capital One Lounges as well as Plaza Premium Group and Priority Pass Select™ lounges (after enrolling).

You can redeem your Venture X miles with any of Capital One’s 15 airline and hotel transfer partners.

Overall, the Venture X Business card is a great companion for small business owners who travel frequently.

Pros

• 10X miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases
• 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary year
• $300 annual travel statement credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel
• A statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee every four years
• Access to Capital One Lounges in addition to the Partner Lounge network, including Plaza Premium Group and Priority Pass Select™ lounges
• Premium benefits when booking a stay with the Premier Collection through Capital One Travel, such as daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, a $100 experience credit, and room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability)
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• $300 annual travel statement credit restricted to purchases made through the Capital One Travel portal

Capital One Spark 2X Miles

The Capital One Spark 2X Miles offers a scaled-down version of the Venture X Business, with an introductory annual fee of $0 which increases to $95 after the first year.

You can earn up to 5X miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel and a solid rate of 2X miles per dollar spent on all other purchases.

You’ll also be eligible for a statement credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years. When booking a stay with the Premier Collection through Capital One Travel, you’ll be eligible for premium benefits. These include daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, a $50 experience credit, and room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability).

Your Spark miles are fully transferable and can be used for award bookings with any of Capital One’s 15 airline and hotel transfer partners.

If you want to balance fees with benefits, the Capital One Spark 2X Miles is a solid choice.

Pros

• 5X miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases
• A statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four years
• Premium benefits when booking a stay with the Premier Collection through Capital One Travel, such as daily breakfast for two, complimentary Wi-Fi, a $50 experience credit, and room upgrades, early check-in and late checkout (subject to availability)
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• No bonus points on flights booked through Capital One Travel, as offered on the Venture X Business card

Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select

The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select enables small business owners to earn transferable miles without having to pay an annual fee.

You’ll be able to earn 5X miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5X miles on all other purchases.

As with all Capital One business cards, you’ll be able to issue employee cards free of charge, enabling your employees to earn you miles on their everyday business expenditure.

If you want to earn miles on your business spending but don’t want to incur an annual fee, the Capital One Sparks 1.5X Miles Select is an option to consider.

Pros

• 5X miles on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 1.5X miles on all other purchases
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Limited cardholder perks

Capital One Spark 2% Cash Plus

The Capital One Spark 2% Cash Plus card offers small business cash back rewards on big expenditures.

This card comes with an annual fee of $150, but you can waive it if you spend $150,000 on your card within a calendar year. If this is well within your typical business expenditure, the card essentially becomes free to hold.

You’ll earn 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel and 2% cash back on all other purchases. This makes it a great card for covering business purchases that fall outside of bonus spending categories.

As the card earns cash back, you won’t be able to transfer your earnings to any of Capital One’s hotel or transfer partners. However, you can redeem your cash back as a check or statement credit.

If you want to prioritize cash back over miles, the Capital One Spark 2% Cash Plus is a solid choice.

Pros

• 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 2% cash back on all other purchases
• Annual fee refund after spending $150,000 in a calendar year
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Limited cardholder perks

Capital One Spark 2% Cash

If your business expenditure isn’t high enough to justify holding the Spark 2% Cash Plus, the Capital One Spark 2% Cash is a great alternative.

It retains the same benefits as the Cash Plus, but for an introductory annual fee of $0, which increases to $95 after the first membership year.

Pros

• 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 2% cash back on all other purchases
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Limited cardholder perks

Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select

If you want to earn cash back on your business spending without paying an annual fee, the Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select offers exactly what you’re after.

You’ll earn 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Pros

• 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 1.5% cash back on all other purchases
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Limited cardholder perks

Capital One Spark 1% Classic

The Capital One Spark 1% Classic is designed to help you build your credit score, without charging you an annual fee.

While doing so, you’ll earn 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel and 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Like all other Capital One business cards, it’s free of foreign transaction fees and enables you to issue employee cards free of charge.

However, this card is recommended only if you’re needing help to build your credit score. Otherwise, there are more lucrative cards available that you should prioritize.

Pros

• 5% cash back on rental cars and hotels booked through Capital One Travel
• 1% cash back on all other purchases
• Free employee cards
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons

• Limited cardholder perks

Which Business Card Should You Apply For?

When it comes to opening a new credit card, keep in mind that there is no best credit card. Instead, there is only the card that is best suited to your spending and travel habits.

Whether one of Capital One’s business cards is best suited to you will depend on your situation and preferences.

Keep in mind that Capital One business cards—except for the Venture X Business and Spark 2% Cash Plus—count toward your 5/24 count. Therefore, you should ensure that you’ve filled your 5/24 slots with Chase cards before moving onto Capital One business cards. This is one disadvantage of Capital One business cards compared to Amex and Chase business cards.

Premium Business Credit Cards

The Capital One Venture X Business card offers a mix of luxury travel perks for an annual fee of $395. For the frequent traveler who can offset high annual fees through perk maximization and spending, the Venture X certainly has something to offer. However, it’s worth considering other small business credit cards in this annual fee class (and higher).

For instance, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express offers the longest list of benefits of any business credit card, for an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees). This card offers more than $1,400 worth of annual business-related statement credit perks. You can also earn 1.5X Amex Membership Rewards points on up to $2 million in spending per calendar year (1X points thereafter) on eligible purchases.

Alternatively, for an annual fee of $375 (see rates and fees), the American Express® Business Gold Card enables you to earn the highest number of points where you spend the most. You’ll earn 4X points per dollar spent in your top two eligible categories where you spend the most each month, on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per calendar year. This card offers $395 worth of business-related statement credits, making it easy to offset its annual fee.

These are just a handful of the other cards worth considering before settling on the Venture X Business card.

Mid-Tier Business Cards

If you’re considering the Capital One Spark 2% Cash Plus, Capital One Spark 2% Cash or the Capital One Spark Miles 2%, it’s important to compare them to other cards in their annual fee class.

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card from Chase earns 3X points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 in eligible business categories, including shipping purchases; advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines; internet, cable and phone services; and travel. You can also redeem your points for 1.25 cents apiece through Chase Travel℠ or transfer them to any of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners.

$0 Annual Fee Business Cards

Lastly, if you’re thinking of applying for the Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select or Capital One Spark 1.5% Cash Select, compare their pros and cons to some other $0 annual fee cards on the market.

For example, The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express earns 2X points on up to $50,000 in spending per calendar year for a $0 annual fee (see rates and fees). The Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card from Chase earns a base rate of 1.5% cash back on all purchases for a $0 annual fee. You can then transfer these earnings to a Chase Ultimate Rewards earning card to redeem them as points toward travel or for partner transfers.

Get More for Your Business Spending: Open a Business Credit Card Today

There’s no single perfect card for everyone. But by choosing a card that suits your business’ annual spending and your personal travel habits, you can maximize your points and perks while minimizing the effect of the fees you pay.

Capital One offers an impressive lineup of cards for every business profile—whether you’re a jet-setter or a more frugal spender. Apply for a business card today and put your spending toward funding your next travel adventure.