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Lyle Daly is a personal finance writer who specializes in credit cards, travel rewards programs, and banking. He writes for The Ascent and The Motley Fool, and his work has appeared in USA Today and Yahoo! Finance. He was born in California but currently lives as a digital nomad with a home base in Colombia.
Steven is a personal finance writer covering topics from mortgages to credit cards to market news. He has written for The Motley Fool Canada, Ramsey Solutions, Nerdwallet, Clever Real Estate, and other major outlets. Steven launched his writing career at the age of four with his first book, "Revenge of the Bad Guys." He currently lives in Portland, Oregon.
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Offer status
Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.
The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select card is a great no annual fee business credit card for no-hassle travel rewards. However, this card is notably lacking in some areas compared to similar credit cards. In this Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select review, you'll get a complete look at what the card does well and where it could improve.
4.75/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.75 out of 5 stars.
4.75/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Credit Score
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Excellent (740-850)
Intro APR
Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 17.99% - 23.99% variable APR after that.
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR
18.49% - 24.49%, variable
Rewards
1.5x miles on purchases, 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
1.5x - 5x miles
Annual Fee
$0
Welcome Offer
Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
50,000 miles
A competitive business travel card that's a fit for a one-card wallet. The unlimited rewards program, sign-up bonus, and 0% intro APR offer are a rare combination of valuable perks in this category.
Competitive rewards rate
Sign-up bonus
No annual fee
Great intro APR offer
No foreign transaction fees
Limited bonus categories
No balance transfer offer
Personal guarantee
Earn unlimited 1.5x miles per dollar on purchases, with no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account; earn 5X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles – equal to $200 in travel – once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5x miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ using a Spark Miles 1.5X Select card
Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 17.99% - 23.99% variable APR after that
No annual fee
Transfer your miles to 15+ leading travel loyalty programs like Air Canada and Emirates™
Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 1.5x miles from their purchases
Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.
Full Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select review
This credit card is a good fit for: Travel enthusiasts who want to earn rewards on their business expenses without paying an annual fee.
Top perks
The perks for this card are competitive with other no annual fee options.
Unlimited 1.5 miles per $1
The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select earns a flat rate of 1.5x miles per $1 on purchases. That rate is equal to many of the top no annual fee cards. You can also earn 5x miles per $1 on hotel and car rental bookings when you make them through Capital One Travel.
Each mile is worth $0.01 when redeemed toward cash travel purchases, and you can also transfer Capital One miles to its travel partners. Most transfers have a 1:1 rate, though a couple transfer at a lower rate. Once you transfer your miles to an airline partner, they become frequent flyer miles for that airline and can't be transferred back. Airline transfers are widely regarded as the best use of travel rewards as they can yield significant per-mile value when used wisely.
This card doesn't have an annual fee, making it a great way to keep costs down. It's also a nice option for businesses without a lot of annual expenses, as even if you're not using your card much in any given month, you're not losing money on annual fees.
Additionally, employee cards have no annual fees. So, if you need your employees to make purchases on behalf of the business, you can issue them their own cards free of charge. You can also set spending limits on employee cards, which is a helpful security feature we like to see in the best business credit cards.
50,000 miles welcome bonus
You'll receive this bonus, which can be worth $500 toward travel in the Capital One portal, after you spend $4,500 within 3 months of opening your account. This is competitive with similar no annual fee business cards, though not the best sign-up bonus we've seen. The spending requirement may be a little high for some smaller businesses, but it's more attainable than the spending requirement for many higher-value bonuses, which can easily reach $7,500 or more.
No foreign transaction fees
You won't pay an extra fee for foreign transactions that you charge to this card. This is a valuable perk for a travel rewards card, as foreign transaction fees can add 3% onto any purchases made in a foreign currency (non-U.S. dollars). But you don't need to travel to take advantage of a card with no foreign transaction fees. It's also great for domestic transactions that route through foreign banks, such as making purchases from a foreign supplier.
If you want more ways to use your points: The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card has a huge sign-up bonus and multiple bonus categories, including travel. Plus, you can earn bonus rewards on everyday business categories like shipping and digital advertising. Note that this card has an annual fee.
If you want to earn more miles: You could opt for the Capital One Spark 2X Miles, which earns the same 5x miles per $1 on hotel and car rentals booked through Capital One, but a higher 2x miles per $1 on other purchases. You have to pay an annual fee for those additional miles, although it's waived in the first year. Comparing the miles that the two cards earn, the Capital One Spark 2X Miles would be the better deal for business owners who spend at least $19,000 per year on their card.
4.75/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5
Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale.
5 stars equals Best.
4 stars equals Excellent.
3 stars equals Good.
2 stars equals Fair.
1 star equals Poor.
We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
= Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Excellent (740-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good/Excellent (670-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Good/Excellent (670-850)
Credit Rating Requirement:
Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Excellent (740-850)
Poor
Fair
Good
Excellent
300-579
580-669
670-739
740-850
Excellent (740-850)
Welcome Offer:
Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
50,000 miles
Welcome Offer:
Earn 120,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Earn 120,000 bonus points
Welcome Offer:
Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
50,000 miles
Rewards Program:
1.5x miles on purchases, 5x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
1.5x - 5x miles
Rewards Program:
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases-with no limit to the amount you can earn.
Earn 3 points per $1 in select business categories
Rewards Program:
Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account. Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ using a Spark Miles card.
2X-5X miles
Intro APR:
Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 17.99% - 23.99% variable APR after that.
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
N/A
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Intro APR:
Purchases: N/A
Balance Transfers: N/A
Regular APR:
18.49% - 24.49%, variable
Regular APR:
21.24%-26.24% Variable
Regular APR:
26.24%, variable
Annual Fee:
$0
Annual Fee:
N/A
$95
Annual Fee:
$0 intro fee for first year; $95 after that
$0 intro fee
Highlights:
Earn unlimited 1.5x miles per dollar on purchases, with no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account; earn 5X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
Earn a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles – equal to $200 in travel – once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn 5x miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ using a Spark Miles 1.5X Select card
Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 17.99% - 23.99% variable APR after that
No annual fee
Transfer your miles to 15+ leading travel loyalty programs like Air Canada and Emirates™
Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 1.5x miles from their purchases
Highlights:
Earn 120k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,200 cash back or $1,500 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
Member FDIC
Highlights:
Earn a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles – equal to $500 in travel – once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
Earn 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings through Capital One Travel℠ using a Spark Miles card
Transfer your miles to 10+ leading travel loyalty programs like JetBlue™, Air Canada, and Emirates™
Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
Fly through security with one statement credit for either the $85 TSA Pre✓® application fee or the $100 Global Entry application fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select is unavailable on The Ascent. All information was collected independently and not reviewed for accuracy or provided by the credit card issuer. Some items may be out of date.
What could be improved
The downsides to this card are important to consider.
Limited bonus categories
The best travel rewards credit cards come with multiple bonus rewards categories, at least one of which tends to be a general travel category. The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select has a single bonus category and it's pretty limited. While you can earn 5x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars, the rate applies only if you book through Capital One's travel portal.
This could be a big issue for anyone with a preferred hotel brand since booking through a travel portal is considered a third-party booking. As such, you won't get any of the perks or status points you'd normally get by booking through the hotel itself. It also means you can't shop around for the best rate as you would with other third-party booking platforms.
Personal guarantee required
You may notice when you apply for the Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select that it asks for your personal information. That's because Capital One will check your personal credit as part of the application process. Most business cards, including the Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select, come with what's known as a personal guarantee. Basically, you need to agree that you'll share responsibility for the credit card account with your business. Even if your company goes out of business, you still need to pay off your Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select. If not, your personal credit could be damaged, and the bank can come after you for the debt.
You should have an excellent credit score, which means a FICO® Score of 700 or higher, when applying for the Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select. It's possible to get this card with a lower credit score, but you're rolling the dice on whether you'll be approved or denied. However, your credit score isn't the only factor. Capital One will look at your entire credit profile -- and that of your business -- when evaluating your application.
The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select is right for you if:
The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select is an excellent choice if you want a travel rewards card for your business that doesn't charge an annual fee. You'll earn a good rate on your purchases and you also won't pay any foreign transaction fees.
The limited bonus categories and lack of a 0% intro APR offer may be sticking points for some cardholders, however. If you're one of them, check out our list of credit card reviews for other options.
Our credit card methodology
At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.
We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.
FAQs
No, this card is not metal.
The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select is a Mastercard.
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