These offers are no longer available on our site: Capital One Spark Classic for Business, Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit

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3. Capital One Spark 1% Classic review: Is it any good?

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15

reviews

4.5

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Great for building business credit

Annual Fee: $0

Here’s the average credit limit of members who matched their Capital One Spark 1% Classic or similar cards.

% of members by credit limit range

The average credit limit for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is $3,781, with $2,000 being the most common.

Here’s the average credit score of members who matched their Capital One Spark 1% Classic or similar cards.

% of members by credit score range

The average credit score for members who have matched with this card or similar cards is 618, with 594 being the most common. Note this is just one of the deciding factors when it comes to getting approved.

This content is curated by Intuit Credit Karma’s Editorial team using data from members who were approved for this card or similar cards, or who self-matched this card or similar cards. Intuit Credit Karma receives compensation from third-party advertisers, but that doesn’t affect our editors’ opinions. Our third-party advertisers don’t review, approve or endorse this content. Information about financial products not offered on Credit Karma is collected independently. Our content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when posted.

Member stats

Updated daily

48.3%

Average credit utilization (or what percent of the card’s credit limit is being used) of members who matched with this card or similar cards.

46 years

Average age of members who matched this card or similar cards.

$99,453

Average annual income of members who matched this card or similar cards. Note: Income may be estimated for some members by Credit Karma and may differ from members’ actual incomes.

Pros and cons

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Simple cash back rewards

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No annual fee

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No foreign transaction fee

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Other cards offer better rewards

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No intro APR offer

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High variable APR on purchases and balance transfers

Capital One Spark 1% Classic review

Updated September 15, 2025

This date may not reflect recent changes in individual terms.

Written by: TJ Porter

Core features

If you’re considering the Capital One Spark 1% Classic (previously the Capital One Spark Classic for Business), here’s what you need to know.

No annual fee

For new businesses, justifying the cost of a credit card’s annual fee may be difficult.

But the Capital One Spark 1% Classic doesn’t have an annual fee, so you won’t have to worry about carrying a credit card that cuts into your budget. Plus, all of your cash back rewards will go straight into your pocket since you don’t have to offset the annual fee first.

Rewards

With the Capital One Spark 1% Classic, you’ll earn 1% cash back on every purchase you make with your card and any employee cards. You’ll also earn 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The 1% rate makes it easy to earn rewards — you don’t have to remember to activate bonus categories or what type of rewards you earn with which purchases. Plus, it’s pretty neat that employee cards — which come at no extra cost — can also earn cash back.

But there are other business cards that offer both employee cards and better rewards. For example, the Capital One Spark Cash Select for Good Credit offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase, also without an annual fee. Other cards offer cash back or rewards points at rates where the value can exceed 1% cash back.

Qualifying for the card

If your business is just getting off the ground and your personal credit scores aren’t great, getting a small-business credit card may be difficult.

The Capital One Spark 1% Classic is designed for business owners who have what Capital One considers fair credit. According to Capital One, that means you’ve defaulted on a loan in the previous five years or you have limited credit history.

If you’re approved for the card, you can start to build business credit, which could make it easier to qualify for other business credit cards in the future.

APR

The downside of a card that doesn’t require great credit is that you’ll likely have to pay more for it. With the Capital One Spark 1% Classic, that means a high interest rate. This card comes with a variable APR of 30.74% on purchases and balance transfers.

Businesses sometimes have to spend a lot of money and put bills on hold while waiting for payments from clients. If you think you’ll have to carry a balance as you wait for your clients to pay you for goods or services, it’s important to take this card’s APR into account.

And since this card doesn’t have a 0% APR offer, any startup costs that you charge and then carry a balance on month to month will start incurring interest.

Who this card is good for

If you’re a new business owner who wants a simple rewards card, the Capital One Spark 1% Classic could be an alright choice. But if you have strong personal credit, there are likely better cards out there with higher rewards rates and introductory purchase APR offers.

Not sure this is the card for you? Consider these alternatives.

If you’re in the market for a business credit card but don’t think the Capital One Spark Classic for Business is the right choice for you, consider these alternatives.

• The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express: Consider this card if you think you might need to carry a balance for the first few months.
• Capital One Spark Cash Plus: If you’re a fan of straightforward perks, this card might also be a good choice.
• Bank of America® Business Advantage Travel Rewards World Mastercard® credit card: This travel card could be a good fit for the small-business owner on the go.