The Capital One Spark 1.5X Miles Select, also known as Spark Miles Select for Business, is a no-annual-fee business credit card that offers a simple travel rewards program. Every purchase you make earns you miles, which you can then use to pay for any kind of travel expense, like flights, hotel stays, and car rentals. Unlike some other business travel cards that are tied to specific brands, the Spark Miles Select gives each mile a fixed value of $0.01 when used for travel expenses.
This card is similar to many other business travel cards out there, including its sibling, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business, as well as the CitiBusiness / AAdvantage Platinum Select and the American Express Business Platinum. However, it’s worth noting that many of these other cards charge annual fees that can range from under $100 to over $500.
The Spark Miles Select is also quite similar to the Capital One Spark Cash Select. The main difference between the two is that while the miles you earn with the Spark Miles Select are typically used for travel, the cash back you earn with the Spark Cash Select can be redeemed for cash.
Now, let’s be honest, the Spark Miles Select isn’t a groundbreaking credit card. It’s not on my list of the best business travel cards. But it does have some good points, as well as some not-so-good ones.
One of the good points is that it doesn’t have an annual fee, which is pretty rare for a business travel credit card. However, you get what you pay for, and the Spark Miles Select isn’t particularly generous in other areas. Another plus is the early spend bonus, which can be worth up to $200 when used for travel. It doesn’t require a huge early spend, so most applicants should be able to achieve it without too much difficulty.
Another good point is the Spark Miles Select’s lineup of over a dozen travel transfer partners. While it doesn’t include big names like American Airlines, Delta, or United, it still offers good value, especially for international travelers. However, when you redeem your miles with Capital One, they’re always worth $0.01 or less. To get higher values, you have to transfer them to one of Capital One’s travel partners, which can be inconvenient and may not be feasible if you don’t regularly book with any of them.
The Spark Miles Select card has some key features. When you spend at least $3,000 within 3 months of opening your account, you get a bonus of 20,000 miles, which is worth $200 when redeemed. All eligible purchases earn an unlimited 1.5 miles per $1 spent, with no caps or restrictions. This equates to a 1.5% cash back rate on all purchases. The exception is hotel and rental car purchases made through Capital One Travel using your Spark Miles Select card, which earn 5 miles per $1 spent.
You can redeem your accumulated miles for travel in one of two ways. You can use statement credits to offset travel purchases you’ve already made for up to 90 days from the purchase date, or you can use your miles to book travel directly through Capital One’s travel portal. There are no blackout dates or seat restrictions with either redemption method. You can also redeem miles for non-travel items, like cash, gift cards, merchandise, and general statement credits, but the redemption values for these vary and are generally not as good a deal as travel redemptions.
You can also transfer your miles to any of Capital One’s 10+ leading travel partners, which include Choice Hotels, Air Canada, Aeromexico, Air France KLM, and British Airways. The card has a 0% APR on purchases for 9 months, after which the regular variable APR applies. There is no annual fee, foreign transaction fee, balance transfer fee, or fee for additional employee cards. The late payment fee is $39, and the cash advance fee is the greater of $10 or 3%.
At the end of every quarter, and again at the end of the year, you receive a detailed summary of your spending during the period. You can also easily download purchase records in formats compatible with Quicken, Excel, and QuickBooks. The card comes with some other benefits, including 24/7 emergency travel assistance, complimentary collision and theft protection on car rentals paid for in full with the card, and fraud detection. To qualify for this card, you need good to excellent credit.
The Spark Miles Select has some advantages. It doesn’t have an annual fee, which is great for budget-conscious business owners. It doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which is good news for cardholders who do business overseas. You can redeem Capital One miles for basically any travel purchase, and there’s no minimum redemption threshold. The card also has a solid early spend bonus, no blackout dates or seat restrictions on award travel, and no rotating or tiered spending categories.
However, the card also has some disadvantages. The earning rate is capped at 1.5% on most purchases, and mile values are generally capped at $0.01 each. The card doesn’t offer membership in frequent flyer or travel loyalty programs, and it has limited travel benefits.
If you’re not sure whether a business travel rewards card is right for you, you might want to consider the Capital One Spark Cash Select Card. It’s very similar to the Spark Miles Select, but it doesn’t have any travel partners and doesn’t offer a 0% APR deal.
In conclusion, the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business isn’t the most exciting card out there. It doesn’t have the highest mile-earning rate or the most impressive benefits. But if you’re not overly loyal to a particular hotel or airline brand, it’s a solid choice. Even if you also have a branded rewards card in your wallet, you might find the Spark Miles Select useful when it comes time to book your next holiday or peak-season flight.
