The Capital One Spark Cash Plus and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (see rates and fees) are cash-back business cards, but that’s about where their similarities end.
For businesses with high spending across many categories, the Spark Cash Plus is a better fit thanks to its unlimited 2% cash back and no preset spending limit. On the other hand, the Ink Business Cash stands out for businesses that can maximize its 5% bonus categories and want to avoid an annual fee.
The way they each reward business spending is almost completely different. The Spark Cash Plus prioritizes simplicity, while the Ink Business Cash rewards businesses willing to pay attention to where they spend.
Here’s how to decide which strategy works better for your business.
Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs. Chase Ink Business Cash: At a glance
| Spark Cash Plus | Ink Business Cash | |
|---|---|---|
| <strong>Annual fee</strong> | $150 (receive a $150 statement credit after spending at least $150,000 annually) | $0 |
| <strong>Welcome bonus</strong> | Earn $2,000 after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus another $2,000 for every $500,000 spent during the first year | Earn $750 cash back after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening |
| <strong>Employee cards</strong> | No additional cost | No additional cost |
| <strong>Foreign transaction fee</strong> | None | 3% |
Quick picks by business type
| Bestfor | Card |
|---|---|
| Businesses with high spending across many different categories | Capital One Spark Cash Plus |
| Businesses that can spend at least $150,000 per year | Capital One Spark Cash Plus |
| Businesses that spend a lot at office supply stores or on internet, cable and phone services | Chase Ink Business Cash |
Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs. Chase Ink Business Cash: Welcome bonus
The Spark Cash Plus is currently offering $2,000 cash back, earned after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. You’ll also earn another $2,000 for every $500,000 you spend during your first year, so really high spenders can keep stacking those bonuses.
Since this is cash back, that first bonus is worth $2,000. But if you pair the card with an eligible Capital One miles-earning card, you can convert the cash back to miles. According to TPG’s October 2026 valuations, Capital One miles are worth 1.85 cents each, putting 200,000 miles at a theoretical value of $3,700.
Compared with the card’s past offers, this is a solid one. The highest offer we’ve seen was worth up to $3,000, but earning the full amount required $50,000 in spending within six months (offer no longer available). TPG considers a $2,000-plus bonus a good time to apply for the Spark Cash Plus. Keep in mind that Capital One says the bonus may not be available to existing or previous Capital One Business cardholders.
The Ink Business Cash currently offers $750 cash back, earned after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. Compared with past offers, that’s fairly typical. However, the card recently offered a best-ever $1,000 after $8,000 in spending within four months (offer no longer available), so this isn’t the strongest bonus we’ve seen.
You can also combine those rewards with an eligible Ultimate Rewards card and turn them into transferable points. According to TPG’s October 2026 valuations, Ultimate Rewards points are worth 2.05 cents each, putting 75,000 points at a theoretical value of $1,538.
Chase has its own application rules and welcome offer restrictions, including the 5/24 rule. The welcome bonus may also not be available if you’ve previously held the Ink Business Cash or another no-annual-fee Chase for Business card.
Winner: Capital One Spark Cash Plus for businesses that can comfortably meet its much higher spending requirement.
Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs. Chase Ink Business Cash: Benefits
| Benefit | Spark Cash Plus | Ink Business Cash |
|---|---|---|
| Annual-fee refund | $150 statement credit after spending $150,000 annually | Not applicable; card has no annual fee |
| Spending capacity | No preset spending limit | Traditional credit limit |
| Foreign transaction fees | None | 3% |
| Employee cards | No additional cost | No additional cost |
High-spending businesses
The Spark Cash Plus gets easier to justify as your business spending climbs. Capital One will refund the card’s $150 annual fee once you hit $150,000 in annual spending, which makes the fee a lot easier to swallow for the kind of business this card is built for.
Its no-preset-spending-limit structure can also help if your expenses swing from month to month. You can’t spend whatever you want, but it does give you more flexibility than a traditional fixed credit limit.
The Ink Business Cash takes a more traditional approach, with a fixed credit limit and no annual fee. That can work well for businesses with more predictable spending, while the Spark Cash Plus is better suited to businesses that need more room for large or fluctuating expenses.
Other business and travel benefits
Both options let you add employee cards at no additional fee, making it easier to keep business spending in one place and earn rewards on those purchases, too.
The Spark Cash Plus comes out ahead if your business spends internationally since it charges no foreign transaction fees; the Ink Business Cash does.
Both cards also come with some useful protections. The Ink Business Cash includes primary auto rental coverage for eligible business rentals, plus purchase and extended warranty protection. The Spark Cash Plus also offers extended warranty coverage* on eligible purchases, along with other card protections.
Winner: Tie. The Spark Cash Plus has more useful features for high-spending and internationally-focused businesses, while the Ink Business Cash offers useful protections and no annual fee.
*For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
How to earn and redeem rewards with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs. Chase Ink Business Cash
| Spendingcategory | Spark Cash Plus | Ink Business Cash |
|---|---|---|
| <strong>Office supply stores, and internet, cable and phone services</strong> | 2% | 5% (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year) |
| <strong>Gas stations and restaurants</strong> | 2% | 2% (on the first $25,000 in combined purchases each account anniversary year) |
| <strong>Hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through issuer travel portal</strong> | 5% | 1% |
| <strong>Other purchases</strong> | 2% | 1% |
Earning rewards
For businesses that can take advantage of the Ink Business Cash’s 5% categories, it’s tough for the Spark Cash Plus to compete. Spend the full $25,000 annual cap at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services, and you’ll earn $1,250 with the Ink Business Cash. Put that same $25,000 of spending on the Spark Cash Plus and you’ll earn $500.
Outside the Ink’s bonus categories, though, that advantage flips.
A $10,000 purchase at the Ink’s standard 1% rate earns $100 in rewards. The same purchase earns $200 with the Spark Cash Plus. This is why the amount you spend is less important than where you spend it when comparing these two cards.
There’s also a useful break-even point: Since the Spark Cash Plus earns 1 percentage point more than the Ink Business Cash on purchases that would earn just 1% with the Ink, $15,000 of that spending generates an extra $150 in rewards — enough to offset the Spark’s annual fee.
Winner on earning: Ink Business Cash for maximizing its 5% categories; Spark Cash Plus for substantial spending outside those categories.
Redeeming rewards
Both cards make cash-back redemptions pretty straightforward. With the Spark Cash Plus, you can redeem your rewards for cash back, statement credits, travel purchases, gift cards and eligible purchases. Your rewards also won’t expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing.
The Ink Business Cash rewards are technically earned as Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Redemption options include cash back, statement credits, travel through Chase Travel℠, gift cards, Amazon and PayPal purchases and Pay Yourself Back. Your points won’t expire as long as the account remains open.
If you’re only interested in cash back, there isn’t much daylight between them: 1 cent earned is basically 1 cent redeemed.
Personally, I love the ability to convert Spark cash back into Capital One miles. I’ve transferred miles to book Avianca LifeMiles awards to Central America, getting considerably more value than I would have by redeeming for cash back.
The Ink Business Cash can play a similar role with a Chase setup. TPG partnerships and newsletter editor Emily Thompson likes pairing it with other Ultimate Rewards cards, which lets her take advantage of its strong bonus categories without keeping those rewards boxed in as cash back.
Winner on redeeming for cash back: Tie
Transferring rewards
For travelers, this is where both cards get much more interesting. If you pair the Spark Cash Plus with an eligible Capital One miles-earning business card, you can convert your cash back into transferable Capital One miles.
The Ink Business Cash works much the same way in the Chase ecosystem. On its own, its rewards don’t transfer to airline and hotel programs. But you can combine your points with an eligible card such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees), which can then transfer Ultimate Rewards points to travel partners.
So in both cases, pairing the cash-back card with the right companion card can open up much more valuable redemption options.
The programs also share several transfer partners, so if you already use one of those programs, the decision may come down to the partners unique to each currency.
Winner on transferring: Tie. Both become transferable rewards when paired with the right card, so the stronger option largely depends on which issuer’s transfer partners you prefer.
Can I have both the Capital One Spark Cash Plus and Chase Ink Business Cash?
Yes. These cards come from different issuers, and holding one doesn’t prevent you from applying for the other.
In fact, carrying both can make quite a bit of sense. Use the Ink Business Cash for 5% back on office supplies, internet, cable and phone services and 2% back at restaurants and gas stations. Then put purchases that would otherwise earn just 1% on the Spark Cash Plus for 2% back instead.
If your business doesn’t spend heavily enough to justify the Spark Cash Plus and doesn’t have much spending in the Ink Business Cash’s bonus categories, a no-annual-fee flat-rate business card may be a better fit.
Should I get the Capital One Spark Cash Plus or Chase Ink Business Cash?
Choose the Spark Cash Plus if your business spends heavily across a wide range of categories. Its unlimited 2% cash-back rate keeps things simple, and if you spend at least $150,000 annually, Capital One refunds the $150 annual fee.
Choose the Ink Business Cash if much of your spending falls into its 5% categories, particularly office supplies, phone service, cable and internet. It also makes more sense if you already have an eligible Ultimate Rewards card that lets you convert cash back into transferable points.
And if you have enough spending to make both worthwhile, there’s no reason this needs to be an either-or decision.
Bottom line
The Spark Cash Plus is a strong fit for businesses with high spending across a wide range of categories, thanks to its 2% cash back on purchases and 5% back on eligible bookings through the Capital One Business Travel portal.
The Ink Business Cash can be more rewarding if a big share of your expenses falls into its 5% bonus categories, such as office supply stores and internet, cable and phone services, especially since there’s no annual fee.
If neither spending pattern fits your business particularly well, a simpler no-annual-fee flat-rate card may make more sense. And if you can maximize both, there’s a good case for carrying both.
To learn more, read our full reviews of the Spark Cash Plus and the Ink Business Cash.
Learn more: Capital One Spark Cash Plus
Apply here: Ink Business Cash Credit Card
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Source: thepointsguy.com
