Ink Business Premier® Credit Card vs Capital One Spark Cash Plus

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The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card and the Capital One Spark Cash Plus are two of the highest rewarding business credit cards competing for the small business segment of the market. In this Ink Business Premier vs. Spark Cash Plus comparison, we’ll walk through the features, fees and rewards of both cards.

Ink Business Premier vs Spark Cash Plus: Side-By-Side Comparison

Both of these cards made our list of the best business credit cards. Here are the details of each card:

Rewards Winner: Ink Business Premier

Both cards offer excellent rewards, but the Ink Business Premier comes out on top for three reasons. First, both cards offer a base rate of 2% cash back. But the Ink Business Premier comes with 2.5% on purchases of $5,000 or more.

Second, both cards offer 5% cash back on select travel. The Spark Cash Plus offers this rate on hotel and car rentals purchased through Capital One Travel. In contrast, the Ink Business Premier offers 5% on all travel, including airfare, booked through Chase.

Third, while both cards are in the cash back category, the Ink Business Premier earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. These points can be redeemed for cash at the rate of 1 cent each. They can also be redeemed for travel through Chase or transferred to several airline and hotel partners. Depending on how the rewards are redeemed, they can be far more valuable than the cash value.

Ink Business Premier Rewards

Spark Cash Plus Rewards

Welcome Offer Winner: Spark Cash Plus for Cash, Ink Business Premier for Travel

The ongoing rewards of a business credit card are far more important than a welcome bonus. At the same time, some of the industry’s best bonuses come from small business credit cards. I’ve generated thousands of dollars in bonuses from credit cards over the years.

Between these two cards, the Ink Business Premier comes out on top if you plan to transfer the points to a Chase travel partner. As noted above, even though the bonus is cash, what you receive are Chase Ultimate Points. These points can be transferred to several hotel and airline partners. We estimate the value at 2.15 cents per point when redeemed this way. Of course, the actual value will depend on how and when you redeem the points.

For those who want cold, hard cash, the Spark Cash Plus is the winner. Keep in mind, however, that the spend requirement to earn the bonus for this card is high.

Here are the details for each card:

Ink Business Premier: Earn $1,000 bonus cash back when you spend $10,000 in the first 3 months. We estimate the value of these points at $1,000 – $2,150.

Spark Cash Plus: $1,200 Cash Back when you spend $20,000 in the first 3 months.

Interest Rates Winner: Ink Business Premier

The biggest difference between these cards is the interest rate. Here the Ink Business Premier is the winner when it comes to interest rates. Why? The Spark Cash Plus requires payment in full each month, similar to a charge card. That’s not an issue for business owners who pay their balance in full each month anyway.

For those looking for extended payments, however, the Ink Business Premier is the better option. Here, however, it’s important to understand that the Chase card does not behave like a traditional credit card. Instead, a portion of your available credit may be assigned by Chase to what they call Flex for Business:

We may assign a portion of your Credit Access Line for use with Flex for Business. Flex for Business allows a portion of your Credit Access Line to be used for qualifying purchases over time, with interest. . . . A “qualifying purchase” is a purchase of a set dollar amount or higher that we will communicate to you when you are approved for the card. When you use your card for qualifying purchases, they will automatically be included in your Flex for Business balance, provided there is enough available credit in your Flex for Business limit for the entire qualifying purchase amount.

Chase Offer Details For Ink Business Premier as of 1/17/24

Unfortunately, neither card offers a 0% intro APR on purchases or balance transfers. Check out our list of no-interest business credit cards if that feature is important to your business.

Here are the key rates and fees for both cards:

Fee Winner: Spark Cash Plus

When it comes to fees, the Spark Cash Plus comes out on top. Its annual fee (see above) is a bit lower than the Ink Business Premier. Neither card charges a foreign transaction fee.

Features and Benefits: Ink Business Premier

For features and benefits, Ink Business Premier wins by a wide margin. Specifically, it offers a number of travel protections that the Spark Cash Plus can’t match.

Spark Cash Plus

Ink Business Premier

What Credit Score Do I Need To Qualify For These Cards?

Both of these cards require good to excellent credit.

Spark Cash Plus Credit Score Data

App Status	Date	Credit Score	Bureau	Credit Limit
Approved	11/01/2023	790	Not Provided	---

Ink Business Premier Credit Score Data

App Status	Date	Credit Score	Bureau	Credit Limit
Approved	06/27/2023	690	Experian	$10,000
Approved	01/03/2023	755	Not Provided	$20,000
Approved	01/03/2023	766	Not Provided	$20,000
Approved	01/03/2023	768	Not Provided	$20,000

Who is the Spark Cash Plus Best For?

The Spark Cash Plus is best for those who want an excellent cash back business card who can meet the spend requirement for the signup bonus.

Who is the Ink Business Premier Best For?

The Ink Business Premier is the clear winner for those who travel for business. It earns excellent rewards for travel booked through Chase, and transferring points to travel partners can increase the value of the award even more. This card is also ideal for businesses with larger purchases.

Bottom Line

Both the Spark Cash Plus and the Ink Business Premier are both excellent business credit cards. We prefer the Ink Business Premier over the Spark Cash Plus is likely the better choice, but both are excellent options.