Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.
Capital One is cementing its place as one of the most rewarding credit card issuers by making waves with an offer of 50,000 bonus miles on the Capital One Spark Miles for Business. To earn these bonus miles, you’ll need to meet a spend threshold of $4,500 within the first three months of opening a Spark Miles for Business account.
Based on TPG’s valuation of Capital One miles at 1.85 cents each, that’s a full bonus worth $925.
The solid welcome bonus is just the start; let’s take a look at some of the best lesser-known benefits of the Spark Miles for Business.
Free employee cards and an account manager
One way to quickly rack up your spend to continue earning rewards long past the sign-up bonus is by adding employee cards. Thankfully, Capital One lets you add employee cards to the Spark Miles for Business for free, giving you more flexibility over how you manage your cash flow and more opportunities to earn rewards (see rates and fees).
You can also assign a particular employee as the account manager, allowing them to have control over making purchases and payments, reviewing transactions and resolving any issues.
With a consistent earning rate of 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, the Spark Miles earns about 3.7% back, making it a compelling choice for everyday, non-bonus spending for both you and your employees.
It’s possible to get a higher return if you redeem your miles for premium cabin travel through programs like Avianca LifeMiles or Etihad Guest, but 1.85 cents per mile is a helpful baseline to think about.
Sync your transaction history to Quickbooks and Excel
The sign-up bonus alone makes it obvious that Capital One is marketing this card toward higher-spending businesses, and the more money you have flowing in and out of your accounts over the year, the more carefully you’ll need to keep records to prepare for tax season.
Capital One wants to make this process as easy as possible. In addition to automatic fraud alerts and zero liability if your card is lost or stolen, you can get customized itemized spending reports each quarter and easily download and export your transaction history to multiple platforms, including Quicken, Quickbooks and Excel.
Extended warranty and purchase protection
If you’re using the Spark Miles as the main credit card for your business, it’s likely that you’ll be making some pretty important purchases with it.
You can rest assured knowing that Capital One will automatically extend the original manufacturer’s warranty on eligible purchases made with this card.
Also, if an item you purchase is stolen or damaged within 90 days after purchase, you may be eligible to have it replaced, repaired or reimbursed.
Bottom line
For a card with a reasonable $95 annual fee — whose intro annual fee is $0 for the first year (see rates and fees) — the Spark Miles for Business may be a great fit for budget-minded enterprises.
What it does have, in addition to its 50,000-mile sign-up bonus, is a small but valuable list of benefits that can help you manage your business finances more efficiently and protect you from loss due to theft or damage. While you obviously hope to never have to use these insurance benefits, even a single use would more than offset the annual fee.
Read our full review of the Spark Miles for Business here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Learn More: Capital One Spark Miles for Business
For rates and fees of the Spark Miles for Business, click here.