Credit score needed for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus is a great option for businesses looking for a card with impressive flat-rate cash back rewards. Offering 2% cash back on all purchases and a welcome bonus of up to $1,000 ($500 once you spend $5,000 in the first three months, and an additional $500 once you spend $50,000 in the first six months), it’s one of the best business cash back cards on the market.

While the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card does have great cash back rewards, its $150 annual fee could feel like an obstacle for more modest spenders. Note, though, that the 2% cash back rate could earn you more than a no-annual-fee card in the long run. If your business expenses are at least $30,000 a year, opting for this card would be a great option as you only need to spend $7,500 to reach $150 in cash back (in turn, making up for the annual fee). For most small businesses, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus can prove to be a valuable card.

To start earning cash back rewards for your business purchases with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, the first step is to apply. Before you apply, it’s helpful to evaluate your credit score and ultimately whether or not you have a chance of approval. Keep reading to learn more about the credit score needed and other factors involved in qualifying for this card.

What credit score is needed for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card?

According to Capital One, the Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card is for consumers with an excellent credit score. This means you’ll need a FICO score of 740 to 850, or a Vantage Score of 781 to 850, to qualify for the card.

While having an excellent credit score will make it easier to qualify for the card, factors besides credit score are also taken into consideration. Since there is no preset spending limit, to have a higher chance of approval for this card, in particular, pay close attention to payment history and avoid missing any payments on other cards and loans.

What can I do if I’m denied for this Capital One card?

If you are denied for the Capital One Spark Cash plus card, determine why your application was denied. The lender is required to provide a reason for denying an application, and it’s helpful to know which areas of your credit need improvement. For example, even though you have an excellent credit score, you could be denied due to an error on your credit report.

You also may have made a mistake filling out your application, in which case you can call and ask for reconsideration after correcting the error.

How can I improve my score to get this card?

Since having excellent credit is required to be approved for the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card, it’s important to understand how to improve your score. Payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, new credit lines and credit mix all affect your overall credit score. Payment history and credit utilization are most important, affecting a larger percentage of your score than the rest.

Consistently paying off loans and credit card statements on time is the best way to boost your credit score. This is because payment history has the largest impact on your credit, making up 35% of your total credit score. Being able to make payments consistently and on time is important, especially with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card – you’ll be required to pay off balances each month or a 2.99% late fee will be charged on the unpaid portion. Not only will missed payments prompt costly fees, they’ll also substantially lower your score. Having a long-term history of on-time payments will build and sustain good credit.

Second, behind payment history, is amounts owed, making up 30% of your overall credit score.  A good way to improve your credit is to keep your credit utilization ratio as low as possible. You can calculate your credit utilization ratio by dividing your current balances by your overall credit limit. Not only does paying down balances and debts improve your score, but it makes lenders more secure in your ability to make payments on time. Since there is no preset spending limit with the Capital One Spark Cash Plus, lenders will be looking to see if you are good at managing credit by not overspending.

If you’re interested in the Capital One Spark Cash Plus and your credit score is in the good range, start paying closer attention to your credit habits and consider what areas you could improve to boost your score to excellent.

Bottom line

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card is for consumers with an excellent FICO credit score of 740 to 850. The Spark Cash Plus is a great card for businesses interested in cash back rewards, featuring no preset spending limit and an unlimited 2% cash back rewards rate.

Since you will need a credit score in the excellent range to be approved for this card, try boosting your score with the above strategies before applying if you’re not quite there. An easy way to do this is to keep making on-time payments on existing credit lines to establish good payment history and build your age of credit.