Chase Ink Preferred vs Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs Amex Business Gold (2026)
Three premium business credit cards, one decision. We compared every fee, bonus, and earning rate to tell you which one earns more for your specific business.
Quick Answer
What you actually pay after the first year
Welcome bonuses heavily offset first-year costs. Here's the real math for an average $100K-spend business:
Chase Ink Business Preferred — $95/yr
- Annual fee: $95
- 100K welcome bonus: −$1,250 (travel value)
- Year-1 earnings on $100K spend (avg 2x): +$2,000
- Year-1 net value: +$3,155
Capital One Spark Cash Plus — $150/yr
- Annual fee: $150
- $1,200 welcome bonus (need $30K in 3 months): −$1,200
- Year-1 earnings on $100K spend (flat 2%): +$2,000
- Year-1 net value: +$3,050 (if you hit $30K threshold)
Amex Business Gold — $375/yr
- Annual fee: $375
- 100K welcome bonus: −$1,250 (transferred value)
- Year-1 earnings on $100K spend (avg 3.2x in top categories): +$3,200
- Year-1 net value: +$4,075 (if spend hits 4x categories)
Estimates assume Chase Ultimate Rewards at 1.25¢/pt (travel), Amex MR at 1.25¢/pt (transfer), Spark cash at face value. Actual value varies by redemption.
Apply for Chase first if you want all three
Chase's 5/24 rule blocks approval if you've opened 5+ personal cards in the last 24 months. Business cards from Amex and Capital One don't count toward 5/24 — but they do consume your credit pull. If you eventually want Ink Preferred + Amex Business Gold + Spark Cash Plus, start with Chase.
3-Way Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Chase Ink Preferred | Spark Cash Plus | Amex Business Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | $95 (lowest)Best | $150 | $375 (highest) |
| Welcome bonus | 100,000 points after $8K spend in 3 months (~$1,250 for travel)Best | $1,200 cash after $30K in 3 months (high threshold) | 70,000–100,000 points after $10K–$15K in 3 months (~$875–$1,250) |
| Top earn rate | 3x on travel, shipping, internet/phone, ads (first $150K combined/yr) | 2% on every purchase — no categories | 4x on top 2 monthly spend categories (from 6 options, first $150K/yr)Best |
| Base earn rate (uncategorized) | 1x | 2% (best — no uncategorized spend)Best | 1x |
| Bonus categories | Travel, shipping, internet, phone, social/search advertising | None — 2% on everything | Airfare, advertising, shipping, computer hardware/software/cloud, gas, restaurants |
| Spend cap on bonus | $150,000 combined across all 5x categories/yr | None — unlimited 2%Best | $150,000 combined across top 2 categories/yr |
| Transfer partners | 14 airline + hotel partners (United, Southwest, Hyatt, Marriott…) | 15+ via Capital One miles (Spark Miles only — Spark Cash has no transfers) | 21 airline + 3 hotel partners (Delta, Marriott, Hilton, Singapore…)Best |
| Employee cards | Free | Free | Free |
| Expense reporting | Year-end summary, QuickBooks integration via Chase | Year-end summary, tagging, download CSV | Amex Business App, QuickBooks/Xero sync, receipt captureBest |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None | None |
| Personal guarantee required | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Businesses with high ad, shipping, travel, or internet spend | High-spending businesses wanting flat simplicity | Variable spenders whose top 2 categories shift month-to-month |
Which business card should you pick?
Match your situation to the right card:
- You spend heavily on advertising, shipping, or internet/phoneChase Ink Business Preferred ($95)3x on those exact categories (first $150K/yr). 100K-pt bonus is worth $1,250+. Lowest fee of the three.
- You want 2% on everything with no category complexityCapital One Spark Cash Plus ($150)Unlimited flat 2% means zero strategy. Best for high-spend businesses where category tracking is too much overhead.
- You spend heavily in restaurants, tech/software, or airfareAmex Business Gold ($375)4x on your top 2 monthly categories auto-adjusts. Best transfer partner network (21 airlines). Fee pays off above $30K/yr in 4x categories.
- You want to keep things to one cardChase Ink Business PreferredBest combination of low fee + strong bonus categories + large welcome bonus. The default best-in-class single card.
- Your business spends $500K+/year across many categoriesAmex Business Gold + Spark Cash PlusPair them: 4x on top 2 categories from Amex, 2% flat on everything else from Spark Cash. Covers both peaks and base spending.
- You're a startup with no established business creditChase Ink Business Preferred or Amex Blue Business Cash ($0 fee)Both approved on personal credit with reasonable scores (670+). Brex if you want no personal guarantee — requires business bank account.
Card-by-card breakdown
Chase Ink Business Preferred®
The 100K welcome bonus is the highest of the three and the $95 annual fee is the lowest. If your top expenses hit any of the 3x categories — and advertising and internet alone cover most online businesses — this card pays for itself quickly. The Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partners (Hyatt, United, Southwest, BA) are among the most valuable for travel redemptions.
Capital One Spark Cash Plus
The Spark Cash Plus is a charge card — balance due in full monthly, no preset spending limit. It's simplest to maximize: 2% on every dollar, no category tracking. The $30K welcome bonus threshold is the highest of the three, making it best for businesses with consistent high monthly spend ($10K+/month). Lower-spending businesses will find the Ink Preferred's 3x categories worth the complexity.
American Express® Business Gold Card
The auto-adaptive 4x feature is the most differentiated aspect: Amex automatically identifies your top 2 spending categories each billing cycle from the 6 options and applies 4x to them — no manual selection. For agencies (advertising), tech companies (software/cloud), or businesses with seasonal spend shifts, this flexibility beats a fixed-category card. The $375 fee is steep; break-even is around $25K–$30K/year in 4x categories.
See personalized business card offers
Match to your spending profile and see which cards you pre-qualify for. No impact to credit.
Check your credit score before applying
All three cards require a hard credit pull. Know your score for free so you're not surprised at approval.
Sponsored partner
Frequently Asked Questions
More business card resources
Updated June 18, 2026.