Best 1.5% Flat-Rate Business Credit Cards Compared

Five no-annual-fee business cards earn a standard 1.5% return (or point/mile equivalent) on every purchase. This comparison covers the pure cash-back cards—Chase Ink Business Unlimited, Capital One Spark Cash Select, and Bank of America Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards—as well as the travel-oriented BofA Business Advantage Travel Rewards and Capital One Spark Miles Select.

Card overview

Mechanics: Pure Cash vs. Travel Points

While all five cards earn at a 1.5x factor, the liquidity and target use cases are distinct.

Liquid Cash (Ink Unlimited, BofA Unlimited, Spark Cash Select)

These cards are designed for simplicity. Rewards are earned as cash or points that can be redeemed for cash at a 1:1 ratio (1 cent per point). For a business with $100,000 in spend, these cards generate $1,500 in statement credits or bank deposits. These tools are optimized for domestic overhead and general operating expenses.

Travel Points and Miles (BofA Travel, Spark Miles Select)

These cards earn points or miles that are optimized for travel redemptions.

• Yield at 1.5%: To maintain the 1.5% “value,” points must be used for travel purchases (e.g., flight or hotel statement credits via the BofA or Capital One portals). In this context, 1 point = 1 cent.
• Lower Yield for Cash: If a borrower attempts to redeem BofA Travel points for pure cash, the value typically drops to 0.6 cents per point, lowering the effective earn rate from 1.5% to 0.9%.
• No Foreign Transaction Fees: The primary mechanical advantage of these “travel” versions is the removal of the 3% foreign transaction fee found on most no-fee cash-back cards. For a business with international vendors or employees traveling abroad, the “travel” version is a net gain despite the lower cash-out flexibility.

The Preferred Rewards Multiplier (Bank of America)

Both Bank of America cards in this comparison are part of the Preferred Rewards for Business program. Businesses that maintain high deposits in BofA or Merrill accounts receive a multiplier on their rewards:

• Gold ($20k+ balance): 25% bonus (1.875% total)
• Platinum ($50k+ balance): 50% bonus (2.25% total)
• Platinum Honors ($100k+ balance): 75% bonus (2.625% total)

For a business at the Platinum Honors level, the BofA Unlimited Cash Rewards transforms from a 1.5% card into a 2.625% card—beating even the top-tier 2% flat-rate cards.

Comparison of Welcome Bonuses

Welcome offers provide the largest ROI in the first year:

• Chase Ink Business Unlimited: Typically offers the highest bonus ($750 cash/75,000 points) but requires a higher spend threshold ($6,000 in 3 months).
• Capital One and BofA: Offer lower bonuses ($200 to $500) with lower spend requirements ($2,000 to $4,500), making them easier to attain for very early-stage businesses.

Which to choose

• Use Ink Business Unlimited if you already have a Chase Sapphire or Ink Preferred card; this allows you to transfer your 1.5% earnings to airline partners for potentially higher value.
• Use BofA Unlimited Cash if you maintain $100k+ in business deposits at Bank of America; the 2.62% effective rate is the market leader for flat-rate business cards.
• Use Spark Cash Select if you want simple cash back with no foreign transaction fees and no specialized banking relationship.
• Use BofA Travel Rewards if you have the BofA banking relationship but frequently spend internationally, as it avoids the 3% foreign fee found on the “Unlimited Cash” version.
• Use Spark Miles Select if you want the option to transfer miles to airline partners with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

See also: 2% Flat-Rate Business Cards Compared, Chase Ink Business Cards Compared, Merchant Category Codes Explained