Discover it® Cash Back vs Capital One Spark Cash Select
Side-by-side comparison
| Discover it® Cash Back | Capital One Spark Cash Select | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Welcome offer | Cashback Match, all cash back earned in year 1 doubled | $750 cash back |
| Advertising | 1% | 1.5% |
| Shipping | 1% | 1.5% |
| Office supplies | 1% | 1.5% |
| Phone & internet | 1% | 1.5% |
| Travel | 1% | 1.5% |
| Everything else | 1% | 1.5% |
| Est. yearly rewards* | $450 | $675 |
| Points type | Cash back only | Pools with Capital One → transferable |
| Network | Discover | Mastercard |
*Estimated yearly rewards on typical household spending, every point valued at a flat 1 cent. Verified June 2026. See your own numbers in the calculator.
The verdict
On a typical year of business spending, the Discover it® Cash Back earns about $450 a year in rewards and the Capital One Spark Cash Select about $675, valuing every point at a flat 1 cent. The Discover it® Cash Back has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. The Capital One Spark Cash Select has no annual fee, so its rewards are all profit. Counting rewards and any credits, the Capital One Spark Cash Select delivers more total value, about $225 a year more for a typical spender, mostly because it earns more where you spend most, on everything else and advertising. The bigger difference is the ceiling: the Capital One Spark Cash Select earns points you can move to travel partners for outsized value, while the Discover it® Cash Back pays plain cash back. Favor the Capital One Spark Cash Select if you will use travel transfers, the Discover it® Cash Back if you want simplicity. On the sign-up bonus, the Capital One Spark Cash Select currently has the larger welcome offer. A welcome bonus is a one-time event, so weigh it apart from the ongoing rewards.
Pick the Capital One Spark Cash Select if your spending leans toward advertising, shipping, office supplies.