Card Comparison
Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs United Explorer
Side-by-side comparison of fees, rewards, benefits, and transfer partners.
Annual Fee
$150/yr
$150/yr
Foreign Fees
None
None
Signup Bonus
200,000 points
Spend $30,000 in 3 months
85,000 points
Spend $3,000 in 3 months
Top Earn Rates
- Hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel 5x
- All Other Purchases 2x
- United Purchases 2x
- Restaurant Purchases 2x
- Hotel Stays 2x
Reward Type
cashback
miles
Key Credits
None
- Statement Credit $5
- Statement Credit $50
- Statement Credit $50
- +1 more
Card Perks
None listed
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year
Transfer Partners
- British Airways Executive Club
- JAL Mileage Bank
- Qatar Avios
- I Prefer Hotel Rewards
- Flying Blue
- +16 more
No transfer partners
Common Questions: Capital One Spark Cash Plus vs United Explorer
Is the Capital One Spark Cash Plus or United Explorer better for dining?
Capital One Spark Cash Plus has no dining bonus; United Explorer earns 2x on dining.
Which has the higher signup bonus in 2026?
Capital One Spark Cash Plus currently offers 200,000 pts signup bonus (spend $30,000 in 3 months). United Explorer offers 85,000 pts signup bonus (spend $3,000 in 3 months). Capital One Spark Cash Plus has the larger bonus.
Which card is better for international travel?
Both cards charge no foreign transaction fees, making either a solid choice for international travel.
Can I hold both the Capital One Spark Cash Plus and the United Explorer?
In most cases yes — holding both is allowed and can be a smart strategy for maximizing rewards across different spending categories. Capital One Spark Cash Plus is from Capital One and United Explorer is from Chase, so they're governed by separate bank policies.