Customer rating
★★★★★
Satisfaction survey
★★★★★
Satisfaction survey
Offers credit facilities of up to £150,000 and has a generous rewards scheme
High interest rate charged on cash withdrawals
Capital on Tap Business Credit Card review
Business credit card challenger Capital on Tap aims to help small businesses to thrive.
The Capital on Tap business Visa card offers credit facilities of up to £150,000, a generous rewards programme and no charges on FX transactions.
- Earn cashback or Avios on your spending and avoid non-sterling transaction fees
- A punishing rate of 49.88% on cash withdrawals
Representative example: When you spend £1,200 at a purchase rate of 26.4% (variable) p.a., your representative rate is 29.9% APR (variable).
Up to 56 days
Interest-free each billing period
Earn 1 point
per £1 spent
29.9%
Representative APR
0%
Foreign transaction charge
Details
| Issuer | Capital on Tap |
|---|---|
| Network | Visa |
| Annual/monthly fees | £0 |
| Purchases | 26.4% |
| Purchases interest-free period | Up to 56 days |
| Cash advances | 49.885% |
| Minimum credit limit | £1,000 |
| Maximum credit limit | Subject to status: £150,000 |
| Additional cards available | Unlimited free company cards for employees and partners, with the ability to set individual spending limits on each card. |
| Incentive | Earn 1% cashback for every eligible £1 spent. Terms apply. Upgrade to Capital on Tap Business Rewards Card for £99 pa to choose between earning cashback or Avios and receive 10,000 bonus points when you spend £5,000 on your card in your first 3 months. |
| Additional Rewards Info | Earn 1% cashback for every £1 spent. Upgrade to Capital on Tap Business Rewards Card for £99 pa to choose between earning cashback or Avios and receive 10,000 bonus points when you spend £5,000 on your card in your first 3 months. |
| Potential costs | ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | ★★★★★ |
| Extras | ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder rating | ★★★★★ |
Review by
Tom Stelzer
tom.stelzer@finder.comTom Stelzer is a writer for Finder specialising in personal finance, including loans and credit, as well as small business and business loans. He has previously worked as a freelance writer covering entertainment, culture and football for publications like FourFourTwo and Man of Many. He has a Master of Media Arts and Production and Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Technology Sydney.
Expert review
Since launching in 2012, Capital on Tap has been making big waves in the business credit card space, but what’s all the fuss about?
Well, Capital on Tap isn’t doing anything unheard of, but it is doing it well. Specifically, you can use it for cashflow flexibility, with its fee-free money transfers to your nominated bank account. Plus you can enjoy sub-£150k funding and collect rewards on all your day-to-day business spending. Those features, in combination with a slick application experience and interface, have allowed Capital on Tap to go from strength to strength while helping more than 120,000 UK businesses. Another thing that Capital on Tap can rave about is that the eligibility criteria is more lenient than many of its rivals’ and you get a near-instant decision.
So what’s not so hot? Capital on Tap’s rewards programme goes head-to-head against American Express, and credit where credit’s due (sorry), Amex offers a more extensive and elaborate rewards and perks package on the more expensive cards in its range. By contrast the Capital on Tap rewards rewards scheme is simple and automatic, which many will prefer and as a Visa card, it is more widely accepted,
As with any financial decision, you should make sure you can afford the repayments on any debt you accrue, and aim to clear your balance in full each month to avoid interest altogether, as this will almost certainly outweigh the value of the cashback/Avios you earn.
Overall, Capital on Tap is doing a great job of persuading SMEs that you don’t have to just settle for a bolt-on credit card from your regular bank.
What is Capital on Tap?
Capital on Tap is a digital lender that offers credit cards facilities of up to £150,000 to businesses all over the UK. It isn’t a bank, but it holds a regular licence that is restricted to business lending and is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Since launching in 2012, Capital on Tap now has more than 120,000 business customers across the UK, providing more than £2 billion to help companies grow.
In 2021 it launched across the pond in the US after securing £450m funding from the likes of BNP Paribas and HSBC.
Compare Capital on Tap credit cards
Table: sorted by interest rate on purchases
1 - 1 of 1
Approval for any credit card will depend on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow.
Capital on Tap credit card options
You can choose between the Business Credit Card and the Business Rewards Credit Card. The standard option comes without any monthly or yearly fees and allow you to earn 1% cashback on your business spending. The Business Rewards Card costs £99 per year and lets you choose between earning cashback or Avios points.
Capital on Tap offers two credit card options, you can choose between the Business Credit Card and the Business Rewards Credit Card. The standard option comes without any monthly or yearly fees and allows you to earn 1% cashback on your business spending. The Business Rewards Card costs £99 p.a. and lets you choose between earning cashback or Avios points.
How does Capital on Tap work?
- You apply online. Applying for a card will not affect your credit score. Capital on Tap promises to let you know if you’ve been accepted within two minutes.
- You get an online account. The online portal allows you to keep track of your card’s spending and you can also manage your funds through Capital on Tap’s app. You can transfer funds via the online portal from day one.
- You get the card. The card is a Visa that will be posted to you. Capital on Tap says it should arrive within four working days but you won’t have to wait for your card to arrive to access the credit facility – you can login and move funds from day one.
- You spend money and pay it back. You can use your card for payments, to transfer funds directly to your high street bank account and also to withdraw cash from ATMs (maximum £350 a day). Capital on Tap then collects repayments via direct debit. If you clear your balance in full each month, you’ll also enjoy up to 56 days of 0% interest on your purchases each billing cycle.
- You earn cashback/Avios. Every time you use your card (subject to a few exceptions, like cash advances) you’ll earn cashback or Avios, depending on what card option you opt for.
Am I eligible for a Capital on Tap card?
You may be eligible for a Capital on Tap Business Card if you meet the following criteria:
- You are an active director of the company.
- You and your business are based in the UK.
- Your business has a turnover of at least £24,000 per year.
- You have no unsatisfied county court judgments (CCJs) against you or your business in the past year (a CCJ is the court order you get if you fail to repay money you owe).
What are the pros and cons of Capital on Tap?
Pros
- Capital on Tap offers out-of-the-box integrations with Xero, Quickbooks, Freshbooks and FreeAgent. KashFlow and Sage integrations are possible via a data export.
- You get up to 56 days to spread the cost of purchases (provided you pay off your balance in full each month). Plus, this even applies to non-sterling transactions, which isn't always the case.
- The Capital on Tap app (which is fun to say) for Android or iPhone is a quick and easy way to login to your online portal, and offers the same functionality. It can by used by both the main account holder and supplementary cardholders, but as you might expect, the main account holder will be able to access more features.
- There's no fee for additional cards.
- There are no currency conversion charges when you use your card overseas.
- Applicants with low credit scores may be eligible.
- You can opt for the no-annual-fee deal or shoulder a small fee to access more lucrative rewards.
Cons
- The interest rate charged on cash advances (withdrawing cash at an ATM) is 49.88%, which is a bit of a shocker... Don't get lured in by the fact that there's no fee on these withdrawals. The good news is there's an easy workaround: it's free to transfer funds to your business account, so you can just withdraw from that and avoid paying any extra interest.
- The free transfers out from your Capital on Tap account must be to your linked business account (this will be the account that your direct debit for repayments is taken from).
- Cash withdrawals and transfers to your business bank account always incur interest from the day of the transaction (your usual "up to 56 days" interest-free won't apply to these parts of your balance.
How do you manage your Capital on Tap card(s)?
From day one you’ll get access to your online portal, from which you can action transfers and view your transaction history. As the main account holder, you can see all the transactions made by the staff you’ve issued additional cards to. You can set each cardholder an individual spend limit.
Additional cardholders can access their own version of the portal where they can activate their card, view their transactions only, change their PIN, etc.
The app for Androids and iPhone is essentially another (quicker) way to access the online portal, so it can be used by the main account holder and additional cardholders alike.
Repayment options
When it comes to repayments, you can make manual repayments online or over the phone (020 8962 7400), or alternatively set up a direct debit. A direct debit is a great idea because it protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and either damaging your credit score, getting hit with a penalty fee or losing any promotional rates as a result. You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.
Choose from the following direct debit options for your monthly repayments:
| Minimum amount | Fixed amount | Fixed percentage | Full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
Businesses affected by coronavirus
Capital on Tap have a few options available to businesses negatively affected by coronavirus:
- Set up a repayment plan. If your account is already in arrears and you don’t currently have an arrangement in place with Capital on tap, you can set up a payment plan through the online portal. This will allow you to get your account back up to speed at a pace that you can afford.
- 24/7 customer support. Capital on Tap offer 24/7 support, where you can chat, call, or email them about your account.
Customers who think they will still be unable to make payments are advised not to cancel direct debit arrangements, but to contact Capital on Tap on 020 8962 7400to discuss their situation.
Disputing transactions impacted by coronavirus
If you made a purchase that has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic – for example, for travel or an event – Capital on Tap might be able to recover the funds by raising a dispute if one or both of the following is true:
- The merchant is unable to provide you with the goods/services for which you have paid with your Capital on Tap card
- The merchant is unwilling to assist you and/or refused to issue a refund
Capital on Tap will dispute the transaction, but the outcome will depend on a number of factors, like when the trip or event was cancelled, and the evidence you are able to provide.
If you believe you have grounds to request a transaction dispute, you should contact the Capital on Tap Disputes Team at disputes@capitalontap.com.
You will need to provide the following documents (copies only, where applicable):
- Transaction details
- The date of the transaction
- The name of the merchant
- The amount(s) paid
- Original invoices/receipts/e-mails/booking confirmations/etc.
- How much you are disputing (full or partial amounts)
- A detailed description of what was purchased (for example, flights only, flights and accommodation, activities, etc.)
- An explanation as to why you feel you have grounds to dispute the transaction(s)
- Any other evidence you believe supports your dispute
Capital on Tap customer reviews
On Trustpilot, Capital on Tap has 4.5 out of 5 stars and a rating of Excellent, based on over 9,500 reviews (updated April 2022). On Google, the company has 4.0 out of 5 stars, based on more than 765 reviews.
Most customers praise the service’s ease of use, the usefulness of the product and the helpful staff. Those with less favourable views cite issues with customer service, hidden charges and technical glitches as the reasons for their negative feedback.
Reviews for the Capital on Tap app are mostly positive as well. On the App Store, the app has 2.6 out of 5 stars, based on 81 reviews, and on Google Play it has 3.4 out of 5 stars, based on more than 105 reviews.
| Trustpilot | Apple App Store | Google Play | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
★★★★★ 4.6 out of 5 |
★★★★★ 4.0 out of 5 |
★★★★★ 2.6 out of 5 |
★★★★★ 3.4 out of 5 |
The verdict
If you’re looking for a versatile everyday credit card for your business, the Capital on Tap business credit card is a very respectable option. It lets you earn uncapped 1% cashback while not charging any annual or monthly fees, making it a fairly cost-effective way of helping to improve your business’s cash flow, provided you pay off the balance in full each month. Whether or not you’re planning to head overseas, you’ve got the reassurance of knowing that non-sterling transactions won’t incur any fees, instead being converted at the standard Visa exchange rate.
Frequently asked questions
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★★★★★ — Average
★★★★★ — Subpar
★★★★★ — Poor
Our customer satisfaction scores ("Customers say") are based on a survey of 357 customers carried out in December 2021.
To find out more, read our full methodology.
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