Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle at a Glance
| Feature | Capital on Tap | Funding Circle Cashback | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 (free tier) / £299 (Pro) | £0 | Tie |
| Representative APR | 34.9% variable (from 13.86%) | 34.9% variable (from 14.9%) | Tie |
| Cashback | 1% from the first pound, uncapped | 2% for 6 months, then 1% uncapped | Depends on timing |
| Introductory offer | None | 2% for 6 months (capped at £2,000) | Funding Circle |
| Credit limit | Up to £250,000 | Up to £250,000 | Tie |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None | Tie |
| Eligibility | Ltd & LLP, £24k turnover | Ltd only, 1 yr trading, £30k | Capital on Tap |
| Minimum repayment | Greater of 10% or £100 | Greater of 10% or £100 | Tie |
| Personal guarantee | Typically required | Required (one or more directors) | Tie |
| Section 75 protection | Does not apply (business card) | Does not apply (business card) | Neither |
| Existing customer restriction | None confirmed | Not available to existing Funding Circle borrowers | Capital on Tap |
| Best for | Steady spend, high limits, LLPs | Heavy first-six-months spend | Either |
| Verified against capitalontap.com and fundingcircle.com, July 2026. | |||
Both are cashback business credit cards for UK limited companies with no FX fees and no bank-account switch required. The decision comes down to timing: Funding Circle pays 2% for the first six months; Capital on Tap pays 1% from the first pound, with no cap and no expiry.
When your bookkeeper reconciles at month-end, the cashback lands on either card. We compared both against their provider sites in July 2026.
Choose Capital on Tap for most businesses: the lower turnover threshold, LLP eligibility, deeper expense tools, and cashback that never drops or expires.
Choose Funding Circle if you’re an eligible limited company with heavy spend in the first six months and want to bank the 2% intro cashback. We set out the full breakdown below, starting with the cashback numbers.
Check your Capital on Tap eligibility →Which Is Better for Everyday Business Cashback?
Where Capital on Tap Wins
Capital on Tap pays 1% from the first pound, uncapped, with no intro clock to track. It’s the simpler earner on steady, year-round spend: it never drops in a quiet month.
Where Funding Circle Wins
For the first six months, Funding Circle pays 2%. At £10,000 a month that’s £1,200 over the half-year, against Capital on Tap’s £600: a £600 head start before both settle to 1%.
When your Q4 stock orders and ad spend land on the card in those first six months, that head start is real money back.
The 2% is capped at £2,000 of cashback (roughly £100,000 of spend). The maximum advantage Funding Circle builds in year one is about £1,000 over Capital on Tap.
Verdict for Everyday Business Cashback
If you’ll spend heavily in the first six months, take Funding Circle for the head start. For steady everyday cashback over the long run, Capital on Tap matches the 1% and adds the higher limit, so it’s the better default.
That’s the trade-off: Funding Circle buys you in, Capital on Tap keeps you. If you apply in October and your Christmas stock order lands on the card in November, you’re sitting in the 2% window. That timing matters.
Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle for Newer or Lower-Turnover Companies
How Capital on Tap Fits Newer or Lower-Turnover Companies
If you’re a younger limited company or an LLP, Capital on Tap is the one to try first. It requires just £24,000 turnover and publishes no minimum trading length. LLPs are also accepted, which Funding Circle is not.
How Funding Circle Fits Newer or Lower-Turnover Companies
Funding Circle requires at least one year of trading and £30,000 turnover, and accepts limited companies only. A newer or smaller business is more likely to be declined here than at Capital on Tap.
Verdict for Newer or Lower-Turnover Companies
Choose Capital on Tap if you’re an LLP, under one year trading, or below £30,000 turnover. Funding Circle will decline you in all three cases. Both run a soft-search check, so you can test your eligibility without marking your credit file.
Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle Fees and APR
| Cost | Capital on Tap | Funding Circle Cashback |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | £0 (free) / £299 (Pro) | £0 |
| Representative APR | 34.9% variable (from 13.86%) | 34.9% variable |
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Minimum repayment | Greater of 10% or £100 | Greater of 10% or £100 |
| Personal guarantee | Typically required | Required (one or more directors) |
| Section 75 protection | Does not apply to either card (business credit, not personal) | |
Both cards quote the same 34.9% representative APR, but the rate you’re actually offered is the one that matters, and it can land well above any published floor.
Capital on Tap’s 13.86% floor is a best case, not a promise: the rate is priced individually per applicant, which is why the representative APR sits so far above it. Confirm your offered rate before assuming the floor applies.
If you carry a balance at month-end, the minimum repayment is the greater of 10% of the outstanding balance or £100 on both cards. Paying only the minimum means interest accumulates on the rest.
At 34.9%, a £5,000 balance costs roughly £145 in interest that month. A month’s 1% cashback on that spend would be £50. The numbers don’t justify revolving.
Section 75: Neither card gives you Section 75 protection. That statutory right covers personal credit, not business. Visa chargeback may offer recourse on disputed transactions, but it’s a different process. We note this because competing pages often overstate the protection business cards carry.
Personal guarantee: Capital on Tap typically requires one; Funding Circle requires one from one or more directors. Read the credit agreement before you apply.
Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle Benefits and Value
| Benefit | Capital on Tap | Funding Circle Cashback |
|---|---|---|
| Cashback rate | 1% uncapped from £1 (free tier) | 2% for 6 months, then 1% uncapped |
| Introductory offer | None on free tier | 2%, capped at £2,000 cashback (about £100k spend) |
| Higher-tier cashback | Pro (£299/yr): 1.25% on preloaded spend | None |
| Airline points conversion | Pro: 1:1 to Avios or Virgin; free tier 0.8:1 | None |
| Airport lounge access | Pro: Priority Pass, unlimited, plus 2 guest passes/yr | None |
| Welcome bonus | Pro: 10,000 points for £5,000 spend in 3 months | None (the 2% intro is the offer) |
| Interest-free period | Up to ~42 days if cleared in full | Up to 42 days if cleared in full |
| FX-free spending | Yes | Yes |
| Verified against capitalontap.com and fundingcircle.com, July 2026. | ||
If you’re eligible, Funding Circle’s 2% intro is the single most valuable benefit on the table. It lasts six months and caps at £2,000 of cashback earned (roughly £100,000 of spend). After that, both cards pay a flat 1%.
If you travel regularly, Capital on Tap’s Pro tier (£299/year) is worth the maths. We rate it for frequent business travellers: 1.25% on preloaded spend, 1:1 Avios or Virgin conversion, and an unlimited Priority Pass.
When you’re spending a few thousand on flights a quarter, those perks pay for the £299. If you don’t fly for work, skip the fee: the free tier’s flat 1% and Funding Circle’s 2% intro are better value.
See the Funding Circle 2% intro offer →Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle Features and Account Tools
| Tool | Capital on Tap | Funding Circle Cashback |
|---|---|---|
| Employee / additional cards | Unlimited, free | Free company cards (earn the same cashback) |
| Virtual cards | Unlimited, with custom limits and expiry dates | Not confirmed on the product page |
| Accounting integrations | Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent (native, daily sync) | Xero, Sage, FreeAgent (auto-sync) |
| Receipt capture | Yes, snap in-app and attach to the transaction | Not confirmed on the product page |
| Mobile app and reporting | Yes, with exports and real-time reporting | Yes, web and app dashboards |
| Soft-search eligibility check | Yes | Yes |
| Verified against capitalontap.com and fundingcircle.com, July 2026. “Not confirmed” means the feature was not stated on the provider’s own product page at the time of review. | ||
If you need employee cards, virtual cards, and real-time expense controls, choose Capital on Tap.
When your new hire starts on Monday morning and needs a card the same day, Capital on Tap’s unlimited free employee cards do the job immediately. A virtual card with its own limit ringfences a runaway software subscription.
It also syncs natively to Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, and FreeAgent, and lets you snap a receipt in the app. We couldn’t confirm receipt capture or virtual cards on Funding Circle’s product page.
Your team gets free company cards on Funding Circle too, all earning the same cashback, with auto-sync to Xero, Sage, and FreeAgent. For straightforward expense needs, that’s sufficient.
Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle Eligibility
| Requirement | Capital on Tap | Funding Circle Cashback |
|---|---|---|
| Sole traders accepted | No | No |
| Limited companies accepted | Yes | Yes |
| LLPs accepted | Yes | No |
| Minimum turnover | £24,000 | £30,000 |
| Minimum trading history | None published | 1 year |
| Personal guarantee | Typically required | Required (one or more directors) |
| Existing customer restriction | None confirmed | Not available to existing Funding Circle borrowers |
| Verified from provider websites, July 2026. | ||
Sole traders and ordinary partnerships can’t apply to either card. Between the two, Capital on Tap has the lower bar: it accepts LLPs, requires less turnover, and sets no published trading-length minimum.
If you’re already a Funding Circle borrower (FlexiPay or a term loan), you can’t get the Cashback card. Capital on Tap has no such restriction. If your accountant spots a Funding Circle loan on the balance sheet when you apply, that closes the door.
A personal guarantee means the debt can follow you personally if the business can’t pay. Both require one: Funding Circle from one or more directors, Capital on Tap typically. Read the credit agreement before you apply.
Apply for Capital on Tap →Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle Overseas Use
| Overseas | Capital on Tap | Funding Circle Cashback |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign transaction fee | None | None |
| Cashback on overseas spend | 1% from £1 | 2% (intro), then 1% |
| Network | Visa | Visa |
| Verified from provider websites, July 2026. | ||
You’ll pay no FX fees on either card. Foreign purchases convert at the Visa wholesale rate, you still earn cashback on overseas spend, and acceptance is the same: both run on Visa.
When you’re paying an overseas supplier or covering travel on the road, the network won’t decide it. The only overseas edge Funding Circle holds is the 2% intro cashback in the first six months; after that it’s level.
Downsides of Capital on Tap and Funding Circle
Reasons to Avoid Capital on Tap
- Limited companies and LLPs only; no sole traders.
- The 13.86% floor is priced per applicant; representative APR is 34.9%.
- The richer 1.25% cashback needs the £299 Pro tier.
- Personal guarantee typically required: personal liability on default.
- Blocks gambling, securities and FX purchases.
Reasons to Avoid Funding Circle
- The 2% rate stops after six months, capped at £2,000 cashback.
- Limited companies only; no LLPs or sole traders.
- Needs a year trading and £30,000 turnover; newer firms won’t qualify.
- Not available to existing FlexiPay or loan customers.
- Personal guarantee required from one or more directors.
Other Business Credit Cards to Consider
If you need to spread a large purchase rather than earn cashback, consider Funding Circle FlexiPay: a reusable line of credit with a Visa card, supplier transfers and bank drawdown. It needs a limited company with a year’s trading and a director’s personal guarantee.
If you’re spending £5,000+ a month and travelling regularly, Capital on Tap Pro is worth the maths: £299/year buys 1.25% on preloaded spend, 1:1 Avios or Virgin conversion, and unlimited Priority Pass.
For businesses whose suppliers accept Amex, American Express Business Gold earns Membership Rewards that can beat flat cashback if you value points for flights. Not worth considering if your suppliers routinely decline Amex.
We include these because some readers will be ineligible for both products and need a clear next step. None replaces the two cards in the comparison above.
Capital on Tap vs Funding Circle FAQs
Should I get Capital on Tap or Funding Circle?
Choose Funding Circle if you’ll spend heavily in the first six months and want the 2% intro cashback, and you have a year of trading and £30,000 turnover. Choose Capital on Tap if you want cashback from the first pound, a higher credit limit, or are an LLP or younger company. After six months both pay 1%.
Which card has better cashback?
Funding Circle for the first six months at 2% (capped at £2,000), Capital on Tap thereafter and on lower or variable spend, because it pays from the first pound while Funding Circle reverts to 1%.
Can a sole trader get either card?
No. Both are limited companies only, and Capital on Tap also accepts LLPs. Sole traders need an open-access card such as Barclaycard Select Cashback.
Do either of these cards charge FX fees?
No. Both Capital on Tap and Funding Circle charge no FX fees on overseas spend, so foreign purchases cost the same on either.
Which is cheaper if I carry a balance?
Funding Circle starts from 14.9%; Capital on Tap quotes a 13.86% floor but prices individually per applicant, and its representative APR is 34.9%. For most applicants carrying a balance, confirm the offered rate before assuming the floor applies.
How we compared Capital on Tap and Funding Circle
How cards were selected. Both are fintech cashback business credit cards open to UK limited companies with no bank-account switch, which makes them direct rivals.
How data was collected. Rates, fees, cashback, and eligibility were checked against capitalontap.com and fundingcircle.com in July 2026.
What we compared. We weighed the two like-for-like on cashback shape, APR, FX fees, limits, and eligibility, with regulatory status verified on the FCA register.
Review and update. We re-verify both providers regularly and whenever pricing, eligibility, or terms change. Some links are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.
