Ramp vs. Brex: Which Card Is Better for Your Business?
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Ramp and Brex are both financial technology companies that aim to help business owners track and manage company spending with software tools and financial products, including corporate credit cards.
Business owners can issue unlimited virtual and physical credit cards with both Brex and Ramp. Then, they can limit spending on those individual cards, create budgets, automatically categorize expenses and prompt users to upload receipts.
The key differences? Brex's eligibility criteria focus on venture-backed startups, enterprise companies and businesses with annual revenue in the millions. It’s best for businesses that fall into those buckets and want a linked Brex business account for banking.
Ramp serves a broader group of small businesses, but they'll have to do their banking elsewhere.
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Ramp vs. Brex: Comparison at a glance
Ramp | Brex | |
|---|---|---|
Business entities that can qualify | Corporations, LLCs, limited partnerships and nonprofits. | Corporations, LLCs and limited partnerships. Nonprofits may be approved on a case-by-case basis. |
Bank balance and revenue requirements to qualify | At least $75,000 in cash. | For daily repayments: More than $1 million per year in revenue, more than 50 employees or equity investment. For monthly repayments: Accelerator or venture funding, at least $100,000 in angel investment and at least $50,000 in cash. Enterprise companies need at least $400,000 per month in revenue. |
Personal guarantee | Not required. | Not required. |
Annual fee | None. | None. |
Credit card rewards | Up to 1.5% cash back. | 7 points per dollar spent on rideshares and taxis. 4 points per dollar on travel booked through the Brex portal. 3 points per dollar on restaurants. 2 points per dollar on software. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Rewards rates may vary for certain customers. |
Customer support | Phone support available daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET. Support request form available. | Live chat and phone available 24/7. |
Do you have less than $50,000 cash on hand? Look at the BILL Divvy corporate card instead. That card works similarly to Ramp and Brex — it’s linked to expense management software, you’ll have to pay off your balance at the end of each statement period and it offers some rewards on your spending — but you may be able to qualify with as little as $20,000 in the bank.
Ramp card pros and cons
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees.
Simple rewards.
No personal guarantee or credit check.
Direct integrations with popular tools and card-level spending controls and alerts.
Balance must be paid in full each month.
Not available to sole proprietors or unincorporated businesses.
Where Ramp wins against Brex
Available to a wider variety of entrepreneurs
Ramp is available to most incorporated or registered companies, provided they have at least $75,000 in the bank. While that still leaves out a large number of business owners — the majority of entrepreneurs in the U.S. are sole proprietors — it’s much more inclusive then Brex, which requires venture or angel investment or annual revenue in the millions.
Flat-rate cash back
Flat-rate cash-back business credit cards offer two key advantages: You don’t have to worry about making purchases through a specific portal to maximize rewards, and you’ll get money back on all your spending, regardless of whether it falls into certain bonus categories. Ramp’s rewards structure beats Brex’s in terms of simplicity, especially if your business doesn’t spend much on travel.
Brex card pros and cons
No annual fee or foreign transaction fees.
New cardholder bonus offer.
Bonus categories with high rewards rates.
No personal guarantee.
Complicated rewards structure.
High capital requirement for approval.
Daily repayment may be required.
Not available to most small businesses.
Where Brex wins against Ramp
Cash management account included
Alongside its business credit card and spending management software, customers get access to the Brex business account. This is a business cash management account that offers no monthly fee, unlimited transactions and a high annual percentage yield (APY) on cash invested in money market funds (uninvested cash doesn’t earn interest).
All these features make Brex a good choice for startups with venture investment sitting in the bank. Expanded Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) insurance protects up to $1 million in uninvested cash, and you can earn returns on the rest.
Ramp doesn’t offer banking services, so its customers will have to open a different business checking account.
Rewards on travel spending
If your business spends significant amounts on travel and hospitality expenses and you’re willing to book flights and hotels through Brex’s portal, then Brex is likely to offer much more lucrative rewards than Ramp. Its rewards rates are up there with traditional business travel credit cards — including up to 3x points on restaurants, 4x on travel portal purchases and 7x on rideshares.
Traditional business credit cards vs. Ramp and Brex
In some instances, corporate cards like Ramp and Brex won’t make sense for your business. Instead, you should consider a traditional business credit card if:
Your business is a sole proprietorship. Corporate credit cards aren’t available to sole proprietors.
Your business doesn’t meet Ramp and Brex’s minimum account balance requirements. Traditional business credit cards focus on your personal credit history — not your bank account balance — when evaluating your application for a card.
You want the option to pay off large purchases over several months. Corporate credit cards don’t let you carry a balance from one statement period to the next, and some may require you to make payments as often as every day.
NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.8 /5 | NerdWallet rating 4.4 /5 |
Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 | Annual fee $0 |
Regular APR 17.99%-23.99% Variable APR | Regular APR 17.99%-25.99% Variable APR | |
Intro APR 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | Intro APR 0% intro APR on Purchases for 12 months | Intro APR 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening |
Recommended credit score 690-850 (Good - Excellent) | Recommended credit score 690-850 (Good - Excellent) | Recommended credit score 690-850 (Good - Excellent) |
Ramp vs. Brex: Which one is right for your business?
For most small-business owners, Ramp is more likely to be a fit simply because it’s easier to qualify for. The card’s flat-rate cash back offers simple rewards on all your business spending. Plus, you’ll have access to powerful software that you can use to monitor and control expenses across the company.
If your business is a venture-backed startup, however, Brex is worth a look. That’s especially true if your team frequently travels for business, since you’ll be eligible for extra-high rewards rates when you use the Brex card on travel bookings, restaurants and rideshares. You’ll be supported by similar expense management software, too.
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