Pros:
- No personal guarantee required
- Customizable spend controls
- Rewards program tailored for startups
- Unlimited virtual cards with granular controls
Cons:
- Charge card (balance must be paid in full each month)
Brex Review and Product Details
The Brex corporate card is built specifically for startups and scaling companies. Unlike traditional credit cards, it requires no personal guarantee, so founders’ personal assets stay protected. Credit limits are based on your company’s cash balance and financial profile, not your credit score, making it ideal for venture-backed teams. More than just a card, Brex is a full spend management platform: issue unlimited employee cards, set precise spend controls, automate expense categorization, and integrate seamlessly with QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite.
What benefits does Brex offer startups?
Brex is trusted by 1 in 3 venture-backed startups in the US. Here’s why:
• No personal guarantee. Founders are not personally liable for charges made on their Brex cards. Building a startup company can be financially precarious, so you need to separate your business from your personal assets.
• Built-in spend controls. Startups can issue unlimited Brex virtual or physical cards to employees and set custom limits by department, project, or even stipend type. Policies are enforced automatically, so founders don’t have to micromanage spend. This gives teams the flexibility to move fast while keeping every dollar accountable, something most traditional cards can’t match.
• Automated compliance. Brex cards automatically collect itemized receipts compliant with IRS or local tax laws, generate memos, and categorizes them to the right GL or project. Founders stay audit-ready without adding headcount or manual work.
• Start fast — and free. Get started with Brex cards for free, with no annual fees or monthly user charges. Your application is processed in minutes with Brex’s AI-powered review and underwriting, so you can start spending faster. Brex cards can be issued almost instantly, and employee cards are easy to set up, too.
• Integrated expense management. Brex cuts out manual expense work so founders can stay focused on growth. Set limits for stipends, travel, or procurement with AI-powered, auto-enforced controls that keep employees within policy. Brex auto-generates receipts, applies rules to every transaction, and routes expenses to the right budget, saving teams countless hours. Issue unlimited cards, get real-time visibility, and receive alerts for suspicious charges. Brex is on our list of best credit cards for startups thanks to how well Brex automatically prevents out-of-policy and unauthorized spend.
• Higher credit limits. Brex offers limits typically 10-20 times higher than traditional cards. Rather than relying on personal credit scores, Brex considers your company’s cash balance and revenue to determine your limit to offer startup business credit cards with no credit check.
• Business banking. The Brex business account gives you checking, treasury, and up to $6M in FDIC insurance through partner banks, all in one account. Extend your runway with industry-leading yields, same-hour liquidity, no hidden fees, and no minimums. Get paid faster with branded invoices sent right from Brex, and pay bills faster with free, same-day ACH transfers, checks, and wires in 40+ currencies.
• Startup perks. Brex Perks program offers over $350,000 in discounts and credits on tools like AWS, DoorDash, Slack, OpenAI, QuickBooks, and more.
• No fees. Brex doesn’t charge an annual fee for its card, and its Essentials pricing tier offers free global card acceptance, real-time reporting, and more.
How is Brex priced?
Reviewing Brex subscription levels
The Brex card is free and includes travel booking, automated expense management, and bill pay. Brex’s paid tiers support advanced requirements, like multi-entity accounting, customizable expense policies, and live budgets.
• Essentials. This level is free and includes global Brex cards, reimbursements, travel booking, local-currency wires, global cards, real-time reporting, QuickBooks and NetSuite integration, automated accounting field mapping, and more.
• Premium. At $12 per user per month, this tier provides custom roles and permissions, customizable ERP and HRIS integrations, VAT documentation, live budgets, dynamic spend limit request approvals, and more.
• Enterprise. This level is custom-priced and includes a dedicated account manager, unlimited US and global entities, and extensive local card issuance, collections, reimbursements, and policies.
Brex also offers pricing for smart procurement cards, with local-currency cards in 50+ countries, merchant card controls, and custom approvals.
For most startups, Brex’s free version will be sufficient. (Only a handful of hundreds of Brex clients are on any pricing plan.) Brex scales with you, and certain high-growth companies may benefit from the spend management features in Brex’s Premium plan.
Brex gives startups more spending power without personal credit checks, basing limits on business cash and revenue instead. It bundles card, banking, bill pay, reimbursements, and travel into one scalable platform that grows with your company. Founders and finance teams save time with automated expense reports and built-in controls, while finance leaders gain the visibility they need, helping startups focus on growth instead of paperwork.
If you have questions about corporate cards and expense management for your startup, please contact us.
Brex Card Review at a Glance
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Corporations or LLCs with at least $50,000 in the bank (typically venture-backed) |
| Personal Guarantee? | No personal guarantee |
| Employee Cards | Yes, unlimited virtual and physical cards, with granular spend controls |
| Expense Tracking and Accounting | Yes, robust expense management that integrates with QuickBooks, Xero, NetSuite, and other systems |
| Bill Pay | Yes, integrated bill pay with OCR technology for invoice automation, and free same-day ACH, and domestic and international wires right from the Brex business account |
| Rewards on Spending | Yes, cash back and up to 7x points you can redeem for offistes, billboards, and more |
| Business Perks and Benefits | Over $350,000 in credits, discounts, and offers from top companies |
