Brex Corporate Credit Card Review 2024

Is it the best credit card for your startup?

Smiling business person pointing at 4.8 stars and the words, Brex Corporate Card.

If your startup is one of the lucky ones that has attracted venture capital and you’re beginning to dream of growing a single horn, then the Brex corporate card may be the right solution for you. 

A charge card, the Brex corporate card allows businesses to stand on their own — no personal guarantees required — and enjoy a flexible credit limit based on its cash flow. On top of that, the Brex offers a rich rewards package of points and discounts, plus access to a range of products and services your business may need.

In this review, we explore what the Brex corporate card has to offer, what its users have to say, and if it is the right fit for your startup’s unique needs.

Brex Corporate Card Eligibility Requirements

Brex has tailored its corporate card to startups with the potential to scale. Your business must also be flush with cash, although it’s unclear how much cash. The requirements for a Brex account include “more than $500,000 in cash”, while to qualify for monthly payments, you must have at least $50,000 if you have professional investors and a minimum of $1,000,000 if you're bootstrapping. 

Here’s the sort of enterprise that will be eligible for a Brex Account:

  • Is a state-registered entity
  • Has a cash balance of at least $500,000
  • Has obtained equity investment via accelerator, angel, VC, or Web3 token
  • Has revenue greater than $1 million a year 
  • Has more than 50 employees
  • Is a tech startups on the way to satisfying the above criteria and is referred by an existing customer

To be eligible for the Brex card, your business must have an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and have a formal business structure, such as a C corporation, S corporation, limited liability company (LLC), or limited liability partnership (LLP). Sole proprietorships and general partnerships won’t be allowed to open an account, and neither will someone who wants to use the card for personal transactions. The Brex card is meant for incorporated businesses only.

Any unincorporated business that applies for a Brex card will be referred to LegalZoom, which provides legal services to organize, incorporate or register a company. If you do decide to convert your business to an approved form, and you spend $1,000 within your first 90 days, you will earn 30,000 reward points to offset the cost of your LegalZoom business formation package.

You’ll need to give Brex access to your bank account information since eligibility depends, to some degree, on the amount of cash in your business bank account. But no personal guarantee is required, nor will approval depend on your credit status. Brex makes no credit check.

To determine eligibility, Brex also looks at a company’s business model, its source of funds and spending patterns, and other factors that may affect credit risk.

Pros and Cons of the Brex Corporate Card

Pros of Brex Corporate Card

  • Inviting new cardholder bonus offer
  • No personal guarantee required
  • Can be used to build business credit
  • Attractive rewards program
  • No credit checks

Cons of Brex Corporate Card

  • High bank balance required
  • Revenue of $1,000,000 or more a year to qualify 
  • Must have 50 employees or more

Brex Corporate Card Fees and Features

The Brex Card packs a bunch of goodies. For starters, Brex claims its credit limits are 10-20x higher than most small business corporate cards. The card also offers several points rewards. 

Rewards can be redeemed in several ways — as gift cards, statement credits, and Bitcoin or Ethereum — at a value of $0.07 per point. Redemption options also include trading in for discounts on travel booked through the Brex Travel portal or as a transfer at a penny-per-point value to one of Brex’s airline or travel partners. The list is long and includes Aeromexico, Air France/KLM, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qantas, and Singapore Airlines. 

The Brex Card offers a choice of two sorts: one, you must pay every day; the other, you can pay once a month. Brex can also integrate with many business applications, including Concur, Expensify, NetSuite, QuickBooks, and Xero. What’s more, it will also work with Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Brex Cash.

A Brex card account can issue any number of virtual cards, each with different spending limits. So every eligible member of your team can benefit from the service. 

Rewards and Benefits

  • Sign-up bonus of 10,000 points when you spend $3,000 on a Brex Card within your first three months
  • Tiered reward points system, from one point to seven points per dollar
  • Reward points can be redeemed through statement credits, cryptocurrencies, and by transfer to travel partners 
  • Deals and discounts at various vendors, including Amazon Web Services, Google Ads, WeWork, Indeed, and Zoom

There are also rewards for Brex cardholders who also open a Brex Cash Account

  • 7x on rideshares
  • 4x on Brex Travel
  • 3x on restaurants and eligible Apple purchases
  • 2x on software subscriptions
  • 1x on all other transactions. 

Interest Rates

  • 0% APR

Brex is a charge card, so no carryforward balances are allowed. No carryforward balances mean no balance to charge interest on, meaning no interest charge. 

Fees

  • No fees

Since the Brex Card is a charge card, you won’t be burdened with interest charges. Also, there are no monthly or annual maintenance fees or any excess fees for foreign transactions. Brex makes its money from regular transaction fees, which are paid by the businesses you buy from. 

How Does the Brex Corporate Card Compare?

Despite its obvious advantages of no fees and great rewards, the Brex may not be the right card for you, or you may not satisfy Brex’s eligibility requirements. 

If your business has a healthy cash flow but doesn’t qualify for the Brex card, you may want to consider the BILL Divvy Corporate Card. To qualify for the BILL Divvy Corporate Card, your pockets don’t need to be as deep as with the Brex card, nor do you need an extensive credit history.

Brex Corporate Card

$0 Annual Fee

Robust rewards program, sign-up bonus, and discounts.

Best for: Startups with large bank balances and/or external equity investors. 

BILL Divvy Corporate Card

$0 Annual Fee

Lenient eligibility requirements and unique payoff rewards.

Best for: Small and mid-size businesses with consistent cash flow and/or those looking to build credit.

Explore more of the best Brex alternatives.

Final Thoughts on the Brex Corporate Card

The Brex is a good corporate card for young companies with lots of cash they’re planning to spend on scaling and development. Since it's a corporate card, qualifying depends on business criteria. Owners’ limited or poor credit history won’t figure in the equation. It has an attractive sign-up bonus of 10,000 if $3,000 is spent using the card during the first three months.

Compared to other cards, the Brex reward system is superior. It’s possible to earn up to 7x in points. And points can be redeemed in many ways, such as in exchange for cryptocurrency, gift cards, and account credits, or they can be spent at a few top airlines Brex has partnered with. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Brex corporate card work?

The Brex corporate card is a charge card designed for new or young businesses with plenty of cash in the bank. It offers companies flexible spending limits depending on cash balances and spending patterns. Users can repay balances either on a daily or monthly basis. 

Does Brex give you a credit limit?

Yes. Brex gives you a credit limit. However, that credit limit is flexible and depends on your cash balance and spending pattern and can change as often as those criteria change. 

How much is the Brex credit limit?

Brex’s credit limits with monthly payments are dynamic by design and are regularly adjusted according to your company's spending patterns, cash balance, sales (for certain customers), and other factors. The range is generally 5%–20% of your bank account balance.

Does the Brex card build credit?

Yes, the Brex card can be used to build credit. Brex reports to all three business credit bureaus: Dun & Bradstreet, Equifax, and Experian.

Does Brex require you to carry a minimum balance?

Brex generally requires its customers to maintain a cash balance of at least $25,000 to maintain any credit limit. This minimum requirement is assessed on a case-by-case basis depending on Brex’s determination of risk and may be adjusted as risk profiles change.


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