2020 Review: Brex Ecommerce Card — Built for Bigger Companies
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Brex Ecommerce Card
Our Rating: 5 Out of 5 Stars
We’re giving the Brex Ecommerce Card 5 out of 5 Stars.
The card’s rewards (if you choose to earn them) aren’t anything to write home about, but its valuable benefits and business-focused features pack an impressive punch.
Factor in the ability to pick between net 60 and net 30 payment terms, and what you get is a unique corporate charge card that caters to large, relatively successful businesses.
Why We Like It
- Net 60 payment terms offer a bit more flexibility than your usual charge card
- 1X point per dollar spent if you opt for net 30 payment terms
- Thousands of dollars in statement credits for popular business tools and services
- Proprietary expense management technologies, including receipt-matching, intelligent reconciliation, and more, help simplify recordkeeping
- No personal guarantee, credit check, or Social Security number required to apply
- Reports to two major business credit bureaus, Dun & Bradstreet and Experian Business, allowing you to build business credit
- Easily integrates with prominent enterprise resource planning (ERP) programs, like QuickBooks, NetSuite, Expensify, and Xero
- Discounted Plastiq fee
- Typically provides a higher credit limit than you’ll get with other business credit cards
- No annual fee
- First five employee cards are free; they’re $5 each afterward
- No foreign transaction fee
Why It Could Be Better
- Strict requirements; applicants must make at least $100,000 in monthly sales to be considered
- Only net 30 customers can earn rewards, and only at a 1X-point-per-dollar rate
- Not available to sole proprietors
Brex Ecommerce Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
- Credit limit of 50–100% of projected monthly sales
- Charge card: Pay your balance in full within 60 days
- 30,000 bonus points for spending $1,000
- Opt for paying your bills within 30 days and earn 1X point per dollar on all purchases
- Instant decision on approval
- $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit over a year
- $150 in Google Ads credit
- 15% off the list price for a U.S. WeWork office space, for six months
- 20% discount on a first-year subscription to Carta, and waived implementation fees
- 25% subscription discount for Salesforce, up to $375 off
- 24/7 fraud monitoring and zero liability protection
- Not available to sole proprietors
The Brex Ecommerce Card is as unique as it is simple.
Designed to appeal to large ecommerce corporations pulling in hundreds of thousands of dollars (or more) in sales, this card offers a net 60 payment cycle, which could benefit businesses that would prefer to have more than a month to pay off their purchases.
If you’d rather earn rewards, you can opt for a net 30 payment cycle instead. But even then, you’ll only earn one point per dollar. This clearly isn’t a card that’s designed to thrill the rewards enthusiast.
Fortunately, a healthy selection of benefits helps make up for the card’s lack of rewards. Perks include thousands of dollars in statement credits for big-league business tools, from Amazon Web Services to Salesforce, plus proprietary expense management technologies and easy integration with popular enterprise resource planning (ERP) programs.
So you’re actually getting quite a lot of value from a card that charges no annual fee and requires no credit check, SSN, or personal guarantee to be approved.
Is this card for everyone? Certainly not. But it’s geared toward a particular audience, and it seems like it can serve that crowd very well.
The Brex Ecommerce Card is one of three Brex cards currently available.
| Card | Rewards |
|---|---|
| Brex Ecommerce Card (This review) |
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| Brex Corporate Card (Review) |
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| Brex Life Sciences Card (Review) |
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Insider Advice: Getting the Most Out of Your Card
- Sign up for helpful business tools: The impressive variety of statement credits this card comes with encompasses many of the business world’s most widely beloved tools. If you’ve been hesitant to sign up for any of these services in the past, now might be a great time to make it happen.
- Take time to pay: Unlike most charge cards, which require you to pay your full card balance by the due date, the Brex Ecommerce Card lets you choose a net 60 payment term that applies to each individual purchase separately. That gives you roughly two full months to pay off every purchase you make, adding some flexibility to your budget.
- Earn rewards, if it makes sense: Don’t think you’ll need 60 days to pay off every purchase? Opt for a net 30 term when you’re approved for the card, and get a point per dollar spent. If you ever want to switch payment terms, you can do so by contacting Brex.
- Enjoy Brex’s proprietary technology: Brex’s expense management features — which include transaction data cleanup, receipt capture, and more — are designed to help streamline the recordkeeping process to make the drier parts of your job easier.
- Connect your favorite ERP programs: Accounting is made even easier thanks to Brex’s effortless integration with prominent ERP software, like QuickBooks, Expensify, and more.
- Pay with Plastiq: Deal with any vendors that don’t accept credit cards? Plastiq lets you use your credit card to send money via check, ACH, or wire transfer. Plastiq charges a fee, of course, but Brex cardholders enjoy a discount.
- Redeem rewards for travel: If you end up earning rewards, you’ll get the most value by redeeming for travel either through the Brex Travel portal or by transferring rewards to a partner airline. A point transfer is likely your best bet, but Brex Travel’s reported discounts could prove fruitful, so look there, too.
The Rewards
The only way to earn rewards with the Brex Ecommerce Card is by opting for net 30 payment terms, rather than the card’s default net 60 terms.
Even then, you’ll only earn at a flat one-point rate. The good news is that Brex offers quite a few redemption options, which may allow you to boost your return on spend beyond the usual 1%.
Earning
| Spending Rewards |
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| Introductory Bonus Offer |
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Provided you choose a net 30 payment term, the Brex Ecommerce Card can earn you one point for every dollar spent, with no limits on spending, or on the number of points you can accumulate.
That’s unimpressive when you think about how nearly every other rewards credit card already offers at least a point for every purchase, and often more. But, with that said, it’s safe to assume that most companies who qualify for this card spend a lot of money, so points could add up very quickly.
Either way, this card wasn’t designed to woo potential applicants with its rewards; its other features steal the spotlight instead.
Per Brex FAQs, ecommerce cardholders can also “earn points via referrals and other bonuses,” so that’s something, though there doesn’t appear to be any details about these offers. Try contacting Brex directly if you’d like more information.
Redeeming
Brex offers a few different redemption options, all fairly normal.
You can redeem points directly through Brex Travel at a rate of one cent per point. While that’s nothing special, Brex Travel can reportedly provide significant travel discounts, so you may want to see what the portal has to offer before settling for another redemption option.
Cardholders who don’t often travel for business can instead redeem for statement credits, also at a value of one cent per point.
Insider tip
If you’d prefer a more rewarding card that still allows you to redeem for travel, try one of our favorite business credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.
Transferring Brex Points
Perhaps the most interesting redemption method is via point transfer.
Brex (like many other travel rewards cards) allows cardholders to transfer points to a variety of airline partners. And while the list doesn’t include any notable domestic airlines, Brex partners are all airline alliance members. So, once you transfer points to a Brex partner, you should then be able to redeem those points for flights with other members of that partner’s alliance, offering access to major names from Delta (SkyTeam) to Lufthansa (OneWorld) and beyond.
The best part? You may be able to get a much better redemption value than one cent per point by transferring your points. You just have to pick your flights carefully.
| Airline Partners | ||
|---|---|---|
| Aeromexico Club Premier | Air France/KLM Flying Blue | Avianca LifeMiles |
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | Qantas Frequent Flyer Program | Singapore KrisFlyer |
| JetBlue TrueBlue | ||
The Benefits
Brex pulls no punches with its benefits. While the heaping pile of statement credits demands a lot of the spotlight, the card has much more to offer.
- Statement credits: $5,000 for Amazon Web Services, $500 for Twilio, $150 for Google Ads, 60% off Salesforce Essentials, 40% off your first year of QuickBooks, 20% off an annual Zoom subscription, and 25% off 12 months of eligible Slack plans, among others
- Brex Travel: Book corporate travel directly through Brex, and you can supposedly reap savings of up to 30%–60%. You can redeem any points you earn via Brex Travel, too.
- Proprietary expense management tech: To help with the expense management process, Brex offers transaction data cleanup, receipt capture, and other proprietary technologies.
- Accounting tool integration: Connect your Brex account with popular software, like QuickBooks, Expensify, and Xero.
- Higher card limit: Brex says applicants may receive credit limits up to 75% of their projected monthly sales, up to $5 million. This is higher than you’re likely to get with many business credit cards.
- Virtual cards: Get immediate access, upon approval, to virtual versions of your Brex Ecommerce Card for online and phone purchases (learn more about how virtual credit cards work).
- U.S.-based support: Phone, email, and chat support options allow you to get help when you need it most.
- Fraud monitoring: With Brex, your personal information is protected 24/7 by machine intelligence and human analysis alike.
The Terms & Fees
| Purchase APR | Balance Transfer APR | Cash Advance APR |
|---|---|---|
| Not Applicable - Paid in Full Monthly or Bimonthly | None | None |
| Annual Fee | Foreign Transaction Fee |
|---|---|
| $0 | None |
| Balance Transfer Fee | Cash Advance Fee |
|---|---|
| None | None |
| Penalty APR | Late Fee | Returned Payment Fee |
|---|---|---|
| None | None | None |
The Brex Ecommerce Card requires you to pay off purchases within either 30 or 60 days, depending on your term choice. And, as a cardholder, your business bank account will usually be linked to your Brex account, so your card balance can be withdrawn automatically at the end of the payment period if it hasn’t already been paid.
That completely eliminates the need for interest and late fees.
In fact, this card is almost entirely fee-free, aside from the $5 fee you’re charged for employee cards after you’ve received your first five for free.
Insider tip
While having a business card with no annual fee is nice, annual fees are sometimes worth paying. Premium cards, for example, charge high annual fees but come with high-class benefits, like airport lounge access, travel fee credits, and more.
The Bottom Line
The Brex Ecommerce Card may be designed for a fairly specific subset of successful ecommerce corporations, but for those businesses, it offers a unique appeal.
Its net 60 payment cycle, ERP integration, and modern expense tracking tools have the potential to make the typical ecommerce professional’s life quite a bit simpler. The same goes for the extensive list of included statement credits.
The card doesn’t offer much for the businessperson who’d prefer to accumulate rewards on every purchase, but the ability to transfer any rewards you do earn to partner airlines makes things a bit more exciting. Just remember that you can’t earn any rewards at all unless you opt for a net 30 payment cycle, rather than net 60.
Tying everything together is the fact that the Brex Ecommerce Card requires no personal guarantee, SSN, or credit check for approval. Though this is becoming a tiny bit more common, it’s still a major reason why this card is worthy of your consideration.
How Do You Apply for the Brex Ecommerce Card?
Applying for the Brex Ecommerce Card is just as easy as applying for any other business credit card, but the standards you have to meet are a bit stricter.
Start by checking the qualifications and requirements section below, and determine whether your business qualifies. If it doesn’t, hold off on applying, and consider an alternative.
If you think your business makes the cut, click “Apply Now” below next to the card name. That’ll take you to the Brex site, and once you’re there, you can click “Open an account” to fill out the application.
What Credit Scores Do You Need for the Brex Ecommerce Card?
Your credit scores will never be factored into the Brex application process. There’s no credit inquiry, and you don’t have to provide a personal guarantee. Instead, your approval depends on your business’ ability to meet Brex’s standards.
Qualifications and Requirements
You must:
- Be based in the U.S.
- Work for a corporation or another non-individual liability company
- Have an employer identification number (EIN)
- Maintain a corporate bank account of at least $20,000 at all times if your bank is connected to Brex (or at least $100,000 if your bank is not connected to Brex)
- Have made at least $100,000 in sales over the last 30 days if your bank is connected to Brex (or at least $250,000 if your bank is not connected to Brex)
You can’t qualify for a Brex card if:
- You are a sole proprietor
- You are involved in any of Brex’s prohibited activities (gambling, prostitution, get-rich-quick schemes, and more)
Brex Ecommerce Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
- Credit limit of 50–100% of projected monthly sales
- Charge card: Pay your balance in full within 60 days
- 30,000 bonus points for spending $1,000
- Opt for paying your bills within 30 days and earn 1X point per dollar on all purchases
- Instant decision on approval
- $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit over a year
- $150 in Google Ads credit
- 15% off the list price for a U.S. WeWork office space, for six months
- 20% discount on a first-year subscription to Carta, and waived implementation fees
- 25% subscription discount for Salesforce, up to $375 off
- 24/7 fraud monitoring and zero liability protection
- Not available to sole proprietors
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can get the Brex Ecommerce Card?
To get the Brex Ecommerce Card, you must work for a U.S.-based company with an Employer Identification Number (EIP). You also have to meet Brex’s cardholder standards. Businesses that may be eligible include:
- C-Corps
- S-Corps
- LLCs
- LLPs
Businesses that aren’t eligible for Brex cards include:
- Consumers
- Sole proprietors
- Unincorporated partnerships
- Unregistered companies
- Companies registered outside the U.S.
How much revenue do you need to get the Brex Ecommerce Card?
Brex features some pretty strict financial requirements. Brex requires ecommerce applicants to show:
- At least $100,000 in sales over the last 30 days if your bank account is connected to Brex
- At least $250,000 in sales over the last 30 days if your bank account is not connected to Brex
And that’s on top of the bank account requirements of:
- A balance of at least $20,000 at all times if your bank is connected to Brex
- A balance of at least $100,000 at all times if your bank is not connected to Brex
Can’t meet these standards? Check out more typical business credit cards, which require personal guarantees but don’t have these restrictions.
How do the Brex Ecommerce Card’s net 30/net 60 payment terms work?
Unlike most credit and charge cards, the Brex Ecommerce Card allows you to choose between net 30 and net 60 payment terms when you’re approved. Fortunately, these terms are fairly easy to understand.
Each individual purchase must be paid off within either 30 or 60 days, depending on which term length you choose.
So you’re not really amassing a single balance that must be paid by a certain period as with most cards. You’re paying off each purchase on its own.
What’s the credit limit of the Brex Ecommerce Card?
You won’t know your credit limit until you’re approved for the card, but Brex says you can typically expect a higher credit limit than you’d be able to get with other business credit cards.
With the Brex Ecommerce Card, your limit is based on your projected monthly sales. Your limit may be up to 75% of that projection, up to $5 million, but it all depends on your business’ circumstances. You may be able to learn more with respect to your unique situation by contacting Brex support directly.
Does the Brex Ecommerce Card have rewards?
The Brex Ecommerce Card only offers rewards if you opt for net 30 payment terms when you’re approved. In that case, you’ll earn 1X point per dollar spent, and that’s it.
If you stick with the card’s default net 60 term length, you’ll receive no rewards.
Try our list of the best business credit cards if you’re after something with a better rewards program.
Do you need personal credit to get the Brex Ecommerce card?
No. Brex never checks personal credit scores during the application process, no matter which Brex charge card you’re applying for. That means there’s no need to provide a Social Security number or a personal guarantee, either.
Alternatives to the Brex Ecommerce Card
If you’re not sure the Brex Ecommerce Card (or any of the other Brex cards) measures up to your company’s needs, never fear — there are plenty of other great business credit cards out there. These include several that share many of Brex’s key selling points.
Stripe Corporate Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The Stripe Corporate Card is arguably one of the best alternatives to the Brex Ecommerce Card, because it shares some of its best features.
For one, it’s a corporate card designed for bigger businesses, and it requires no personal guarantee, SSN, or credit check to apply.
The card also provides some pretty impressive statement credits for common business tools, just like the Brex card.
Where this card outperforms the Brex is with its rewards. The Stripe card rewards you where you spend the most, which is a more flexible setup than most business rewards programs.
| Spending Rewards |
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The list of categories in which you can earn 2% includes a host of common expenses, from ground travel to software and beyond. This flexibility is useful if your expenses tend to vary.
The flat 1% rate on everything else is on par with what the Brex card offers, so Stripe clearly takes the crown in the rewards game.
- Available by invite only (you can request an invitation)
- Perks: $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credits, three months of Basic Shopify for free, $436 in Zendesk credits per month for the first year, 40% off HubSpot for the first year, 50% off Expensify for six months, and more
- No personal guarantee required
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0
- Charge card: You must pay the statement balance in full each billing period.
- 2% cash back in your top two spending categories per month
- $50,000 in free payment processing after your first $5,000 in spend
- $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credits
- Three months of a basic Shopify Subscription for free
- $436 in Zendesk credits per month for the first year
- No annual fee
- No foreign transaction fee
- No late fees
- No personal guarantee required
- You must request an invitation and be accepted to apply
- Must have a Stripe account to apply
Bremer Bank Visa Signature Business Company Card
Details
There’s not much to say about the Bremer Bank Visa Signature Business Company Card. It’s another business card that requires no personal guarantee, which is arguably its most notable feature, and what makes it a good alternative to Brex.
This is a normal credit card, not a charge card, so you can carry a balance. We don’t ordinarily recommend doing so, but the card offers a decent intro purchase and balance transfer APR offer that could be useful if you want to pay off a big purchase over time without interest charges.
What’s interesting is that this card isn’t labeled a “corporate card” like most other cards available without a personal guarantee. But it still targets “medium to large businesses” and features large income and revenue requirements, so it’s not exactly easy to qualify for.
The only information available about the Bremer Bank card’s rewards program is that “a free rewards program is available.” We’re not sure what that entails, but something is better than nothing! Reach out to the bank for more details.
- Requirements: Applicants must be Bremer Bank members, and must have brought in at least $1,000,000 in annual revenue and $350,000 in net annual income for at least the past two years.
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 0% for 15 billing cycles, then 13.99%–22.99% Variable
- Annual fee: $0
- 0% intro rate for purchases and balance transfers for 15 billing cycles, then your rates will be 13.99%–22.99% Variable.
- You must visit a Bremer Bank location to apply for this card
- Free employee cards with individual spending limits
- Protection against terminated employees’ misuse up to $100,000
- Get your company name embossed on your card
- 3% foreign transaction fee
- No annual fee
American Express® Corporate Platinum Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
Like The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Review), the American Express® Corporate Platinum Card (Review) has a lot to offer. Best-in-class airport lounge access, up to $200 in airline incidental statement credits annually, a TSA/Global Entry fee credit, decent rewards — you name it.
The tradeoff is that you’re paying a large annual fee. Is that annual fee worth it? It certainly could be, particularly if your business is racking up enough cash to qualify for a corporate card. It just depends on your needs.
| Spending Rewards |
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There’s not much to be excited about here. The personal and business versions of the Platinum card actually offer better rewards. But they lack some of the features that help this card appeal to bigger companies, so it’s kind of a tradeoff — do you really need big reward rates, or will a useful corporate expense management tool with premium perks suffice?
- Up to $200 in airline fee statement credits annually: Each year, get up to $200 in statement credits for incidental airline fees, like baggage or in-flight food (not flight tickets).
- Global Lounge Collection: Complimentary access to a variety of airport lounges, including Centurion, Priority Pass Select, Delta Sky Club, and more
- CLEAR membership: For faster security screening at select airports, stadiums, and other venues
- $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: A credit for the application fee for Global Entry ($100) once every four years, or for TSA Pre✓ ($85) once every four-and-a-half years
- Hilton Honors Gold status
- American Express at Work: Access helpful tools to track spending, review purchases, send payment reminders, and more.
- Travel protections: Including business accident travel insurance and baggage insurance
- Annual fee: $550
- Charge card: You must pay the statement balance in full each billing period.
- 1X Membership Rewards point per dollar for all purchases
- $200 annual airline fee credit
- Global Lounge Collection: Includes full access to the Centurion Lounge, Priority Pass Select membership, and Delta SkyClub access
- Concierge Service
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years
- Hilton Honors Gold status
- By Invitation Only – offers sports, fashion, entertainment events and experiences customized for Platinum Card members
- Business Travel Accident Insurance
- Annual fee of $550
- 2.5% foreign transaction fee
The information related to American Express® Corporate Platinum Card has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business
Details
securely on the issuer's website
The Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business (Review) is a no-frills business credit card with a relatively low annual fee (after the first year), flat-rate rewards, and basic benefits.
That might sound comically underwhelming compared to a flashy corporate card like the Brex, but no matter the size of your business, it’s hard to deny the appeal of a flat-rate rewards structure with no spending limit. It’s a natural fit for a larger business, actually — the more you spend, the more you earn, making it that much easier to offset the annual fee.
Still dead set on a corporate card? It could be worth using one with the Spark Cash, rather than as an alternative.
| Spending Rewards |
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| Introductory Bonus Offer |
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The rewards here are simple — 2% back on every purchase, with no spending limit in sight. That’s more than you can get with the Brex card through normal redemptions, and it’s about the best you’ll find on a flat-rate rewards card. For added simplicity, you can even set up an automatic redemption system, where your cash back is automatically redeemed at a certain time or when you’ve amassed a certain amount.
- Shopping and travel protections: Purchase Security, Price Protection, Cell Phone Protection, MasterRental Insurance Coverage, Lost Luggage Reimbursement, and more
- Purchase and Balance Transfer APR: 18.49% Variable
- No foreign transaction fee
- Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that
The information related to Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.
Brex Ecommerce Card
Details
securely on the issuer's website
- Credit limit of 50–100% of projected monthly sales
- Charge card: Pay your balance in full within 60 days
- 30,000 bonus points for spending $1,000
- Opt for paying your bills within 30 days and earn 1X point per dollar on all purchases
- Instant decision on approval
- $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credit over a year
- $150 in Google Ads credit
- 15% off the list price for a U.S. WeWork office space, for six months
- 20% discount on a first-year subscription to Carta, and waived implementation fees
- 25% subscription discount for Salesforce, up to $375 off
- 24/7 fraud monitoring and zero liability protection
- Not available to sole proprietors
Brex offers unique cards, and this one’s no exception. Think we covered it thoroughly? We’d love it if you shared our review. Or, if we missed anything, tell us in a comment below.
The Brex Ecommerce Card allows you to choose between net 60 and net 30 payment terms, comes with an expansive selection of perks (including statement credits for popular business tools), and requires no personal guarantee for approval.
Credit Card Insider receives compensation from advertisers whose products may be mentioned on this page. Advertiser relationships do not affect card evaluations. Advertising partners do not edit or endorse our editorial content. Content is accurate to the best of our knowledge when it's published. Learn more in our Editorial Guidelines.
The information related to American Express® Corporate Platinum Card and Capital One® Spark® Cash for Business have been collected by Credit Card Insider and have not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of these products.
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