Brex vs Mercury

What Brex is built to do

Corporate cards

Issues cards with per-employee and per-vendor limits.

Expense automation

Collects receipts and codes transactions to the ledger.

Business accounts

Holds operating cash alongside the card programme.

What Mercury is built to do

Partner-bank accounts

Accesses checking and savings accounts provided by named FDIC-member banks.

Business payments

Supports ACH, wires, checks, bill pay and scheduled or recurring transfers.

Team controls

Provides cards, permissions and payment approval rules for business users.

Accounting automation

Connects transaction and bill data with supported accounting systems.

Choose Brex if

• Startups that want corporate cards and expense software with no software fee on Essentials
• Mid-size companies that need approval chains and multi-entity support: Premium $12/user/month
• Global companies issuing local-currency cards in 50+ countries on Enterprise

Skip Brex if

• You have more than two entities on Essentials
• You need custom implementation services below Enterprise
• You are outside Brex's eligibility criteria for business accounts

Choose Mercury if

• US-registered startups and small businesses that pass Mercury's eligibility review
• Teams using domestic ACH, wires, cards and accounting workflows in one interface
• Businesses willing to monitor where deposits are held and how sweep coverage applies

Skip Mercury if

• Your company is not formed in the US or a US territory
• Your industry, ownership or founder location falls outside Mercury's eligibility rules
• You require Mercury itself to be the chartered bank holding the account

Brex: pros & cons

• Cards with controls and automated expenses
• Good integrations with accounting tools
• Built for fast-growing companies
• Eligibility requirements exclude small businesses
• Focus has shifted upmarket over time
• US-centric

Mercury: pros & cons

• Core account pricing: Business accounts have no required monthly fee, minimum balance or overdraft fee.
• Domestic payments: Standard ACH, domestic wires and mailed checks are documented at no Mercury fee.
• Operational tools: Includes bill pay, invoicing, cards and accounting connections.
• Automation access: Mercury documents APIs, CLI and MCP access for supported workflows and plans.
• Eligibility boundary: The company must be formed in the US or a US territory and pass review.
• Not a bank: Banking services and deposit accounts are supplied by partner banks.
• Conditional insurance: Sweep coverage depends on pass-through requirements, bank placement and other deposits at the same banks.
• Paid exceptions: FX, non-USD card use, premium wire handling, subscriptions and selected services can incur fees.