Pros
- No fees or minimum balance
- High APY available
- Unlimited free deposits, payments, and transfers
- Access to instant revenue
- Linked rewards card
Cons
- No cash deposits
- No ATM access
- Available only to incorporated businesses
What Is A Brex Business Account?
Brex Business Account, formerly called Brex Cash, is a cash and finance management account that works similarly to a business bank account and is linked to the Brex corporate card offered by Brex Treasury, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer. This business banking option continues to provide much of the functionality you’d expect to find with a traditional business bank account while offering some unique perks that you find with online business bank accounts.
Keep in mind that Brex is not a bank, and Brex’s business account is not a bank account.
Brex is a full financial stack offering services backed by traditional banks that guarantee Brex Business Accounts. If you store your money in a standard Brex Business Account, you are still protected by up to $250,000 of FDIC insurance (with higher limits for Brex’s treasury option).
How Does A Brex Business Account Work?
Brex business account works in many ways like any business bank account. However, a Brex business account is a cash management account, not a traditional bank account.
Brex prides itself on being a:
“Modern checking, treasury, and vault in one place.”
With Brex, you can have access to traditional checking features like account deposits and transfers, as well as interest-earning treasury and vault features with a current APY* of up to 4.91%.
Brex’s treasury and vault operate as a money market account with a variable high yield. You can keep your deposits at a Brex partner bank, invest your funds into a Dreyfus Government Cash Management Investor Shares money market mutual fund, or divide your balance between these options. Keep in mind that the money market option is not a bank account but an investment vehicle. As such, returns are not guaranteed, and you could lose money investing in this fund.
No matter what you choose, your Brex Business Account entitles you to unlimited corporate credit cards for yourself and your employees. Your card balance will be paid automatically each day using your Brex Business Account balance, and you’ll earn valuable rewards on purchases while building your business credit profile.
*Brex does not advertise its yield earnings as a traditional APY. When we mention APY throughout this review, remember that Brex’s yield earnings are an APY in function but not necessarily in name.
Services Offered By Brex
Brex aims to be a complete financial services provider. Brex provides:
- Brex Card: The Brex card is a corporate credit card that offers high rewards rates (up to 8x) for some users.
- Brex Business Account: Includes both a checking type account and money market account for managing your business’s cash.
- Empower: Through your Brex dashboard, you can access Empower, a separate linked software platform with enhanced spend management tools.
- Financial Modeling: Brex users can access a platform called Pry that enables forecasting, scenario planning, and KPI dashboards.
Brex Business Account Rewards & Perks
The Brex business account and the linked Brex corporate card deliver some significant rewards to users. In fact, the reward-earning potential for purchases made with the Brex card is among the highest we’ve seen, earning it a spot on our list of the best corporate credit cards and a rating of 4.7/5 for this section.
Here is a rundown of the rewards available to Brex customers who add a Brex Business Account to their Brex Card:
- APY of up to 4.91%
- Up to $180k+ worth of partner perks
- Welcome bonus for new sign-ups
- 1x-7x rewards on all purchases made with the Brex card*
There’s no minimum for high-yield earnings, which is a nice touch and sets Brex apart from some competitors.
Rewards points from Brex never expire as long as your account is open and in good standing. You can use Brex points to pay for flights and hotels booked through Brex Travel or transfer them to partner airlines. You can also redeem Brex points as cash back into your Brex Business Account or for statement credit, gift cards, or cryptocurrency payouts.
*It’s important to note that users can earn points at the highest levels — up to 7x points — only if they agree to make Brex their exclusive corporate card and to make automatic daily payments using their linked Brex Business Account.
Brex Business Account Fees
There are many business bank accounts that claim to be “free,” but with Brex’s cash management account, it’s actually true.
Fees |
Fee Amount |
Monthly Maintenance Fee |
$0 |
ATM Fees |
N/A |
Overdraft Fee |
N/A |
Minimum Opening Deposit |
$0 |
Minimum Balance |
$0 |
Wire Transfer Fee |
$0 |
ACH Fee |
$0 |
Cash Deposit Fee |
N/A |
Foreign Transaction Fee |
$0 |
Excessive Transactions Fee |
$0 |
Stop Payment Fee |
$0 |
Brex Business Account is free to use. You’ll pay no annual or monthly account fees. There are also no global or domestic ACH and no wire transfer fees. Notably, you can use the Brex corporate card overseas without incurring any foreign transaction fees.
A Brex Business Account account allows unlimited transactions, including check deposits via the mobile app, domestic and international wire transfers, and ACH transfers. However, you won’t be able to make any debit or ATM transactions because those features are not available with Brex Business Account.
Transaction Type |
Transaction Limit |
ACH Pull/Push |
No limit |
Wire Transfers |
No limit |
Check Deposits |
No limit |
POS |
No limit |
ATM Withdrawals |
N/A |
Debit Transactions |
N/A |
Brex Business Account Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a Brex business account, you’ll need to be incorporated as a corporation (S-corp, C-corp, LLC, or LLP) with an Employer Identification Number (EIN). Brex is not available to businesses operating as sole proprietorships or other business structures. Beyond that, Brex is open to all types of businesses except those involved with prohibited activities and products. Brex also works with some types of nonprofits.
Additionally, Brex Business Account customers must operate in the US, provide services/products to US customers, or employ/contract with or plan to employ or/contract with US employees. Through a partnership with Firstbase, Brex supports foreign-based companies interested in incorporating in the US.
Requirement |
Eligibility |
Business Type |
C-corp, S-corp, LLCs, & LLPs |
Minimum Annual Income |
$1 million+ |
Credit Score |
N/A |
Location |
US-based |
Personal Guarantee |
|
When evaluating applicants, Brex analyzes a company’s business model, sources of funding, and spending patterns, among other factors. Successful applicants meet at least one of these criteria:
- Equity investment of any amount and kind (from accelerator, angel, VC, or web3 token)
- More than $1 million in annual revenue
- 50+ employees
- Tech startups on a path to meeting the above criteria that are referred by an existing Brex customer or partner
You will not be subject to a personal credit check.
Brex Business Account Application Process
Creating a Brex business account is fairly simple. Once you’ve ensured that you meet the eligibility requirements, you can get started with a Brex Business Account online. You’ll be asked to complete the online application form using many of the standard requirements for opening a business bank account. Brex may or may not contact you for additional details before approving your account.
Brex, unfortunately, isn’t very clear about the details of their application process or the processing timeline, resulting in a 3.5/5 star rating for this section.
Brex Business Account Features
While Brex Business Account delivers some of the features you’d expect to find in a business bank account, Brex is a cash management account and not a bank account and lacks some key functions, resulting in a meager 2.5/5 stars for this section.
Feature |
Availability |
Summary |
Cards |
|
Physical & virtual Mastercards |
Transfers |
|
Unlimited |
Savings |
|
Savings & money market |
Cash Deposits |
|
|
Mobile Deposits |
|
Unlimited check deposits via app |
Bill Payment |
|
One-time and recurring payments |
Access To Credit |
|
Brex corporate card is a charge card |
Merchant Services |
|
Integrations with Amazon, PayPal, Shopify, Square, & Stripe |
Mobile Apps |
|
For iOS & Android |
What’s missing? Fast access to cash is one feature you won’t find with a Brex Business Account. With no ATM card and no debit card, you’ll find it difficult to get your hands on cash. There ar no cash deposits, no bill pay, no cashflow management, and limited integrations.
You can use the Brex corporate card to pay for purchases, with the card balance paid daily (for most users) via the linked Brex Business Account.
Let’s look next at what a Brex Business Account has to offer users:
- Free transfers
- Mobile check deposits
- Unlimited wire transfers
- Unlimited ACH transfers
- Unlimited employee cards
- Virtual & physical cards
- Card controls & spend limits
- Spend tracking
- eCommerce & POS integrations with instant payout options
- Checks
Like all bank accounts, funds deposited in a Brex Business Account may not be immediately available to you.
Here are typical Brex Business Account processing times:
Incoming Payment Method |
Processing Time |
ACH |
3-5 business days |
International ACH |
7-10 business days |
Domestic Wire Transfer |
1-2 business days |
International Wire Transfer |
3-5 business days |
Check Deposit |
5-7 business days |
Brex Sales & Advertising Transparency
Brex is fairly transparent with most of the information regarding the Brex Business Account; however, finding certain information is more difficult. For example, fee information is available but difficult to find, while application process information isn’t available at all unless you click the “get started” option.
Brex Customer Service
As a whole, Brex is generally well-liked by users, and its customer service is highly rated. In fact, some users say that Brex’s customer service is better than that of traditional banks, earning a total of 4.4/5 stars for this section.
Brex Business Account Customer Service |
Availability |
Phone Support |
|
Email Support |
|
Support Tickets |
|
Live Chat |
|
Dedicated Support Representative |
|
Knowledge Base or Help Center |
|
Videos & Tutorials |
|
Company Blog |
|
Social Media |
|
Brex also appears to be responsive on social media, with active Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts.
Brex Business Account Reviews
Brex consistently scores fairly highly across user review sites and gets many positive customer reviews, though there has been a recent uptick in negative reviews in the months since our last review update. Overall, Brex as a whole gets an aggregate score of 4.0/5 stars.
Brex customer reviews generally lump reviews of the Brex Card and the Brex Business Account together, making it difficult to find reviews of the Brex Business Account alone.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the complaints and praise specific to the Brex Business Account.
Negative Brex Business Account Reviews & Complaints
- Funding delays
- Dropped accounts
- Limited mobile app
- Problems recognizing/uploading receipts
- Low credit limits
Positive Brex Business Account Reviews
- Excellent service
- Easy setup
- Useful integrations
- Partner perks
- International transactions supported
Is A Brex Business Account Safe?
Brex Business Accounts are protected with FDIC insurance, and they are secure. Brex also protects its customers with fraud monitoring and protection, and the company offers secure browsing, authentication, authorization, data privacy, and full PCI-DSS certifications where available.
Brex’s corporate card operates on the Mastercard network and comes with World Elite Mastercard benefits, including zero liability and ID theft protection. Overall, both Brex Business Account and Brex cards are safe to use.
How Does The Brex Business Account Compare To Other Business Bank Accounts?
Brex business account holds up well on many levels compared to top business bank accounts. The APY earnings options are quite high and in line with many other money market and treasury-type accounts. Brex offers unlimited free transactions, including domestic and international wires and all foreign transactions, putting it above several other online banks that limit these types of transactions.
However, Brex falls short in that it isn’t a full-fledged bank account and is not meant to function as a standalone bank account. The Brex business account works best in tandem with the Brex corporate card.
Final Verdict: Is Brex Business Account Worth It?
Brex Review |
|
Business Size |
Corporations only |
Rewards Rate |
Variable high yield on money market account |
Choose If You Need |
- Linked Brex corporate card
- High APY
- Generous rewards & perks
|
Brex delivers most of the features and functions you’d expect to find in a business bank account and then some. Brex’s no-fee structure and unlimited free transactions are reason enough to like Brex’s business account; the high APY and rewards rates are even better.
However, it’s important to remember that in order to open a Brex business account, you’ll need to have an existing Brex Card and use it to pay off your Brex corporate card balance daily.
If you want a cash management option to tie to your Brex card, then a Brex Business Account could be a great option, but if you want a full-fledged business checking and savings account, we recommend taking a look at these top online business bank accounts instead.
You could also consider using a Brex Business Account on top of your regular business bank account so that you can take advantage of the high-interest yield earnings and diversify your interest earning options (this is a great idea if you already use a Brex card and if you already max out the APY earning cap limit on your other business bank account).
Brex Business Account FAQs
What is Brex Cash?
Brex Cash was the former name for Brex Business Bank Account, which is Brex’s finance management and banking solution for small businesses.
How do Brex Business Bank Account's fees compare to other online banks?
Brex Business Account is highly competitive with hardly any fees. There are no monthly fees, setup fees, or transfer fees with a Brex Business Bank Account.
What are the Brex Business Bank transaction limits?
Brex Business Account has no transaction limits. You can have unlimited check deposits and unlimited free domestic and international ACH and wire transfers. However, you cannot deposit cash.
Can I withdraw cash from Brex?
Brex Business Accounts do not come with ATM access or a debit card. You cannot withdraw cash from a Brex Business Account. You can send payment from a Brex Business Account ACH, wire payment, and checks.