Pros
- A simple rewards scheme & valuable partner discounts
- Unique platform built to help companies cut costs
- Fee-free corporate card
- Spend management tools
Cons
- Available only to US-based non-individual liability companies
- High cash reserve requirements
- No extra rewards categories
What Is The Ramp Corporate Card?
The Ramp corporate card and expense management platform offers more than just employee cards and spending rewards. Ramp centers itself around its stated mission of saving its customers money. This unique goal is met through algorithm-driven insights that examine where a company spends money to identify cost-cutting opportunities. So far, these tools have resulted in over $600M in savings for Ramp users collectively.
In this Ramp credit card review, we’ll assess Ramp’s corporate card policies, expense management, rewards, accounts payable, and eligibility requirements to see if Ramp should be counted among the best corporate credit cards.
Spoiler alert: it all adds up to an excellent 4.5/5 score for Ramp. Read on to see why!
Ramp Corporate Card Rewards & Perks
The Ramp corporate card offers up to 1.5% cash back on every purchase.
While that isn’t the highest reward rate we’ve seen in a corporate credit card, it’s decent enough to put it among the best business credit cards overall, especially when paired with Ramp’s other cost-savings perks like partner discounts and unique savings insights.
Ramp offers discounts and rebates for partner businesses worth up to $175K. Ramp partner rewards include:
- QuickBooks: 30% off for 12 months
- Amazon Web Services: Up to $5,000 in credits
- UPS: Save up to 50% each time you ship
- Xero: 25% off Xero Business Edition
- Slack: 25% off eligible plan upgrades
- HubSpot: 30% off your first year subscription
- OpenAI: Up to $2,500 in API credits
Ramp claims that when you put it all together, its customers save an average of 5% of their spending. Ramp’s goal of reducing unnecessary customer spending is unique within the greater corporate card space, as most corporate card issuers generate income via exchange fees.
As you’ll see in the next section, fees aren’t something you’ll have to worry about with Ramp.
Ramp Credit Card Pricing & Fees
One of the best perks to Ramp? It’s completely free. That means you will avoid common fees, including:
- Setup fees
- Late fees
- Annual fee
- Foreign transaction fee
- Employee card fees
Fee |
Cost |
Annual Fee |
$0 |
Account Fee |
$0 |
Global ACH Fee |
$0 |
Wire Transfer Fee |
$0 |
Foreign Transaction Fee |
$0 |
Additional Cards Fee |
$0 |
You’ll also encounter $0 in fees when you use Ramp’s powerful expense management software and additional features such as spend controls. It’s one of Ramp’s primary selling points, and it’s why the company gets a perfect score in this category.
While Ramp’s base services are still entirely free, Ramp now offers a premium subscription plan in the form of Ramp Plus. For $15 per user per month, you’ll get everything Ramp offers its free users, plus:
- Advanced policy & expense policy enforcement
- Advanced customizable workflows
- Issue spend limits and create spend programs in non-USD currency
- Get custom request intake forms and purchase order management as part of your accounts payable package
- Additional HRIS and accounting integrations
- Advanced accounting capabilities
- Advanced user roles & permissions
- Priority customer support
- Dedicated account management
Ramp now offers an Enterprise option as well. This plan gives you international card issuance and some other advanced perks. Pricing is quote-based, so you’ll have to contact Ramp if you’re interested.
Lastly, if you join Ramp Flex (which we’ll describe further in the Features section) to use financing to pay back vendors, you’ll see the cost of financing with the Flex option when you go to make a purchase.
Eligibility Requirements
The Ramp credit card is geared toward corporations, LLCs, and LPs registered in the US. Nonprofits are welcome to apply.
Requirement |
Eligibility |
Business Type |
Non-individual liability corporations |
Cash On Hand |
$25K+ in a US bank account |
Credit Score |
N/A |
Location |
US-only |
Personal Guarantee |
|
No personal guarantee is required during the approval process. Instead, Ramp looks at your company’s cash balance, cash flows, and other financial health indicators. Ramp claims that its card offers 10-20x higher limits.
Note that if you are an individual, have a sole proprietorship, or run an otherwise unregistered business, you will not be eligible to apply for Ramp. The company says applicant companies should have most of their operations and corporate spending within the US.
On top of those basic requirements, Ramp requires businesses to have at least $25,000 in their US bank account that is linked to their application.
Ramp Credit Card Features
Ramp stands out due to its auto-generated savings insights tool that uses algorithms to notify you of duplicate subscriptions, redundant software purchases, lower pricing tiers, and more.
A corporate credit card that helps businesses spend less is certainly an interesting proposition. Because card issuers make their money through interchange fees (paid by the merchant) whenever a user charges a purchase, encouraging businesses to spend less could ultimately hurt Ramp’s bottom line. The company hopes that potentially slimmer margins will be replaced by more clientele.
With the introduction of paid levels of service that offer advanced features, Ramp has moved to further monetize its offerings. However, as we’ve said, the company’s pre-existing services are still free.
Let’s check out how it stacks up against standard corporate card features:
Ramp Features |
|
Summary |
Cards |
|
Issue unlimited physical and virtual cards to employees |
Card Controls |
|
Set daily, monthly, and one-time spend limits per card, lock and reissue cards instantly, and limit cardholders to specific spending categories |
Card Benefits |
|
Standard credit card perks such as fraud protection are rolled into Ramp’s Visa benefits package |
Spend Tracking |
|
Receive alerts for big transactions |
Bill Payment |
|
Automatic bill creation, approvals, and accounting; pay bills by card, check, or ACH payment |
Mobile Apps |
|
Ramp’s mobile app lets you snap photos of your receipts and request repayments on the go |
Ramp comes bundled with a few other notable features, including:
- Slack Integration: Ramp’s bot enables companies to request, review, and issue reimbursements, all within the comfort of Slack.
- Spend Request Tools: Employees can submit their spend requests via email, SMS, or directly through Slack.
- Out-Of-Pocket-Reimbursement: Ramp features a one-click reimbursement process for out-of-pocket requests.
- Accounting Features & Integrations: Besides a built-in account suite, Ramp integrates with QuickBooks and Xero. Ramp Plus subscribers can also integrate with NetSuite and Sage, while Enterprise subscribers can integrate with Oracle, Microsoft, and Workday.
- HRIS Integrations: Ramp bundles in integrations with a number of HR providers, including Rippling, Justworks, BambooHR, Hibob, and Gusto (Ramp Plus users can also integrate with Workday), that enable users to automate onboarding, streamline cardholders at scale, and sync employee details.
- Ramp Flex: Bringing buy now, pay later into the B2B payments space, Ramp’s newly-introduced Flex service allows businesses to use financing to pay back their vendors over a 30, 60, or 90-day period. Using Ramp Flex, Ramp pays your vendor right away, while you get extra time to compensate Ramp. You’ll also pay a fee to Ramp, the amount of which increases with the length of the financing period.
Customer Service
Based on reviews across various websites we looked at, including X/Twitter and G2, users generally find Ramp to have responsive and competent customer service. In fact, Ramp has one of the best customer service teams in the corporate card space, per our research.
Ramp Customer Service |
Availability |
Phone Support |
|
Email Support |
|
Support Tickets |
|
Live Chat |
|
Dedicated Support Representative |
For Ramp Plus subscribers only |
Knowledge Base or Help Center |
|
Videos & Tutorials |
|
Company Blog |
|
Social Media |
|
You can contact Ramp by phone from 9 AM to 9 PM daily, with Ramp Plus users getting priority support and a dedicated support representative. You can also access self-help resources online, or you contact Ramp support through your Ramp dashboard.
Ramp Corporate Card Reviews
Ramp is well-reviewed by its users. The company receives 4.8/5 stars on G2 (based on over 1,900 reviews) and 4.9/5 stars on Capterra (based on 178 reviews).
While you can find a few complaints in Ramp reviews, it’s difficult to find a consensus on what users dislike. Most Ramp users are happy, overall, with the features and services the company provides.
Negative Ramp Reviews & Complaints
- Too many notifications
- Low/variable credit limit
- The cash-back rate could be higher
Positive Ramp Reviews
- Solid and simple cash-back rewards
- Responsive customer service
- Accounting integrations
- Easy to issue, manage, and terminate employee cards
- Receipt matching via text and email
Is Ramp Safe?
Keep in mind that Ramp is a financial services company, not a bank. While Ramp’s corporate card program may feel similar to financial services offered by banks, Ramp issues its corporate cards in partnership with Sutton Bank and Celtic Bank, both FDIC members.
Additionally, while Ramp is relatively new, the two banks that back its services are both reputable and longstanding institutions. This makes working with Ramp no less safe than working with a traditional bank.
On the day-to-day level, Ramp uses multiple security measures to protect users’ data. These include multi-factor authentication, SAML SSO account protection, encryption, tokenization, and more. Ramp operates in accordance with PCI DSS requirements and relies on penetration testing, external auditing, and an industry-leading firewall provider.
How Does Ramp Compare To Other Corporate Cards?
With flat-rate cash-back rewards, expense management, accounting, and HRIS integrations, and no credit card fees, Ramp is a great corporate credit card. But is it the one that best fits your business?
To help you determine this, let’s compare Ramp to two of its main competitors in the corporate credit card space, Brex and BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy).
|
Ramp |
Brex |
BILL |
Rewards Rate |
up to 1.5% |
1x-7x rewards points if you agree to certain conditions |
1.5x-7x rewards points |
Monthly/Annual Fee |
$0 ($15/user/month for Ramp Plus) |
$0 ($12/user/month for Brex Premium) |
$0 |
Business Types Accepted |
Corporations, LLCs, and LPs |
Corporations & LLCs |
Sole proprietors, corporations, and LLCs |
Minimum Bank Balance |
$25K |
None, but funding/revenue requirements apply |
$20K |
Minimum Credit Score |
None |
None |
Good to very good |
Personal Guarantee Required? |
|
|
|
Open the accordions below for more detailed comparisons.
Ramp VS Brex
With the ability to earn up to 8X rewards points on rideshares, 5X points on travel, and 4X points on restaurants, the Brex corporate card sports some truly impressive rewards-earning rates. If your business spends heavily on these purchase categories, you can earn more rewards with Brex than with Ramp.
However, with Brex, the ability to earn rewards at these rates is conditional on you making Brex your exclusive corporate card. Additionally, Brex is harder to qualify for than Ramp.
While Brex doesn’t sport any cash-on-hand requirements if you agree to make automatic daily repayments, you’ll either need to have received an equity investment or meet one of two steep business requirements — earning over $1 million/year in revenue or having 50+ employees — in order to qualify.
That’s just for an account with daily repayments — if you want to repay your card on a monthly basis, the requirements are even steeper.
All told, Brex is a great corporate card for tech startups with exponential growth potential. Most startups and more mature businesses will have an easier time qualifying for Ramp, however. Plus, Brex doesn’t offer anything equal to the savings insights tool Ramp offers.
Our Ramp VS Brex comparison gets even deeper into this matchup.
Ramp VS BILL Spend & Expense (formerly Divvy)
If you can’t meet Ramp’s $25K+ cash-on-hand requirement, you may want to look into the BILL Spend & Expense card, which was known as Divvy until recently.
BILL Divvy’s card requires that you only have $20K in the bank, and it doesn’t require that your business be a corporation or LLC. However, BILL Spend & Expense does recommend that you have good to very good credit before applying, while Ramp doesn’t care about your credit score.
The BILL Divvy corporate card’s rewards program will see you earning a higher rewards rate on categories like restaurants and hotels. If you spend a lot on these categories, you’ll likely get more rewards for your spending with BILL than with Ramp.
However, if your spending isn’t concentrated in these particular business categories, you may prefer Ramp’s straightforward rewards program and its savings insights feature — something you won’t get with BILL Spend & Expense.
Our Ramp VS BILL rundown goes into even further detail.
Final Verdict: Is The Ramp Corporate Card Worth It?
Ramp Review |
|
Business Size |
Must have $25K cash reserves |
Rewards Rate |
Up to 1.5% on all transactions |
Choose If You Need |
- Simple, reliable rewards
- Cost-cutting potential
- Spend-management tools
|
If you want a simple cash-back credit card with no fees for you and your employees, Ramp is an excellent option for most businesses. Besides its lack of fees, Ramp also includes software designed to cut costs across the board, potentially saving companies more than just the base of up to 1.5%. However, Ramp’s $25K cash requirement may be difficult for some businesses to overcome.
Overall, with its strong suite of expense management software, unique savings insights, and a solid (and universal) cash-back rate, it’s hard for us not to recommend Ramp as one of the best corporate credit card options around.
If you’re curious about the differences between corporate and business credit cards, we can help you out there as well.
Ramp Credit Card FAQs
Is Ramp legit?
Yes, Ramp is a legitimate financial services company. While Ramp is not a bank, its corporate cards are backed by traditional banking institutions. Specifically, Ramp cards are issued by Sutton Bank and Celtic Bank, which are both FDIC member banks.
Is the Ramp corporate credit card any good?
Whether or not the Ramp corporate card is for you will depend on your business.
Businesses with employees who need to make company purchases will especially benefit from the Ramp corporate card, as well as businesses looking to get a better view of their company spending.
On the other hand, small businesses with just a few employees may not benefit as much from Ramp.
Corporate Card Review Methodology
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing business credit cards and corporate cards since 2018. Our writers have evaluated over sixty different business card products. In each corporate card review, we evaluate rewards and perks, rates and fees, features, eligibility requirements, customer service, and user reviews. Read more about how we rate corporate cards.
Weighted Rating Breakdown
Rewards & Perks 40%
Rates & Fees 25%
Features 20%
Eligibility Requirements 5%
Customer Service 5%
User Reviews 5%
Note: We use a different credit card rating methodology to evaluate traditional business credit cards, as they often differ from corporate cards in benefits, qualifications, and use cases.
When comparing corporate cards, we consider many data points, including the specifics of cash back and spending rewards, the presence of annual fees, the breadth and flexibility of reward redemption options, revenue and time in business qualifications, credit score requirements, and extra perks. Our lists of the best corporate cards include only those we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points and often share qualities such as widespread availability, low fees, competitive rewards, and reasonable revenue, cash-on-hand, and time in business requirements.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the corporate cards included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.