Brex review

For US companies with funding or revenue

Brex is a corporate card and spend management platform, with a Mastercard charge card, expense software, business banking and bill pay, built for US companies with funding or revenue, and owned by Capital One since April 7, 2026.

Halocard is the better choice for individuals, freelancers and founders without a qualifying US company: a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with no cash reserve or revenue requirement. Brex's Essentials plan is free and Premium is $12/user/month. Its card pays points of up to 7x, is accepted in 210+ countries and territories, and is paid in full daily or monthly. Applicants need a US EIN, a valid US incorporation, US operations and a US physical address, plus an equity investment of any amount, more than $500,000 a year in revenue, or, for tech startups on a path to either, a referral from a customer or partner. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with a separate card for each person or vendor and a billing address you choose.

Pros

  • Pros: A free Essentials plan
  • Pros: Up to 7x points on spend
  • Pros: Expense management, accounting sync and bill pay
  • Pros: Business account with its own routing number
  • Pros: No personal guarantee
  • Pros: Cards accepted in 210+ countries and territories
  • Pros: Local-currency cards in 50+ countries

Cons

  • Cons: US companies only, with a US physical address
  • Cons: Equity funding or $500,000+ in annual revenue to qualify
  • Cons: $50,000 cash for funded startups paying monthly
  • Cons: FX markup of up to 3% on currency conversion
  • Cons: No custom billing address on each card
  • Cons: Rated 1.8/5 on Trustpilot

How much does Brex cost?

Essentials
$0/user/month
Premium
$12/user/month
Enterprise
Custom pricing
Currency conversion
FX markup of up to 3%
Late payment
2.99% of the overdue balance or $38, whichever is higher

Is Brex legit?

Company and country
Brex LLC, a Capital One company, USA
Registration or licence
Fintech, not a bank. Licensed money transmitter through Brex Payments LLC, NMLS #2035354
Card issuer
Emigrant Bank, Fifth Third Bank N.A. and Airwallex (Netherlands) B.V. (Mastercard); Sutton Bank (Visa)
Trustpilot
1.8/5 (576 reviews)
Founded
2017

What Brex reviewers report

Rated 1.8/5 on Trustpilot from 576 reviews. The most common complaints:

Expense tools add admin

Reviews state the expense tool is slow to use and adds admin for staff.

As a stockholder and sales rep

“Very kludge and time consuming. Counter intuitive and takes unnecessary time. it is not easy to track and organize expenses according to the trips you take.”

Trustpilot review, 6 March 2026

Making Business Travel worse

“Causes a massive admin headache, duplicates existing systems, but cannot be used for a variety of payments so you STILL need to use a personal card for some stuff.”

Trustpilot review, 23 January 2026

Want virtual cards without the thresholds? Try Halocard

A US-issued Visa credit card that works like a debit card, with a separate virtual card for each subscription, ad account or vendor. You choose the cardholder name and billing address on each card, and there is no cash reserve or revenue requirement.

Do what you'd use Brex for, without the qualifying balance.

Get Your Halocard
Halocard on a phone, with Halocard metal cards fanned behind it

How does Halocard compare to Brex?

Halocard is the better choice than Brex for individuals, freelancers and founders without a qualifying US company. It is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with a separate card for each merchant and no cash reserve or revenue requirement.

Better choice
Halocard		Brex
EligibilityAdvantage: US residents and residents of 120+ countriesUS companies with funding or revenue
Card typeAdvantage: US-issued Visa credit cardMastercard corporate charge card
FundingAdvantage: Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Bank Transfer, Stablecoins & CryptoA linked bank account or a Brex business account
USD bank accountAdvantage: Your own US account and routing numberBusiness account with its own routing number
ControlsAdvantage: Per-card limits, custom name and billing addressCard and spend limits, policies and approvals
Expense software and bill payCards and alerts, no expense softwareAdvantage: Expense management, bill pay and travel
RewardsNo cashback, but a monthly referral commissionAdvantage: Up to 7x points on spend
Use outside the USAdvantage: Customers in the US and 120+ countriesLocal-currency cards for scaled teams
PricingAdvantage: From $12 a month, or free with 3 referralsFree Essentials; Premium $12/user/month
SupportAdvantage: Chat, email, and phone on every planChat, email and phone
Trust and transparencyAdvantage: A regulated US company and card issuerA named US company, owned by Capital One
See Halocard as a Brex alternative

Get a Halocard in under 5 minutes

Sign up from any web browser, with no app to install. Verify in under 3 minutes, add funds by debit/credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank transfer, stablecoins, or crypto, and pay anywhere Visa is accepted.

No company, funding or revenue to show.

Get Your Halocard
Halocard on a phone, with Halocard metal cards fanned behind it

Brex FAQ

Is Brex a bank?

No. Brex is a fintech, not a bank. It is a real US company, Brex LLC, founded in 2017, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital One, N.A. since April 7, 2026. Its Mastercard cards are issued by Emigrant Bank, Fifth Third Bank N.A. and Airwallex (Netherlands) B.V., its Visa Commercial Card by Sutton Bank, and its checking accounts are provided by Column N.A., Member FDIC. It is rated 1.8/5 on Trustpilot from 576 reviews.

What is Brex?

Brex is a financial platform for businesses that combines a corporate charge card, expense management software, a business account, bill pay, travel booking and accounting automation. It issues physical and virtual cards, including purchasing cards for recurring software and vendor spend.

How does Brex pricing work?

Essentials is $0/user/month and Premium is $12/user/month; Enterprise and the Smart Card are custom priced. Brex charges no foreign transaction fee, but may apply an FX rate markup of up to 3% on conversions. Its card terms list a late fee of 2.99% of the overdue balance or $38, whichever is higher.

Who can get a Brex card?

Every applicant needs a US EIN, a valid US incorporation, US operations and a US physical address. Brex then looks for an equity investment of any amount, more than $500,000 a year in revenue, or, for tech startups on a path to either, a referral from a customer or partner. Sole proprietors don't qualify, and nonprofits are reviewed case by case. Meeting the requirements doesn't guarantee approval. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, and is open to individuals.

Does Brex have a minimum cash balance?

For funded startups paying monthly, yes: $50,000, or potentially lower if referred by certain Brex partners. Commercial businesses need more than $500,000 a year in revenue, and mid-market companies more than $400,000 a month. Startups with less cash may still qualify for daily payments, using a Brex business account.

Is the Brex card a credit card or a charge card?

A charge card. Brex describes its cards as business charge cards with limits that can change, and requires full payment when the statement comes due, with either daily or monthly repayment. Limits are set from cash balance, revenue or funding rather than personal credit.

Does Brex require a personal guarantee?

No. Brex says it doesn't require a personal guarantee, underwrites on business financials, and that applying doesn't affect your personal credit score.

Does Brex report to credit bureaus?

Its Platform Agreement says Brex may report company payment history and performance to one or more credit reporting agencies. Brex says it doesn't check or report to personal bureaus.

Does Brex charge foreign transaction fees?

No foreign transaction fee, but when a transaction needs currency conversion Brex may apply an FX rate markup of up to 3%. It supports local-currency cards and billing in 50+ countries to avoid the markup.

How do Brex points work?

Brex pays points that vary by category: 7x on rideshare, 4x on Brex prepaid travel, 3x on restaurants, 2x on software and 1x on everything else. A business account earns a sign-on bonus of 10,000 points after $3,000 of spend within three months. Points don't expire while the account is active, and can be redeemed for cash to a Brex business account, statement credit, gift cards and more.

Who issues the Brex card?

The Brex Mastercard Corporate Credit Card is issued by Emigrant Bank, Fifth Third Bank N.A. and Airwallex (Netherlands) B.V., and the Brex Commercial Card, which runs on Visa, by Sutton Bank. Halocard cards are issued by Third National, a Non-Bank Principal Member of the Visa Network.

Who owns Brex?

Brex LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Capital One, N.A.: Capital One announced the acquisition on January 22, 2026 and completed it on April 7, 2026. Pedro Franceschi, one of its founders, stayed on as CEO.

Does Brex work with Apple Pay and Google Pay?

Its Mastercard cards can be added to Apple, Google and Samsung wallets: Apple Pay from the Brex app, and Google Pay or Samsung Pay by copying the card details. Visa cards aren't supported in wallets.

How do you contact Brex support?

By live chat in the dashboard, by phone, or by email. Brex's contact page says customers can reach it by chat or phone around the clock.

What is the Brex business account?

A separate banking product: checking provided by Column N.A., Member FDIC, with its own account and routing numbers, plus Treasury and Vault cash management from Brex Treasury LLC, a Capital One company. It is required for daily card payments and optional for monthly ones.

How long does Brex take to approve an application?

Brex says to expect a review within 1 to 3 business days of submission, and it may ask for more documents. A physical employee card then takes 3 to 8 business days to arrive. Halocard is for individuals, who verify in under 3 minutes and can make a card straight away.

Sources

  • Brex, pricing: brex.com/pricing
  • Brex, account requirements: brex.com/support/brex-account-requirements
  • Brex, card overview: brex.com/support/brex-card-overview
  • Brex, cost of Brex services: brex.com/support/cost-of-brex-services
  • Brex, how credit limits work: brex.com/support/brex-credit-limits
  • Brex, the Brex business account: brex.com/support/the-brex-business-account
  • Brex, transfer processing times: brex.com/support/cash-transfer-processing
  • Brex, application next steps: brex.com/support/application-next-steps
  • Brex, redeeming Brex points: brex.com/support/redeem-brex-points
  • Brex, corporate card: brex.com/product/corporate-card
  • Brex, Platform Agreement: brex.com/legal/platform-agreement
  • Brex, Brex Card Program Terms: brex.com/legal/card
  • Brex, Rewards Terms: brex.com/legal/rewards
  • Brex, contact: brex.com/contact
  • Capital One, Capital One completes acquisition of Brex: capitalone.com/about/newsroom/capital-one-completes-acquisition-of-brex
  • Capital One, Capital One to acquire Brex: investor.capitalone.com/news-releases/news-release-details/capital-one-acquire-brex
  • Payments Dive, Capital One nabs Brex for $5.15B: paymentsdive.com/news/capital-one-acquire-brex-5-billion-fintech/810319
  • Trustpilot, Brex reviews: trustpilot.com/review/brex.com

Disclaimer

Based on public information as of October 2026 (see Sources above); Brex's products, fees and terms may change, so check before you decide. Halocard publishes this page and makes one of the products compared, so verdicts and ticks are our opinion. Brex, its product names and its logos are trademarks of their respective owners. Their use here does not imply any affiliation with, sponsorship by or endorsement from Brex. Quoted reviews are verbatim Trustpilot excerpts of individual experiences, not verified by us. Not financial, legal or tax advice.

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