Brex vs Ramp for Non-Resident Founders

Brex and Ramp are two of the most talked-about corporate card platforms for startups, and both are technically open to non-US founders, but the real gatekeeper isn't citizenship, it's your entity setup and cash position. Here's what actually matters before you apply.

What Brex and Ramp actually are

Neither Brex nor Ramp is a traditional credit card. Both are corporate charge card and spend management platforms built for US companies, and both underwrite primarily on business fundamentals (cash in the bank, revenue, sometimes venture funding) rather than a founder's personal credit score. That's exactly why they've become popular with non-resident founders who have no US credit history and no Social Security Number.

That said, "non-resident friendly" doesn't mean "no requirements." Both platforms require a real US business entity, a US business bank account, and increasingly, evidence of operating cash or revenue. The comparison below focuses on what a European founder running a US LLC or C-corp remotely needs to know.

Eligibility basics for non-resident founders

Before either platform will look at your application, you generally need:

• A registered US entity (LLC or C-corp), most commonly formed in Delaware or Wyoming
• An EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS, obtainable by non-residents without an SSN via Form SS-4
• A US business bank account, typically with a fintech-friendly bank like Mercury, Wise Business, or Relay, all of which onboard non-resident founders fully remotely
• Some form of demonstrable cash balance or revenue in that account, since both Brex and Ramp use linked banking data as part of underwriting

Neither platform requires an SSN or ITIN to apply for the card itself, but many founders get an ITIN anyway because it smooths other parts of running a US business, including opening certain bank accounts, filing personal tax paperwork if ever required, and dealing with payment processors that ask for one.

Brex

Brex built its early reputation on underwriting startups by cash balance rather than personal guarantees, which made it a go-to option for founders without US credit history. It has shifted over time toward serving venture-backed and higher-revenue companies, and account minimums and eligibility criteria have tightened and loosened at different points. Non-resident founders with a funded US entity and a healthy operating balance are generally the best fit.

Ramp

Ramp positions itself as a lower-friction, no-fee alternative aimed at cost control and expense automation as much as the card itself. It has generally been more accessible to smaller and bootstrapped companies than Brex, though it still expects a legitimate US entity, a linked US bank account, and some operating history or cash cushion.

Cash requirements: what to actually expect

Published minimum balance requirements for both platforms change fairly often, so treat any specific dollar figure you see online as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. What's stayed consistent is the underlying logic:

Because these details shift, the practical move is to check current eligibility directly on each provider's site once your entity and bank account are live, rather than planning around a number you saw in an old blog post.

The part founders often get backwards

Founders sometimes shop for a corporate card before their entity paperwork is finished, then get stuck because neither Brex nor Ramp can verify a business bank account without an EIN, and no US bank will open an account without a properly formed LLC or corporation. The order that actually works is: form the entity, get the EIN, open the US business bank account, build a small operating balance, then apply for the card.

This is the exact sequence Founders Credit handles for European founders as a done-for-you package, entity formation, EIN via SS-4, ITIN where useful, and a working US business bank account, all remote, so that by the time you're comparing Brex and Ramp you already meet the basic entry requirements instead of discovering the gaps mid-application.

A note on ongoing compliance

Getting a corporate card is a milestone, not the finish line. A foreign-owned US single-member LLC has to file Form 5472 alongside a pro-forma Form 1120 every year, even if the company had zero income or sat completely dormant. Form 5472 is informational, it doesn't calculate any tax owed on its own, but skipping it carries a penalty of $25,000, and that applies regardless of how small the business is. Keeping this filing current matters just as much as picking the right card.

Which one should you choose

If your US entity is holding meaningful cash, especially post-funding, Brex tends to offer more robust rewards and higher limits. If you're running lean, bootstrapped, and want to avoid fees while automating expense tracking, Ramp is usually the simpler fit. Some founders end up testing both once their bank account has a track record, since approval odds and terms depend heavily on your specific balance and spend pattern at the time you apply.

Frequently asked questions