Mercury vs Brex

Last updated 2026-10-17. Prices and terms checked against each linked source on 2026-10-17; vendors change them, so confirm before you buy.

Mercury started as a business bank account; Brex started as a corporate card. Both now offer checking, cards, bill pay and a treasury product, so the overlap is real, but the entry requirements and defaults differ.

Many startups use one for banking and the other for cards. Here are the published facts, then how to pick.

	Mercury	Brex
What it is	Startup-focused banking with checking, savings, cards and bill pay.	Corporate cards, spend management and business accounts.
Category · stage	Business Banking · Pre-seed	Spend Management & Cards · Seed
Plans & price	Banking is $0/month with no monthly fees, overdraft penalties or minimum balances; paid Mercury Plus and Mercury Pro plans add invoicing and workflow features.source	Essentials $0/user/month; Premium $12/user/month; Enterprise custom pricing.source
Who can apply	Company formed and registered in the US or a US territory with existing or planned US operations. Founders don't need to be US citizens or residents; the principal place of business can be a US or international address (no registered-agent, PO box or UPS Store addresses). Some industries and countries are excluded.source	All applicants need a US EIN, US incorporation, US operations and a US physical address. For the monthly-payment card, funded startups generally need a $50,000 minimum cash balance; mid-market and enterprise companies need more than $400,000/month in revenue. Daily-payment accounts are aimed at companies with equity investment (or plans to raise), more than $500,000 a year in revenue, or referred tech startups.source
FDIC coverage	Up to $5M through partner banks and their sweep networks.source	Not covered in our sources
Payments	Free ACH, wires and real-time payments on the base account.source	Not covered in our sources
Business account	Not covered in our sources	Business account with checking, a Treasury account with no minimum deposit, free same-day ACH, and up to $6M FDIC coverage through its Vault sweep.source
Treasury	Mercury Treasury unlocks at a $250K Mercury balance.source	Not covered in our sources
Website	Visit Mercury	Visit Brex

How to choose

You're incorporated in the US but founders live abroad: Mercury says founders don't need to be US citizens or residents and accepts an international principal-business address. Brex requires a US physical address.
You need the most FDIC coverage on deposits: Brex lists up to $6M through its Vault sweep; Mercury lists up to $5M through partner-bank sweep networks.
You want yield on cash under $250K: Mercury Treasury unlocks at a $250K Mercury balance; Brex says its Treasury account has no minimum deposit. Live yields: idlecashrates.com.
Cards and spend controls are the priority: Compare Brex against a dedicated spend tool too: see Brex vs Ramp.

FAQ

Can international founders open a Mercury account?

Yes, if the company is formed and registered in the US or a US territory with existing or planned US operations, per Mercury's eligibility page. Some countries and industries are excluded.

How much FDIC coverage do Mercury and Brex offer?

Mercury lists up to $5M through partner banks and their sweep networks; Brex lists up to $6M through its Vault sweep.

Does Mercury charge monthly fees?

Mercury's base banking is $0/month with no monthly fees, overdraft penalties or minimum balances; paid Plus and Pro plans add features.

What's the minimum for Mercury Treasury?

Mercury says Treasury unlocks with a $250K Mercury balance.

More guides

All guides · All tools · Founder stacks