Corporate cards for non-US founders: which ones a foreign-owned company can get

Once your US company has a bank account, the next thing you'll want is a card that isn't tied to your personal bank at home. Search for a business credit card "with an EIN only" and you'll find plenty of lists. Most of them assume you live in the US. For a founder abroad, the useful question is narrower: which issuers accept a company owned and run from outside the US, often with no funding and a small balance?

This comparison covers the three corporate cards most startups look at, Mercury's IO card, Ramp and Brex, and what to use while you don't qualify for them.

Why "EIN only" is half true

A traditional business credit card is underwritten on the owner. The issuer checks your personal credit and usually makes you personally liable. That needs a Social Security number or an ITIN, plus a US credit history, which most founders abroad don't have.^⁠[11]

Corporate cards work differently. They set your limit from the cash your company holds, so they don't need your personal credit. That's what makes them possible for a foreign-owned company. But "EIN only" isn't quite right either. Every issuer still verifies the people who own and control the company, using a passport if you don't have an SSN, and each has rules about where the company operates.

The three cards at a glance

Mercury IO: the realistic first card

Mercury opens accounts for US companies whose founders live abroad, as long as the company is formed in the US, has existing or planned US operations, and the founders don't live in a country on its restricted list.^⁠[4] Our guide to US bank accounts for non-residents covers that application, including the proof of US activity Mercury may ask for later.

Once the account is open, there's no separate application for IO. If you qualify, you'll see the option on your credit card page. Most businesses start with an introductory account: you repay the balance daily, and the limit, typically up to $5,000, follows the cash you hold at Mercury. With $15,000 across your Mercury accounts, you can ask for higher limits and choose monthly or daily repayment.^⁠[1]

IO has no personal guarantee and no annual fee. It earns 1.5% cashback, and Mercury reports IO payments to Experian, Equifax and Dun & Bradstreet,^⁠[2] so it starts building your company's credit history.

The catch for founders abroad is currency. Mercury charges 3% on card transactions that aren't in US dollars, on IO and on its debit cards.^⁠[3] Fine for US software subscriptions and ad spend. Expensive for paying a local supplier in rupees or euros.

Ramp: possible with $25,000 and US operations

Ramp is open to corporations, LLCs and LPs, but not sole proprietors. Every application needs an EIN, and the company needs at least $25,000 in cash in a US business bank account linked to the application.^⁠[5]

Founders abroad can apply. Ramp says a business owner or officer without an SSN can provide a copy of their foreign passport and proof of address instead, and the officer's home address can be in or outside the US.^⁠[5]

The harder rule is this one: Ramp asks that most of your operations and corporate spending be in the US, while supporting international transactions.^⁠[5] A company that sells to US customers and pays for US software and services may fit. A company whose team, rent and suppliers are all abroad probably won't.

Ramp sets your limit as a share of the cash in your linked bank accounts, or from your revenue.^⁠[5] It has a free plan, and Ramp Plus costs $15 per user a month plus a platform fee.^⁠[7] When a card transaction is in a currency other than your statement currency, Ramp adds a margin to the exchange rate of no more than 3%.^⁠[6]

For more on how Ramp and Brex compare for US-based startups, see our Brex vs Ramp comparison.

Brex: only with a physical US presence

Brex requires a US EIN, a valid US incorporation, US operations and a US physical address. That last rule is where most founders abroad stop. Brex doesn't accept P.O. boxes or mailbox services, and if the address is a virtual one, a beneficial owner or controlling officer has to have a verifiable physical presence in the US.^⁠[8] A registered agent's address won't pass on its own.

Brex also focuses on companies with scale. It looks for an equity investment of any amount, or a plan to raise one, more than $500,000 in yearly revenue, or a referral from a customer or partner. Funded startups need $50,000 in cash for monthly payments. With less, you may still qualify for daily payments.^⁠[8] Plans start free, with Premium at $12 per user a month.^⁠[9]

If you have a cofounder or officer living in the US, Brex is worth an application once you've raised money. If not, look elsewhere first.

Cards that work while you don't qualify

Mercury debit cards. Virtual and physical debit cards come with every Mercury account,^⁠[3] so you can pay for software from the day the account opens.

Wise Business. A Wise Business Business account costs a one-time 31 USD in the US, and its card spends money you hold in the same currency for free. Converting costs from 0.23%, depending on the currency.^⁠[10] That makes it the cheaper card for anything you pay in your home currency, from a coworking desk to a local contractor's invoice. It's a debit card, so it won't build credit.

A traditional card through an ITIN. Many issuers accept an ITIN in place of an SSN, but still expect US credit history and income they can verify.^⁠[11] If you'll need an ITIN anyway, our guide to ITINs for non-US founders explains who qualifies. For most founders abroad, it's a slower road than a corporate card.

Paying in two currencies

Most founders abroad spend in two currencies: dollars for software, advertising and US services, and their home currency for everything local. One card rarely suits both.

A simple setup that works for many founders has three parts.

• US dollar spending on Mercury IO, or Ramp if you qualify, for the cashback, the credit history and the expense tools.
• Home currency spending on a Wise Business card, funded from your US account, to avoid the 3% currency cost.
• Big local payments, like contractor invoices, by bank transfer rather than card. Our guide to paying international contractors compares the options.

Why applications get declined

Most declines for foreign-owned companies come from a few rules covered above.

• Not enough cash. Ramp's $25,000 and Brex's $50,000 are minimums, not targets. Apply when the balance is comfortably above them.
• No sign of US operations. Customers, contracts or spending in the US all help. A company with nothing but a registered agent's address looks like it operates abroad.
• An address that can't be verified. Brex in particular wants a physical US address tied to the business or someone running it.
• A missing EIN. Every one of these cards needs it. If you don't have one yet, our guide to getting an EIN covers the route for founders without an SSN.

What to have ready before you apply

Corporate card applications move faster when the documents are ready before you start. For a foreign-owned company, that usually means four things.

• Your EIN confirmation letter from the IRS, and your company's formation documents with the formation date.
• A passport for each owner and officer who has to be verified, and a recent document proving each one's home address.
• Access to your US business bank account, because Ramp and Mercury base the limit on the cash you hold, and Ramp asks you to link the account during the application.^⁠[1],[5]
• Evidence of what the company does in the US, such as a website, US customers, invoices or contracts. Ramp asks where your operations and spending are,^⁠[5] and Brex asks for US operations.^⁠[8]

Apply with the balance already in place rather than planning to fund the account afterward. A limit set from a near-empty account starts low.

If you're declined, ask the issuer what was missing before you reapply. The answer is usually one of the rules above, and fixing it first saves you a second refusal.

Which card to get

• Just formed, no funding, founders abroad: Mercury debit cards from day one, IO as soon as it's offered, and a Wise Business card for local spending.
• Selling to US customers with $25,000 or more in the bank: try Ramp, and keep IO as a backup.
• Funded, with someone in the US: Brex or Ramp, whichever suits your expense process.

Whichever you choose, the card will be tied to your company, not to you. Keep business and personal spending apart from the first transaction, so your bookkeeping and your company's credit history both start clean.