What is Mercury?

Mercury is a fintech company (not a bank) founded in 2017 that provides banking services to VC-backed startups through partnerships with FDIC-insured banks.

The company maintains direct contractual relationships with each of their bank partners, including Choice Financial Group ($5.4B AUM), Column N.A. ($730M AUM), and Evolve Bank & Trust ($1.8B AUM). Customers enter into agreements with these partner banks during the onboarding process.

Mercury's key milestones include launching their banking product in 2019 with $6M seed funding from Andreessen Horowitz, introducing venture debt and corporate cards in 2022, gaining $2B in deposits following the SVB collapse in 2023, and experiencing a data breach via partner Evolve Bank & Trust in 2024.

Here are the payment solutions they offer:

• Mercury Debit Card — Mercury offers a business debit card that clients can use to make purchases and withdraw cash from their accounts via an ATM.
• Mercury IO Card — Mercury's flagship business credit solution, introduced in September 2022, offers startup-focused credit limits and up to 1.5% cashback on spend (requires a $25,000 minimum balance).

Mercury's platform includes basic business banking functionality, with more advanced features available through their tiered pricing structure (Basic: Free, Plus: $35/month, Pro: $350/month).

Mercury use cases and startup financing options

Mercury serves as a comprehensive banking solution for VC-backed startups.

In addition to fee-free ACH and treasury features, Mercury offers spend management capabilities that support its business cards, particularly the Mercury IO Card.

1. Mercury business cards and financing options

Mercury offers its IO Card to customers who meet deposit minimum requirements.

Their underwriting approach is designed to provide credit solutions for newly-incorporated companies and those with limited credit history.

Mercury IO Card Limits: Understanding Spend Thresholds

When using the Mercury IO card, there are two key spending limits to understand:

• Account Limit: This is the total amount your business can borrow across all IO cards issued under your account. Mercury determines this limit based on your cash balances, transaction history, and overall account activity.
• Card Limit: This is the spending cap on an individual IO card. While businesses can set their own limits within the maximum allowed, Mercury determines the upper threshold based on account history and activity.

Since Mercury relies on a cash-based underwriting model, your total credit limit is influenced by the funds held across your checking, savings, and treasury accounts. As your balance grows, your available credit may increase. However, if your balance drops significantly, Mercury can proactively reduce your limit—even outside of its standard monthly review cycle.

To maintain access to IO, businesses must keep an average 30-day balance of at least $25,000 in their Mercury accounts. Falling below this threshold could result in a temporary reduction—or even suspension—of available credit until the requirement is met again.

Mercury typically reevaluates credit limits once per month, but if your balance changes dramatically, your account may be reviewed more frequently. If you need a higher limit sooner, Mercury allows businesses to request a manual review.

2. Business checking accounts and savings accounts

Mercury clients can use these accounts to manage operational funds and non-operational reserves, including sending ACHs to vendors.

Deposits are held by Mercury's partner banks: Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC.

Mercury also works with Patriot Bank, N.A. for its credit card offerings.

Through sweep networks, funds in Mercury checking and savings accounts are eligible for up to $5M in FDIC insurance coverage.

This is achieved by strategically spreading deposits across multiple banks in their sweep network.

Mercury provides customers with sweep statements showing how deposits are distributed across their bank partners and program banks.

Note: In March 2025, Mercury announced they are transitioning away from Evolve Bank & Trust and giving customers the option to migrate their Mercury accounts to another partner on their platform.

It's also important to note that Choice Financial Group, one of Mercury's key banking partners, has faced increased regulatory scrutiny regarding its banking-as-a-service relationships.

3. Mercury Treasury

Mercury Treasury is offered by Mercury Advisory, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mercury Technologies, Inc.

It allows users to invest idle cash in mutual funds that invest in U.S. Treasury bills, notes, and other liquid, high-quality money market instruments from fund managers like Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan.

As of March 2025, Mercury Treasury seeks to earn net returns up to 4.47% annually (for deposits of $20M+).

Mercury partners with Apex Clearing Corp, a broker-dealer regulated by FINRA, to provide these services.

Apex offers customers SIPC protection up to $500,000 in cash and securities (including a $250,000 limit for cash) in the event the firm fails.

Mercury Treasury accounts are not FDIC-insured, and the funds are not deposits or obligations of Mercury's partner banks.

Mercury now offers same-day liquidity for Treasury accounts, though transfers may take longer depending on market conditions.

4. Mercury Venture Debt

Mercury offers venture debt, which is a term loan issued to startups that have raised venture capital within the past year.

To obtain approval, Mercury focuses on the strength of the VC investors and founders and the startup's potential for growth.

Mercury provides integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite (for Pro tier customers) — while also generating CSV exports of transactions for other accounting systems.

Mercury IO Business Card Features and Benefits

Mercury offers business credit solutions to startup firms that meet eligibility requirements.

Let's explore the features of Mercury's IO card in detail.

Mercury card issuer information

The Mercury IO Card, Mercury's premier business credit option, is issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC.

The Mercury Debit Cards are issued by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC.

Mercury offers the IO Card to customers who meet minimum deposit requirements.

Mercury does not run a credit check during the IO application process, so your personal FICO credit score will not be considered or affected.

Mercury IO Card eligibility for startups

To qualify for the Mercury IO Card, you need to maintain $25K in your Mercury account.

This is specifically for IO Card eligibility and is not a general minimum checking deposit requirement for Mercury accounts.

Mercury IO Credit Limits: How They Work and When They Change

When using the Mercury IO card, there are two key spending limits to understand:

• Account Limit: This is the total amount your business can borrow across all IO cards issued under your account. Mercury determines this limit based on your cash balances, transaction history, and overall account activity.
• Card Limit: This is the spending cap on an individual IO card. While businesses can set their own limits within the maximum allowed, Mercury determines the upper threshold based on account history and activity.

Since Mercury relies on a cash-based underwriting model, your total credit limit is influenced by the funds held across your checking, savings, and treasury accounts. As your balance grows, your available credit may increase. However, if your balance drops significantly, Mercury can proactively reduce your limit—even outside of its standard monthly review cycle.

To maintain access to IO, businesses must keep an average 30-day balance of at least $25,000 in their Mercury accounts. Falling below this threshold could result in a temporary reduction—or even suspension—of available credit until the requirement is met again.

Mercury typically reevaluates credit limits once per month, but if your balance changes dramatically, your account may be reviewed more frequently. If you need a higher limit sooner, Mercury allows businesses to request a manual review.

Advantages of Mercury's IO business card

• Low fee structure: The Mercury business credit solution does not charge annual fees or account fees. There are no fees for Global ACH, wire transfers, or for additional cards. Unlimited bill payments are now free/included.
• FDIC insurance: Mercury provides up to $5 million in FDIC insurance through partner banks and sweep networks. This is achieved by strategically spreading deposits across multiple banks in their sweep networks, and Mercury provides sweep statements to show this distribution.
• Payment features: Mercury offers transparent international wire fees (free for USD wires, 1% for non-USD wires) and handles ACH processing in-house.
• Security features: Mercury provides multi-factor authentication by default, has obtained SOC 2 certification, maintains PCI compliance, and offers features like ACH authorization to flag potentially unauthorized transactions.

Limitations of Mercury's business financing options

• No cash deposits: Mercury does not support cash deposits unlike many online business checking accounts. This makes Mercury's payment cards less suitable for businesses that process significant customer payments in cash.
• Limited finance capabilities: Mercury lacks robust accounting automation and customization on its free tier, with advanced features like NetSuite integration only available on the Pro plan ($350/month).
• Tiered support model: Mercury's support for business card users is segmented by plan tier, with enhanced support options available on paid tiers or for accounts with large balances.
• Banking partner transitions: Mercury is currently transitioning away from Evolve Bank & Trust and has faced challenges with banking partners that are under regulatory scrutiny. These transitions can potentially impact customer experience and service continuity for Mercury card users.
• Additional costs as you scale: While Mercury's free tier works well for early-stage startups, growing companies may need to subscribe to Plus ($35/month) or Pro ($350/month) plans to access more advanced features.
• Regulatory complexity: As a fintech company working through banking partners rather than as a bank directly, Mercury operates in a complex regulatory environment that has seen increasing scrutiny from federal banking regulators.

Mercury IO Card rewards and program features

The Mercury IO Card provides a number of features:

• Cashback: The Mercury business card earns 1.5% cashback on all spend, and cash is automatically deposited into your account at the end of each month.
• Wide acceptance: You can use the Mercury IO Card anywhere that accepts major card networks.
• Balance payments: IO is a charge card, and customers must pay off the full balance each pay period. Your pay period may be daily or monthly, depending on the balance in your Mercury account.
• Customization: Users can set custom spend limits (daily, weekly, monthly) for their Mercury cards. Businesses can also set up merchant-locked cards, which are cards that can only be used for a specific merchant.
• Virtual and physical cards: Instant virtual Mercury IO cards can be accessed before physical cards arrive.
• Dashboard: Mercury's business cards are part of Mercury's banking platform, which includes a dashboard to view account balances and cash flow.
• Finance automation: Automation process to categorize Mercury card transactions and syncing to accounting systems including QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite (for Pro subscribers).

However, Mercury may have limitations in multi-entity support and comprehensive spend management capabilities that growing companies often require as they scale.

Mercury business card fees and interest rates

There are no annual fees for the Mercury IO Card, no fees for additional cards, and no interest charges.

Balances must be paid in full each month, and no balances can be carried over to a new month and charged interest.

Mercury Pricing Structure & Fees for Startup Banking

Mercury's pricing structure includes three tiers that affect how users can manage their Mercury business cards:

Basic: Free

• No monthly fees, overdraft fees, or minimum balance requirements
• Business checking and savings accounts
• Free domestic and international USD wire transfers
• Virtual and physical debit cards
• Mercury business cards with 1.5% cash back (requires $25,000 minimum balance for IO Card eligibility)
• Unlimited bill pay (previously limited to 5 bills per month)
• Unlimited invoice creation
• Basic integrations with QuickBooks and Xero

Plus: $35/mo (flat rate, not per user)

• Enhanced invoicing features
• All features from Mercury Basic
• Previously had limited bill pay but now includes unlimited bill payments

Pro: $350/mo (flat rate, not per user)

• All features from Mercury Basic and Mercury Plus
• Dedicated relationship manager for Mercury card users
• NetSuite accounting integration
• Enriched accounting automation for NetSuite
• Unlimited bill payments

A key limitation to Mercury's strategy is that you do not get access to a dedicated relationship manager unless you pay $4,200 per year.

While the free tier accomplishes much of what early-stage startups need, companies will either need to pay for additional features as they scale or find a new financial platform.

Mercury Credit Cards vs. Rho: Feature Comparison

When comparing Mercury's business credit card to alternatives, several key differences stand out:

Mercury vs. Rho

A key differentiator is that Rho provides all customers with a dedicated relationship manager regardless of account balance or tier, while Mercury only offers this to Pro plan subscribers ($350/month) or accounts with $10M+ balances.

This means even smaller Rho customers get personalized support from day one without additional fees.

Rho also offers 2% cashback with their Platinum card versus Mercury's 1.5% cashback rate, potentially providing greater rewards for business spending.

Here is a full table summarizing key differences between Rho and Mercury:

Banking partner considerations for startup financial solutions

When evaluating financial technology providers, it's important to understand their underlying banking partnerships.

In March 2025, Mercury announced they are transitioning away from Evolve Bank & Trust amid broader changes in the banking-as-a-service landscape.

Both Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust, two of Mercury's current banking partners, have been adapting to evolving regulatory expectations for bank-fintech partnerships.

This is part of an industry-wide maturation process as financial regulators seek to establish clearer frameworks for these innovative arrangements.

When choosing a banking platform for your business, it's worth considering both the features provided and the underlying banking infrastructure.

Understanding the 2024 Evolve Security Event

In June 2024, Evolve Bank & Trust experienced a security incident that affected several of its fintech partners, including Mercury.

The incident resulted in unauthorized access to certain customer data, including some account information.

According to Mercury's communications, the affected information included account numbers, business information, and certain transaction details.

Mercury reported that social security numbers, identity documents, and account passwords weren't compromised for most users.

This event highlights an important consideration when evaluating banking platforms: the security architecture of banking partnerships can vary significantly between providers.

Multi-layered service models may introduce different security considerations compared to more direct integration approaches.

Mercury business credit card automation features

Mercury offers several automation features to help startups manage their Mercury credit cards more efficiently:‍

• ‍Transaction search and filtering for Mercury credit cards spending‍
• Instant statement generation for account records‍
• Accounting software integrations with QuickBooks, Xero, and NetSuite (Pro plan)‍
• Scheduled payments for recurring expenses‍
• Auto-transfer rules for cash management‍
• Invoice processing with OCR capabilities
  
  

These features can help startups maintain a lean finance operation as they grow.

However, Mercury segments their most advanced automation features into their paid tiers, particularly with the Pro plan ($350/month) offering NetSuite integration and enhanced accounting automation.

Top Alternatives to Mercury Business Cards: Comparing Rho, Brex, and Ramp

1. Rho: Comprehensive Banking for Scaling Startups

From two-person startups to public companies, Rho is the banking platform with everything businesses need to manage cash, control spend, and automate finance busywork. 

Based in New York, Rho offers corporate cards, banking, treasury, expense management, AP, accounting automation, and more in one integrated platform backed by award-winning support.

Features

• Rho Corporate Cards: Built-in spend controls, advanced expense management, and up to 2% cashback¹ on Platinum.
• Rho Expense Management: Custom spending rules, real-time receipt capture, and automated approvals.
• Rho Bill Pay: Automates the end-to-end bill pay process seamlessly, avoiding delays common with point solutions.
• Rho Treasury Management: Bespoke treasury services with up to $75M in FDIC insurance via a network of 400+ partner banks.
• Integrations: Syncs with QuickBooks Online, Oracle NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Sage Intacct, and allows flat-file CSV exports.

Pros

• Fee-Free Banking: No platform fees for business banking, treasury, and AP automation.
• Dedicated 24/7 Support: Live human support at any time, unlike Mercury's email-only support unless you pay $350/month.
• Scalability: Rho is built to scale with startups, providing enterprise-grade banking and automation from the beginning, without requiring costly subscriptions that Mercury introduces as you grow.
• More Robust Infrastructure: Unlike Mercury, Rho works with Webster Bank, a national well-established financial institution with nearly 90 years of history and $70B in assets under management. This banking relationship ensures greater security, reliability, and customization compared to competitors whose national banking partners are less than 10 years old and manage under $1B in assets.
• No Tiered Paywalls: Unlike Mercury, Rho provides its core automation features without subscription fees.

Cons

• Straight Cashback Model: Lacks the points-based rewards some companies prefer from Amex or Chase.

Pricing

• Free platform access
• Rho Prime Treasury: Management fee caps at 0.60%

Why Startups Choose Rho Over Mercury

• Best-in-Class Support: Unlike Mercury, which offers email-only support unless you pay $350/month or maintain a $10M+ balance, Rho provides 24/7 support, dedicated relationship managers, and same-day responses.
• Scalability: Many companies outgrow Mercury due to its lack of robust accounting automation and limited customization options. Rho is designed to support growing businesses without requiring tiered upgrades.
• No Hidden Fees: Mercury's tiered pricing structure can add unexpected costs as companies grow, whereas Rho provides transparent, fee-free banking.
• Enterprise-Grade Banking from Day One: Mercury positions itself as a "starter bank," but startups looking for more advanced finance tools and better treasury solutions choose Rho early to avoid switching later.

2. Brex: Points-Based Rewards for Business Spending

Brex started as a corporate card startup and has expanded into a comprehensive spend management platform primarily serving venture-backed startups.

Features

• Brex Corporate Card: Point-based rewards (e.g., 7x on rideshare, 4x on travel).
• Brex Travel: Integrated travel booking with spend controls.
• Brex AI: Automated assistant for expense tracking.
• Expense Management & Bill Pay: Custom roles, AI-powered approvals.
• Live Budgeting: Real-time visibility into department spending.

Pros

• Rewards-Based Spend Management: Brex provides a points-based corporate card program rather than Mercury's simple cashback structure.
• Brex Empower: Admins can set up automated spending controls and block or approve spending based on specific categories or merchants, offering more granular control than Mercury.
• Brex Travel: Employee users can book travel accommodations with preferred airlines and hotels within preset policies, make unlimited itinerary changes, and manage their expenses—features entirely missing from Mercury.

Cons

• Paying for Functionality and Support: Brex customers must sign up for a Brex Premium or Brex Enterprise account to access important features like dedicated customer support, custom roles and permissions, and ERP integrations.
• Brex Card Underwriting: The company's underwriting model adjusts credit limits based on cash balances, which can lead to unexpected credit limit cuts if your cash balance declines—a risk not present with Mercury.
• Limited Customer Focus: Brex no longer supports traditional small businesses, focusing exclusively on VC-backed startups, whereas Mercury serves a broader range of businesses.

Pricing

• Brex Premium: $12 per user per month (when billed yearly; $15 per month otherwise)
• Brex Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger organizations

Why They May Choose Brex Over Mercury

• Advanced Travel & Expense Management: Mercury lacks travel booking, AI-powered approvals, and budgeting tools that Brex offers.
• Stronger Spend Controls: Brex's AI-powered automation ensures compliance and spend policy enforcement beyond Mercury's capabilities.
• Rewards System: Brex offers category-specific rewards that can be more valuable than Mercury's flat cashback for certain spending patterns.

3. Ramp: Spend Management with Higher Treasury Yields

Ramp is a spend management platform providing corporate cards, AP automation, procurement, and treasury services. Originally launched in 2019, it has expanded from a corporate card offering to a more comprehensive finance platform.

Features

• Ramp Visa Charge Card: 1.5% cashback, spend controls, auto-categorization.
• Ramp Bill Pay: Invoice processing, automated approvals, payment scheduling.
• Ramp Treasury: Earn up to 4.38% yield via money market funds.
• Expense Management: Automated expense reporting, policy enforcement.
• Procurement & Vendor Management: Helps centralize vendor spending.
• Ramp Flex: Short-term financing for vendor bills.

Pros

• Receipt Matching: Users can easily match receipts sent by text or email, simplifying expense management compared to Mercury.
• Reporting: Ramp provides a useful set of real-time reports that offer more insights than Mercury's reporting capabilities.
• Multiple Finance Features: Ramp combines several financial tools in one platform, helping simplify your tech stack beyond what Mercury offers.
• Higher Treasury Yields: Ramp's 4.38% money market fund option beats Mercury's yield offerings.

Cons

• Ramp Plus Feature Wall: You must be a paying Ramp Plus or Ramp Enterprise customer to access previously free features like accounting integrations and custom approval workflows—a recent change that has caused friction for existing customers.
• Banking Transaction Fees: Ramp charges to process Same-Day ACHs and wires using external bank accounts, while Mercury offers free domestic wire transfers.
• Customer Support Limitations: Similar to Mercury, Ramp's "premium support" and "dedicated account management" are restricted to paid tiers.

Pricing

• Ramp Plus: $12 per user per month (when billed yearly; $15 per month otherwise)
• Ramp Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger organizations

Why They May Choose Ramp Over Mercury

• Stronger Spend Management: Ramp provides expense automation, procurement, and vendor management—all missing from Mercury.
• Higher Treasury Yields: Ramp's 4.38% money market fund option beats Mercury's yield offerings.
• Integrated Vendor Management: Mercury lacks the procurement and vendor tracking tools that Ramp offers.

Conclusion: Finding the Right Startup Banking Solution

For startups looking beyond Mercury's basic offering:

• Rho is the best choice for growth-stage businesses needing a fully integrated banking platform without monthly fees and with industry-leading support.
• Brex and Ramp offer more finance automation features than Mercury, but experience similar challenges that Rho doesn't have—they charge subscription fees for advanced features and reserve premium customer support only for paying customers.

While Mercury serves as a starter banking platform for early-stage founders, companies looking for scalability, advanced features, and dedicated support increasingly turn to alternatives like Rho that can grow with their business without introducing subscription fees or requiring platform changes as they scale.

Is Mercury's business card right for your startup?

For early-stage startups:

Mercury offers a user-friendly platform with basic banking and 1.5% cashback on business expenses.

Their free tier works well for simple banking needs, particularly for newly-formed companies with venture funding but limited operating history.

For scaling companies:

Consider these factors when evaluating the Mercury financial platform’s solutions:

• Customer support needs (Mercury charges $350/month for dedicated support that some competitors include as standard)
• Subscription fees for advanced features as you grow
• Banking relationship stability given recent partner transitions
• Banking foundation: Webster Bank ($70B AUM, 90+ years) vs. Column (<$1B AUM, <10 years old)
• Accounting automation needs for your finance team
• Cashback impact on your bottom line (Mercury's 1.5% vs. competitors offering 2%)

If you anticipate rapid growth, you might need a platform built for scale from the start.

While Mercury provides an accessible entry point for startups, it may not be the ideal long-term solution for some companies.

Companies requiring advanced financial operations often prefer banking platforms with direct bank integration, enterprise features without tiered subscriptions, dedicated support regardless of account size, higher cashback rates, and comprehensive platform capabilities—all available immediately without premium tiers.

FAQ: Mercury Business Cards and Startup Banking Solutions

What are Mercury's business card options?

Mercury offers the IO Card, a business credit solution issued by Patriot Bank, Member FDIC.

Mercury also offers debit cards which are issued by Choice Financial Group, Column, N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust, Members FDIC.

Can I get a Mercury IO Card if I don't have a Mercury bank account?

No. When you apply for a Mercury IO Card, you will need to maintain $25,000 in your Mercury account to qualify for IO and keep your credit account active.

Are Mercury IO Cards secured credit cards?

Mercury cash deposits secure credit card repayments.

Your IO Card credit limit is based on the total deposits in your Mercury bank accounts.

What are the fees associated with Mercury business cards?

There are no annual fees for Mercury business cards, no fees for additional cards, and no interest charges.

Balances must be paid in full each month, and no balances can be carried over to a new month and charged interest.

How does Mercury make money from its business cards?

Mercury makes money from its financial products in several ways:

• Interest earned on checking deposits in Mercury bank accounts
• Merchant fees (interchange fees) paid by merchants when customers use Mercury business cards or debit cards
• Earnings on foreign exchange processing on international wires
• Customer fees paid by Mercury Treasury customers
• Subscription fees from Plus and Pro tier customers

What are the minimum requirements for the Mercury IO card?

To qualify for the Mercury IO Card, businesses need to maintain a minimum of $25,000 in their Mercury account.

This deposit requirement serves as collateral for the credit line.

Does Mercury IO card affect personal credit?

No, Mercury does not run a credit check during the IO application process, so your personal FICO credit score will not be considered or affected.

What is the maximum credit limit for Mercury IO card?

Your Mercury IO card credit limit is determined by your Mercury account balance.

The company may increase your limit as your deposits grow, but there is no published maximum limit.

How does Mercury's business card compare to traditional corporate cards?

Unlike traditional corporate cards that often require personal guarantees and credit checks, Mercury's IO Card is based on your business's cash deposits. This makes it accessible to early-stage startups that might not qualify for traditional corporate credit products due to limited operating history.

Can international startups apply for Mercury business cards?

Yes, Mercury serves international startups, though there may be additional requirements for non-US companies. International founders can apply for Mercury accounts and their business cards, but should check Mercury's current eligibility requirements for specific countries.