A startup corporate credit card is designed to help early-stage companies manage spending, access capital, and separate business finances from personal ones. These cards may offer rewards, expense tracking tools, and other features to support growing businesses.

Key features and benefits include:

• Access to capital. Provides a dedicated credit line to support cash flow, operations, and growth.
• Separation of finances. Keeps business expenses distinct from personal accounts, building financial clarity and professionalism.
• Spending controls. Enables custom limits and policy settings for teams and departments.
• Expense automation. Simplifies tracking, categorization, and reporting with real-time visibility into spend.
• Business credit growth. Helps establish a company credit history through consistent use and timely payments.
• Employee enablement. Allows team members to pay for approved expenses without reimbursement delays.
• Limited personal liability. Typically holds the business—not individual cardholders—responsible for balances.

Ramp offers a startup-friendly corporate card with built-in controls to help you scale efficiently from day one.

Yes, startup businesses can qualify for business credit cards, even without a long financial history. Many early-stage startups and fast-growing companies apply using their Employer Identification Number (EIN), which ties the credit account directly to the business rather than the founder. This approach helps build business credit from the start and keeps personal and business finances separate.

With Ramp, founders can apply for a card using their EIN—no personal credit check or personal guarantee required.

Yes. Many business credit cards are available to startups that haven't generated revenue yet. Approval is often based on the founder's personal credit or available business funding. Some corporate cards instead evaluate company cash flow or bank balances rather than credit history, allowing early-stage businesses to qualify and start building credit early.

Yes. Many startups qualify for business credit cards even without an established credit profile, though traditional banks often require a personal guarantee or strong personal credit. Ramp takes a different approach: we evaluate your startup's financial health and don't require a personal guarantee—making it easier for new businesses to get approved without putting founders at personal risk.

Ramp is built for startups and fast-growing companies that want high credit limits, automated expense management, and no personal guarantee. It's especially strong for:

• Startups with no personal credit history. Founders can apply using their company's EIN—no personal credit check or guarantee required. Ramp helps new businesses access credit and build a financial track record from the start.
• Venture-backed and rapidly growing companies. Early-stage startups can access limits higher than traditional cards, earn cash back, unlock over $350K in partner rewards, and up to 5%¹ savings.
• Startups focused on spend and expense management. Ramp combines a corporate card with built-in spend controls, real-time reporting, and accounting integrations so finance teams can automate expenses and manage company spending in one place.

Ramp stands out as a top corporate credit card for startups because it's designed around how modern, fast-growing companies operate. Unlike traditional cards, Ramp bases approval on business financials—not personal credit—so founders can apply with their company's EIN and avoid personal guarantees. Businesses get high credit limits, cash back, access to more than $350K in partner rewards, and up to 5%¹ savings. Ramp also includes built-in spend controls, automated expense management, and real-time reporting to help startups save time and money as they scale.

Traditional credit cards let you carry a balance and charge interest. Ramp is a charge card—you pay in full each month, with no interest, no fees. Plus, Ramp includes advanced spend management software, giving your startup tools to control spend, automate workflows, and save time—capabilities traditional cards simply don't offer.

Ramp offers cash back and over $350K in partner rewards with top business tools, travel providers, and software platforms. Companies can also access real-time spend insights, automatic savings opportunities, and integrations with accounting and expense tools.

Ramp is available to U.S.-based businesses with an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a U.S. business bank account. Eligibility is based on a company's cash flow and business finances, not the founder's personal credit. Startups, fast-growing companies, and venture-backed businesses can all qualify—no personal guarantee required.

Applying for a Ramp's startup business credit card is easy. Just submit the email associated with your startup and click Apply Today. You'll be guided through a quick application process, which typically includes providing basic information about your startup's financials and operations.

Most businesses receive approval within one to three business days after applying.

Ramp's built-in expense management tools are designed to save your team hours. Every transaction is automatically coded, smart spend limits enforce themselves, and real-time reporting gives you instant visibility into where your money's going. For startups, that means less time chasing receipts—and more time growing the business.

Startups should look for cards that offer no fees, strong expense controls, scalability, and automation. Since lean teams often don't have dedicated finance staff, ease of use and real-time visibility are key. Ramp checks all of these boxes—offering automated spend management, no personal guarantee, and perks that actually matter for startups (like discounts on AWS, Notion, and more).

From onboarding new employees to issuing cards and managing financial data, Ramp has security built in every step of the way. Key safeguards include:

• Secure logins. Single sign-on (SSO) with Okta, Google, and Microsoft Azure, plus mandatory multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users.
• Fraud prevention. Virtual cards that can be restricted to specific vendors, real-time monitoring, and advanced risk analytics to block unauthorized charges.
• Data protection. Encryption at rest and in transit keeps financial and employee data secure at all times.
• Compliance and audits. Ramp maintains SOC 2 Type II certification and meets PCI standards for secure payment processing.