Submitting a Brex application
Overview
As you prepare to apply for your Brex account, we want to ensure you have all the information necessary to complete your application. Here is some of the content you can expect to see referenced on the application, as well as some of the documents we’ll ask for.
Before you submit your application, you must first verify that you meet all of the Brex Account requirements listed here.
Note: What you’ll need to submit will depend on your business type.
Brex application documents
Before you begin your application, please make sure you have all the following information and documentation handy, so you can provide it when asked.
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, U.S. federal law requires that financial institutions obtain, verify, and record Company Data and Personal Data identifying companies and their Beneficial Owners and Control Persons.
ID
We use photo IDs as part of our Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements for account creation. We accept:
- Passports (and passport cards)
- US driver's license
- State ID cards
Note: All forms of identification must be currently active and not expired.
Social security number
To comply with the Know Your Customer (KYC) US regulatory requirements, we may ask for your social security number during the application process. This number will not be used to underwrite your account or conduct a credit check.
Account details verification
To help keep your Brex account details accurate, we’ll periodically prompt account and/or card admins to review and confirm various account information. This can include things like your address, industry, beneficial ownership information, etc. Only one account or card admin on your account will need to confirm this information, but all account or card admins will receive weekly prompts via email until this has been completed. You can verify your information by either clicking on the prompt in the email or the banner notification in your Brex dashboard.
Company website
If your company does not have a company website yet, you can enter www.nowebsite.com to move forward with your application. To provide our team with the information they will need to review your application, please reach out to our support team with a business one-pager.
EIN
An EIN is an “Employer Identification Number” or a nine-digit number that is issued by the IRS and used to uniquely identify legal entities operating in the United States. Think of it as a Social Security Number (SSN) for your business. Companies must be incorporated as an independent legal entity, like an LLC or S-Corp, to apply for an EIN. The IRS uses this number to keep track of business tax return filers.
License and registration
Obtaining a license and registration from regulated customers is part of our due diligence requirements. When you add a financial institution to your account as an entity, we’ll ask for this entity’s registration or license number to help us verify that it’s licensed.
IRS letter
During the application process, we may ask for a PDF of your IRS letter to confirm your EIN. However, if you’ve recently registered with the IRS, there can be a delay before you receive that document by mail. In this case, we may temporarily accept a screenshot of the IRS website confirming that your letter has been mailed. To expedite the process while you wait for your letter, please get in touch with Brex Support. Brex uses an IRS letter (form CP 575 or 147-C) to verify your business name and Employer Identification Number. To successfully upload this document on your dashboard, please ensure it meets the following specifications:
- The document is in PDF format.
- The image is clear and the document is in full frame.
- The correct form is being used as per the example below.
If you’re having trouble finding your letter, check with your accountant, or request a copy of the letter from the IRS.
Business description
During the application process, Brex requires a description of your business. This description can be a brief statement (three to four sentences) that provides an overview of your business and its product/service offering.
Brex application questions
The following are terms or questions that you may see referenced throughout your application process. Below is a brief overview of their meaning.
Step 1: Select Brex products
From the list, choose which Brex products best suit your business needs. If you plan to use reimbursements, bill pay, or travel, you are required to have either a corporate card or Brex business account.
Product intent usage
We’ll ask you to explain your intended use for a Brex account when you apply. Having this information helps us fulfill certain regulatory requirements, and gives us insight into your business needs.
Step 2: Verify your business
Provide basic details about your company such as business address, incorporation details, and ownership information. This helps us to understand and serve your company better.
The specific information that we’ll need depends on whether you’ve already raised funds from professional investors, whether you haven’t yet but plan to, or whether you do not plan to at all.
Business description
During the application process, Brex requires a description of your business. This description can be a brief statement (three to four sentences) that provides an overview of your business and its product/service offering.
Business incorporation details
During the application process, Brex requires confirmation of a valid business incorporation type and EIN. Incorporating your business requires converting it from a sole proprietorship to a formally recognized and state-registered company.
Only companies organized and registered in the United States, such as C-corps, S-corps, LLCs, or LLPs, may apply for a Brex account and access our services. Individual consumers, sole proprietors, and unincorporated partnerships are not yet permitted to open a Brex account. Essentials You’ll also be asked to provide company ownership information, which must be completed before moving to the next step. PremiumEnterpriseSmart card You can move to the next step and apply for financial services after you complete your initial business verification. If you’re not ready to apply for financial services yet, you can skip to Step 2a and provide your company’s ownership information first. To select your preferred financial product (the Brex business account and/or the Brex card), follow the prompts that appear on your screen.
Step 2a: Provide your business/company owner details
PremiumEnterpriseSmart card If you haven’t already, we’ll ask you to verify your business owner/account owner by providing their Social Security number or valid ID, among other details.
Step 3: Apply for financial services
We use connected bank accounts to help determine your company's credit limit. Your credit limit is the total amount your entire team — across all of your cards and spend limits — can spend during a given statement period. Essentials You can connect your bank account using Plaid to give us a real-time look into your financials, or indicate that you want to upload bank statements, instead. If you don’t have the right financial data available, you can tell us more about your financial situation to help make sure we get you the appropriate spending limit. After adding your initial bank connection, yyou can connect additional bank accounts in your dashboard under Accounts > External accounts. You can also view, remove, or fix current connections from this same place.