Brex vs Ramp vs Divvy: Best Expense Cards for Your Cleaning Business
Corporate cards aren't just for big tech companies anymore. For your cleaning business – whether residential, Airbnb turnover, or commercial – they are essential infrastructure. Managing expenses like cleaning supplies, fuel for vans, employee payroll, and subscription software for scheduling can get messy fast. Brex, Ramp, and Divvy all offer physical and virtual cards with spending limits, receipt capture, and accounting integrations. But they make very different trade-offs on rewards, credit limits, and who qualifies, impacting how you manage your cleaning crew's spending and save money.
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The Quick Answer for Cleaning Businesses
For most established cleaning businesses with consistent cash flow, **Ramp** is the strongest choice. It offers best-in-class expense automation for tracking everything from microfiber cloths to floor buffer repairs, no annual fees, and focuses relentlessly on saving money, not just earning rewards. For bootstrapped or newer cleaning companies that need a reliable credit line without a huge cash balance upfront, **Divvy** (now BILL Spend and Expense) is likely the right fit. It allows you to carry a balance if needed, which can be crucial for managing payroll or large supply orders. **Brex** is less common for typical cleaning businesses but could be a fit for rapidly scaling, venture-backed cleaning franchises that need extremely high credit limits tied to their funding.
Side-by-Side Breakdown for Cleaning Companies
Here's how each option stacks up for a cleaning business owner:
**Ramp:** * **Cost:** Free platform. * **Card Type:** Charge card (must pay monthly in full). * **Credit Limits:** Based on cash in your business bank account, typically 50-75% of your cash balance. This means if you keep a good operating reserve from client payments, your limit for supplies, equipment, and fuel will be solid. * **Rewards:** 1.5% cashback on everything, which can add up on recurring supply orders from Costco or Amazon Business. * **Automation:** Best-in-class for matching receipts (e.g., snapping a photo of your cleaning supply invoice), accounting automation (syncing fuel costs to QuickBooks), and spend intelligence. * **Personal Guarantee:** No personal guarantee required.
**Brex:** * **Cost:** Free for startups, $12/user/month for premium features. * **Card Type:** Charge card. * **Credit Limits:** Based on funding and cash position – high limits for well-funded businesses. This typically means venture capital, not common for most cleaning businesses unless you're a large, multi-franchise operation. * **Rewards:** Tiered rewards (travel, dining, software). Travel isn't a primary expense for most cleaning businesses. * **Personal Guarantee:** No personal guarantee required for VC-backed companies.
**Divvy (BILL Spend and Expense):** * **Cost:** Free. * **Card Type:** Revolving credit line (can carry a balance). * **Credit Limits:** Determined by BILL's underwriting. This is often more accessible to cleaning businesses without institutional funding, as it looks at your business's overall health and payment history. * **Rewards:** Earned by paying weekly rather than monthly, rewarding businesses with faster payment cycles. * **Personal Guarantee:** Sometimes required, which is common for small, bootstrapped businesses seeking credit.
When to Choose Ramp for Your Cleaning Business
Choose Ramp if your cleaning business has meaningful cash in the bank (at least $75K, for instance, from consistent client contracts) and you want your credit limit tied to that cash position. This is ideal for more established residential or commercial cleaning companies. Ramp shines if you want to automate expense reporting for recurring costs like cleaning chemicals, rags, vacuum bags, and employee fuel cards. Its AI receipt matching means your cleaners can snap a photo of a supply store receipt (e.g., from Home Depot or a local janitorial supply store), and it syncs right up. You'll close your books faster, which is a huge win for managing multiple cleaners and client accounts. Ramp focuses more on saving you money on your overall spend rather than just giving points. It integrates cleanly with accounting software like QuickBooks, Xero, or NetSuite, making payroll and expense reconciliation much smoother.
When to Choose Brex for Your Cleaning Business
Brex is generally less suited for the average residential or commercial cleaning business. It's designed for businesses that are venture-backed or have just raised a large funding round and need a very high credit limit that matches their significant cash runway. While cleaning businesses do purchase equipment like commercial vacuums ($500-$1000 each) or floor scrubbers ($2,000-$5,000), these typically don't require the sky-high limits Brex offers based on VC funding. If your cleaning business somehow secured millions in institutional funding for rapid national expansion, Brex might offer suitable limits for large fleet purchases or opening dozens of new branches. Its premium travel rewards are also not a primary benefit for most local cleaning service operations.
When to Choose Divvy for Your Cleaning Business
Divvy is a strong contender if you run a bootstrapped cleaning business or are a small company without institutional funding but need a true credit line. Many new house cleaning services or independent commercial cleaners fall into this category. You might need to carry a balance occasionally – for example, if you have a big payroll run for your team before all client invoices have cleared, or if you need to buy a large order of specialized cleaning products. Divvy offers the flexibility of a revolving credit line. If you're comfortable with the larger BILL ecosystem (which handles invoicing and payments), Divvy fits right in. You can maximize your rewards by committing to weekly payoff cadences, which can align well with weekly or bi-weekly cleaning payrolls.
The Verdict for Your Cleaning Business
For most established cleaning businesses with consistent revenue and a healthy operating account: **Ramp** for its robust automation and cost-saving features, perfect for managing ongoing supply and fuel expenses. For bootstrapped cleaning businesses under $1M in revenue that need a real credit line and flexibility with payments: **Divvy**. It's ideal for managing variable cash flow, unexpected equipment repairs (like a broken power washer), or large inventory buys. All three platforms offer their core expense management features for free – the main differences for your cleaning business will be in how they underwrite you (what credit limit you get), their rewards structure (cashback vs. points), and the payment terms.
How to Get Started with Your Cleaning Business Card
Ready to get a corporate card for your cleaning business?
**Ramp:** Apply online in under 10 minutes. You'll connect your business bank account, and Ramp uses your cash balance to set your initial credit limit for buying supplies, paying for software, and covering fuel costs. Physical cards are usually issued within 1-3 business days.
**Brex:** Apply at brex.com. If your cleaning business is funded by significant investment (rare for most), have your funding documentation ready. Limits are set at onboarding and can increase as your business grows.
**Divvy:** Apply through BILL. The underwriting process typically takes 1-3 days. Initial credit limits might start lower than Ramp or Brex for early-stage cleaning businesses but can grow steadily as your payment history improves and your cleaning company expands its client base.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Ramp
Free expense management + corporate cards
Brex
Corporate cards for startups and growth companies
Divvy
Business credit + expense management by BILL
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do Ramp and Brex require a personal guarantee?
Generally no, for charge cards. Ramp and Brex use your business cash position or funding to underwrite limits without requiring a personal guarantee. Divvy may require one for newer businesses or lower credit profiles.
Can I use these alongside my existing bank account?
Yes. None of these are banks (except Brex, which has its own cash management product). You keep your business bank account and use the card platform on top of it.
What happens to my Brex account if I run out of runway?
Brex monitors cash position and can reduce limits if cash falls significantly. If you shut down, any outstanding balance is due immediately. Charge cards require full payoff and cannot be used as a bridge.