Mercury vs Brex vs Relay: Best Bank Accounts for Private Healthcare & MedSpa Practices

The Quick Answer

For most new private healthcare practices or MedSpas, Mercury is a solid starting point: it's easy to use, has no monthly fees, a strong API for connecting to your practice management software, and it just works. Relay is a stronger choice if your clinic has multiple staff members handling payments, needs separate accounts for different revenue streams (like aesthetic treatments vs. physical therapy) or expense categories (payroll, medical supplies, facility rent), and requires strict control over who can access what. Brex Cash is best if you plan to use Brex for your clinic's corporate credit card, offering one place to manage all your spending and cash.

Side-by-Side Breakdown

Mercury: No monthly fees. No minimum balance required, making it easy for a new clinic. FDIC insured up to $5M across partner banks. Offers a Treasury product to earn interest on your practice’s extra cash, which is great for saving for a new laser machine or clinic expansion. Strong API for connecting with practice management or accounting software. Supports ACH for payroll, wires for large equipment purchases, and checks for rent.

Relay: No monthly fees (Relay Pro at $30/month adds features like faster payments). Provides up to 20 checking accounts and 50 debit cards, perfect for segmenting funds for different clinic operations like 'Payroll,' 'Medical Supplies,' 'Facility Costs,' and 'Owner's Draws.' Offers robust team permission controls, allowing your office manager to handle vendor payments while limiting access for other staff. Ideal for practices with diverse revenue streams, such as cash-pay services, product sales, or insurance reimbursements.

Brex Cash: Free when you use the Brex corporate card for your clinic. FDIC insured up to $6M. Can earn interest on your practice's daily operating cash, helping your money grow without moving it. Seamlessly connects with Brex expense management for tracking spending on medical supplies, marketing, or facility upgrades. Note: you can't open a Brex Cash account by itself; it requires using their corporate card.

When to Choose Mercury

Choose Mercury if you are a solo practitioner, an NP, PT, or MD opening your first private practice or MedSpa, and you need a straightforward, no-fee bank account that’s ready quickly. It's ideal if you plan to integrate your banking with practice management software like Jane App, Acuity Scheduling, or accounting tools like QuickBooks, thanks to its robust API. If you want one main account for daily patient payments and expenses, plus an option to earn yield on extra cash saved for future equipment (like a new Zimmer Cryo machine) or clinic expansion, Mercury fits well. It’s also very easy to set up, often approving new healthcare practices within 24-48 hours.

When to Choose Relay

Relay is best if your private practice or MedSpa has multiple team members (e.g., front desk staff, nurses, aestheticians) who need to make payments, and you require strict role-based controls. For example, your office manager can pay vendor invoices for medical supplies and cleaning services, while the owner handles payroll and large equipment leases. It's also perfect if you follow the 'Profit First' method or simply want to organize your clinic’s money into separate 'buckets' for things like: 'Patient Payments,' 'Payroll,' 'Taxes,' 'Medical Supplies & Inventory,' 'Facility Rent,' and 'Owner Compensation.' This helps you clearly see where every dollar goes and ensures funds are set aside for critical clinic expenses.

When to Choose Brex Cash

Consider Brex Cash if your MedSpa or private practice is already using the Brex corporate credit card for things like marketing spend on patient acquisition, ordering high-value injectables, or covering travel to medical conferences. It provides a single platform to manage all your clinic’s spending, process staff reimbursements (e.g., for CME courses), and hold your operating cash. You’ll appreciate earning yield on your daily bank balance without needing a separate Treasury account, and seeing your corporate card spend alongside your cash balance in one clean dashboard, making expense tracking for things like EMR software subscriptions or lab fees much simpler.

The Verdict

For most new private healthcare practices or MedSpas, Mercury is the most straightforward choice. It offers excellent features for a new clinic, a clean interface, and no hidden fees. If your practice grows to include more staff and you need to tightly manage different revenue streams or expense categories (like separating funds for IV drips versus aesthetic services), then Relay's multi-account system becomes very valuable. If you choose the Brex corporate card for your clinic’s expenses, then integrating with Brex Cash makes sense for unified financial management.

How to Get Started

Mercury: Apply at mercury.com with your clinic's EIN, legal formation documents (e.g., LLC operating agreement, articles of incorporation), and your personal ID. Most private practices get approved quickly, often within 24-48 hours, so you can start accepting patient payments.

Relay: Apply at relayfi.com. Before you open, plan out your clinic’s financial structure. Decide in advance how many separate accounts you’ll need for things like 'Payroll,' 'Taxes,' 'Medical Supplies,' 'Rent,' and 'Owner's Compensation.' This upfront planning will save you time later as your practice grows.

Brex Cash: You’ll open Brex Cash as part of the Brex onboarding process when you apply for their corporate card for your practice. Remember, Brex Cash is not available as a separate checking account product; it’s tied to using their corporate card.

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