Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle)
Business banking with $5M FDIC sweep + perks marketplace ($200K+ partner credits) + free Mercury Raise community.
Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle) offers up to $200,000+ in partner credits to bootstrapped, pre-seed, seed startups, no VC referral required. Review takes 1–21 business days.
About
Mercury is a fintech banking platform (not a bank) with FDIC insurance up to $5M through partner banks, plus a curated Perks marketplace and Mercury Raise, a free founder community with data-driven investor matching. Partner perks include up to $5,000 AWS credits, $5,000 Azure credits, $200,000 off Google Cloud, 30% off QuickBooks, free Segment tier, and discounts on GitHub, Superhuman, 1Password. Non-residents should expect extended compliance review.
Tiers
- US entity
- Pass Mercury compliance review
- Any founder
Eligibility
- Must have US entity
- Pass Mercury compliance review
- For AWS perk: business name + email must match Mercury account exactly
- No US entity
- Previously received full AWS credits through another channel (reduces Mercury AWS perk)
How to apply
- 1
- 2Pass compliance reviewNon-residents: prepare for extended review and document requests.
- 3Browse perksGo to mercury.com/perks.
- 4Redeem individuallyEach perk has its own flow via the Mercury dashboard.
What else you get
- $0/month basic plan
- Up to $5M FDIC insurance via sweep networks
- Free USD wires, ACH
- API access (read/write) for all customers
- Corporate cards, SAFE-building tools, bill pay
- Mercury Treasury (high-yield on idle cash)
- Mercury Raise: free mentorship + investor matching
What credits cover (and don't)
- Banking
- Cards
- Treasury
- Bill pay
Tactical tips
- Tip 1.Apply for Mercury AWS perk before other AWS channels to avoid hitting the cap.
- Tip 2.Mercury Raise is underrated, free investor matching even if you don't bank with them.
- Tip 3.Open a Mercury Treasury account after a raise for high-yield on idle cash.
- Tip 4.Non-resident founders: expect weeks of review. Have Relay, Meow, or Wise Business as backup.
Common rejection reasons
- Non-resident founder on complex KYC path
- Mismatched business name or email with AWS application
Frequently asked about Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle)
Is Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle) free to apply?
Yes. Applying to Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle) does not cost anything and does not require giving up equity. Some programs require a payment method on file that activates only after credits are consumed or expire, check the program detail page for specifics.
How long does Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle) take to review applications?
Processing times are shown on the program detail page. Most programs reply within 1–3 weeks. Self-serve tiers (like AWS Activate Founders) can approve in 2–7 days; partner-referred tiers (like AWS Activate Portfolio) usually take 5–10 days.
Can I combine Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle) with other startup programs?
Most programs stack. The "Stacks well with" section on each detail page lists commonly combined programs. A few important exceptions: if you already claimed AWS credits via Brex or Mercury, your direct AWS Activate amount may be reduced.
What is the most common reason applications to Mercury get rejected?
The top rejection reasons are (1) using a personal Gmail/Outlook address instead of a company domain, (2) having a thin or placeholder website, and (3) mismatched information between the application and Crunchbase/Pitchbook. The tips section on the program page details program-specific factors.
Related programs
Brex
Startup-first corporate charge card with a Marketplace that rivals AWS Activate, $350K+ in partner discounts.
Ramp
Spend management + corporate card with $350K+ partner perks, including $2,500 OpenAI credits.