Ramp
Spend management + corporate card with $350K+ partner perks, including $2,500 OpenAI credits.
Ramp offers up to $350,000+ in partner perks to bootstrapped, pre-seed, seed startups, no VC referral required. Review takes 1–2 business days.
About
Ramp is spend management + corporate card with a startup tier that's often more accessible than Brex for earlier-stage or lower-balance startups. The Rewards marketplace includes $2,500 OpenAI API credits, 20% off AngelList Stack, 30% off Drata, 15% off Google Workspace, $300 Indeed credit, up to 40% off Vanta for <25 employees, $1,500 off compliance (Secureframe, Drata), 20% off Deel, and more. Also includes vendor-negotiation services averaging 27% savings.
Tiers
- US corporate entity required
- Usually more flexible on cash balance than Brex
Eligibility
- US corporate entity
- Revenue or funding typically required
- Non-US entity
How to apply
- 1
- 2Wait1–2 business days for decision.
- 3Connect bankOpen or connect a bank account.
- 4Use Rewards marketplaceRedeem partner perks from the dashboard.
What else you get
- Up to $2,500 OpenAI API credits (cleanest path without VC referral)
- 20% off AngelList Stack year 1
- 30% off Drata first contract
- 15% off Google Workspace year 1
- Perplexity Enterprise Pro discount
- 50% off Amazon Business Prime
- $300 Indeed Sponsored Job credit
- Up to 40% off Vanta for <25-member startups
- $1,500 off compliance (Secureframe, Drata), SOC 2, HIPAA, ISO 27001, 42001, GDPR, PCI DSS
- 20% off Deel
- 10% off BoomPop event planning
- Up to 50% UPS shipping
- No annual fee, no FX fees
- AI-powered spend controls, receipt capture, expense automation
- Vendor negotiation service (avg 27% savings)
What credits cover (and don't)
- Corporate card spend
- Bill pay
- Procurement
- Travel
Tactical tips
- Tip 1.Ramp's OpenAI credit is one of the cleanest paths to $2,500 without a VC referral.
- Tip 2.Use the negotiation service, they actually call vendors and lower your contracts.
- Tip 3.Compare Brex vs Ramp on the partners you actually need: Brex skews travel/dining, Ramp skews software/tools.
- Tip 4.Compliance perks are real money: SOC 2 costs $10–20K normally, $1,500 off is meaningful.
Common rejection reasons
- No US entity
- Insufficient company financials
Frequently asked about Ramp
Is Ramp free to apply?
Yes. Applying to Ramp 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 Ramp 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 Ramp 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 Ramp 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.
Mercury (Raise + Perks Bundle)
Business banking with $5M FDIC sweep + perks marketplace ($200K+ partner credits) + free Mercury Raise community.