Ramp vs Brex vs American Express Business Card for Cleaning Services: Which is Best?
Running a successful cleaning business – whether it's residential, Airbnb, or commercial – means managing many moving parts. From buying bulk cleaning supplies to paying your team, a business credit card isn't just about rewards. The right card helps you track every expense for tax time, keeps your business and personal money separate, gives you control over team spending for things like fuel or emergency supplies, and ideally, protects your personal credit. The wrong choice can tie your personal finances to every mop and bucket purchase for years.
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The Quick Answer
For most established cleaning businesses with steady income, Ramp offers solid 1.5% cashback on all purchases, from Lysol wipes to new vacuums, plus excellent tools to track those expenses, all with no annual fee. If your cleaning business has significant cash in the bank and is scaling fast (like a multi-city commercial cleaning operation), Brex provides high spending limits without needing your personal guarantee. If you have great personal credit and want premium travel rewards or cash back in specific categories like advertising (to get more clients), Amex Business might be worth the fee, but remember it links to your personal credit.
Side-by-Side Breakdown
Ramp: $0 annual fee. 1.5% cashback on every cleaning purchase – from bulk microfiber cloths to specialized floor cleaners. No personal guarantee for qualifying cleaning businesses. Offers excellent spend controls for team members buying supplies or fuel. Best for cleaning services that want simple rewards and robust expense tracking for their recurring supply orders, payroll, and marketing.
Brex: $0 annual fee. Tiered rewards (e.g., higher on software for scheduling, or rideshare for emergency crew transport). No personal guarantee. Great spend controls for managers overseeing multiple cleaning crews. Best for well-funded or high-volume commercial cleaning operations with strong business bank balances as collateral, looking to expand quickly.
Amex Business Gold/Platinum: $295-$695 annual fee. Gold offers 4x on your top two spending categories (could be online advertising for new clients, or potentially fuel/shipping if that's a high spend). Platinum offers extensive travel perks (less common for most local cleaning businesses, unless bidding for national contracts). Requires a personal guarantee from the owner. Basic spend controls. Best for cleaning business owners with strong personal credit who spend a lot on specific categories like online advertising to find new clients, or if they travel often for business development.
When to Choose Ramp
Ramp is the straightforward choice for cleaning businesses with real, consistent revenue. There's no annual fee, you get 1.5% cash back on *everything* you buy – from a new $800 commercial vacuum to $200 weekly supply runs for green cleaning products. It also has top-tier expense management, like matching receipts to purchases (great for those small hardware store runs) and integrating with accounting software like QuickBooks, making tax season easier. To qualify, your cleaning business typically needs a business bank account with a minimum balance, usually around $25,000. This makes it ideal for established residential cleaning services or growing commercial accounts.
When to Choose Brex
Brex is built for cleaning businesses that have raised money (e.g., angel investment for a tech-enabled cleaning app) or have a very strong business bank balance. Your credit limit is based on your cash deposits, not your personal credit score. This means limits that truly reflect your business's ability to pay, useful for large equipment purchases or scaling quickly across multiple locations. While the rewards are good on specific categories, note that Brex has recently focused more on larger, growth-stage startups. Smaller, newer cleaning services, especially those not venture-backed, might find it harder to get approved.
When to Choose American Express Business
Amex Business cards require a personal guarantee from the cleaning business owner, meaning your personal credit is linked to the business debt. However, they offer rewards that many fintech cards can't match for specific spending. For example, the Business Gold card gives 4x points on your two highest spend categories. If your cleaning business spends heavily on online advertising to get new clients, or on fuel for your fleet, these categories could earn you significant rewards. The Platinum card, with its high annual fee, is usually only worth it if you travel a lot for your cleaning business, like flying to bid on large commercial contracts or attending industry trade shows, and can use the airport lounge access and travel credits.
The Verdict
For most established residential or small commercial cleaning businesses, Ramp is a strong contender due to its straightforward cashback and excellent expense management. Brex is better suited for larger, high-growth cleaning operations with significant capital. Amex is for cleaning business owners with strong personal credit who want premium rewards from specific spending like advertising or business travel. Don't pick a card just for a temporary sign-up bonus; the card you use daily for your cleaning supplies, payroll, and marketing over two years will have a much bigger impact.
How to Get Started
Ramp: Apply at ramp.com. You'll need your cleaning business's EIN, business bank account details, and to meet their minimum deposit balance requirement. Brex: Apply at brex.com. Approval is generally easier for cleaning businesses that are venture-backed or have very high operating cash. Amex: Apply at americanexpress.com/business. You'll need your SSN for a personal credit check and an estimate of your cleaning business's revenue. All three applications typically take under 20 minutes.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS
Ramp
Best expense management with 1.5% cashback and no annual fee
Brex
Corporate cards with no personal guarantee for funded startups
American Express Business
Premium business cards with strong rewards for qualifying businesses
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will applying for a business card hurt my personal credit?
Amex and most traditional business cards do a hard pull on your personal credit. Ramp and Brex do not — they evaluate your business bank balance instead.
Do I need a business credit card or can I use a personal card?
Mixing personal and business expenses creates an accounting nightmare and weakens the liability protection your LLC provides. Always use a dedicated business card.
How do I build business credit if I am brand new?
Start with a business bank account and EIN. Apply for a secured business credit card or a card that does not require credit history. Pay in full every month. After 12-24 months, your business credit profile develops.
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