Emburse Spend Card is a business prepaid card designed for business owners who want to monitor real-time transactions through Emburse Spend and create unlimited virtual and physical employee cards at no cost. It lets you earn an unlimited 1% cash back and doesn’t charge local transaction fees. However, it can’t be used at ATMs.
 Emburse Spend CardBEST FOR: Earning unlimited cash back rewards | |
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When evaluating business prepaid cards such as the Emburse Spend Card, we first consider the features included in their expense management system. Additionally, we look at any additional fees and rewards.
Grading Criteria | Card Score | Highest Possible Score |
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Features (Expense Management System) | 50 | 60 |
Fees | 20 | 20 |
Rewards | 15 | 20 |
Total Score | 85 | 100 |
Who the Emburse Spend Card Is Best For
- Those who need multiple virtual and physical cards: Emburse Spend lets you create unlimited virtual and physical cards at no additional cost.
- Those who want to manage their expenses easily: This card has an expense management system, which lets business owners approve or reject transactions made by their employees.
If this card doesn’t fit your needs, see our recommended alternatives below.
Emburse Spend Card Rewards
- Unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases
Emburse Spend Card Calculator
Use our calculator to determine the estimated cash back earned when using this card for your business spending. Input your estimated monthly spend and let our calculator do the rest.
How To Redeem Emburse Spend Card Rewards
Earned cash back will apply to your Emburse Cards Funding account for future spending, which will then be added to your account’s Available Balance the following month. Note that these are only applied to your Emburse Cards funding account. If you want the amount of rebate to be added to a bank account, email support@cards.emburse.com to initiate a transfer for that amount to your connected bank account.
Emburse Spend Card Features
Cards
Emburse Spend Cards are issued by Celtic Bank, a Utah-Chartered Industrial Bank―member Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). You can also choose to issue either an American Express (AMEX) or Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) card in Emburse Spend, making it easier to bring existing bank relationships and credit lines with them while still taking advantage of Emburse Spend’s automated reconciliation and spend controls.
Virtual cards can be requested for users with the American Express Virtual Card Program. While virtual cards are available instantaneously, physical cards will arrive within five to eight business days after application.
Emburse has recently launched its new Expedited Card Shipping update, which now offers “Express shipping” as an option for approved account holders. This can help account holders track information and speed up the estimated delivery time from five to eight business days to four to five business days. This update also provides account holders with an option to add signature verification for better visibility and security.
Note that you cannot use Emburse Cards at ATMs.
Funds
Emburse Spend Card has a default $50,000 budget ceiling, but this can be increased with additional review.
Expense Management System
Emburse Spend, available on iOS and PC (Windows and Mac), lets users track real-time expenses, categorize vendors, and approve or reject transactions. It’s free for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, but it also has a premium version—you can ask for more information by requesting a demo with Emburse.
Using Emburse Spend can help business owners prevent policy violations, identify anomalies, create customized business reports, and keep every expense compliant. In addition, they can set the limit on the virtual and plastic cards they issue, capture receipt and expense details in real-time for immediate reconciliation, and manage transactions with ERP and accounting integrations, which include NetSuite, Sage Intacct, QuickBooks Online, and Xero.
Emburse Analytics, another of Emburse’s portfolio of business apps, can help you make data-driven decisions to help improve your financial health. Business owners can set their budgets better, increase accountability among leaders and employees, and improve compliance. Note that Emburse Analytics is available only for Beta customers.
Emburse has a portfolio of business apps which includes Emburse Spend and Emburse Abacus.
Pros & Cons of the Emburse Spend Card
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Lets you issue unlimited virtual and physical cards | Cannot allow Emburse Cards at ATMs |
| Does not require a personal guarantee | May be charged with a subscription cost depending on the number of your employees or if you want access to all features of Emburse Spend |
| Charges $0 additional fees | |
Emburse Spend Card Fees
Emburse Spend Card charges $0 fees for adding virtual and physical cards and for domestic transactions.
- Automatic clearing house (ACH): Go to the “Bank Account” tab in your Settings page to connect to your bank. Note that you can connect automatically to the following banks: Bank of America, Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, USAA, Charles Schwab, Capital One, TD Bank, Navy Federal, and SunTrust.
- Account and routing number: If your bank isn’t on the list above or you want to connect your bank manually, you can do so by selecting “Connect to any US bank manually” on your Settings page. Then, find your bank account and routing numbers at the bottom of a check in your checkbook or your online banking profile. Note that you need to use your electronic routing number, as some banks have different routing numbers for paper, wire, and electronic transfers.
Emburse Spend Card Alternatives
Capital One® Spark® 1% Classic
Emburse Spend Card will not allow you to build up your business credit score. Consider the Capital One® Spark® 1% Classic as an excellent alternative if you need an unsecured business credit card that can help you build up your business credit score and earn unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases with $0 annual fees.
Capital One Spark 1% Classic
BEST FOR:
Those with fair credit
- 1% cash back every time you swipe
- Build your business credit through responsible usage
- Issue employee cards for free
Pros
- Opportunity to build business credit
- Only requires fair credit to qualify
- Doesn’t charge annual and balance transfer fees
Cons
- Charges high ongoing APR
- Has no 0% introductory APR
- No welcome offer
- Automatic payments: Setting up AutoPay in the Capital One mobile app will save you from having to worry about signing in to your account every month
- $0 fraud liability: If your card is either lost or stolen, you can get an emergency replacement and cash advance.
- Purchase records: You can download all purchase records quickly and securely in multiple formats, including Quicken®, QuickBooks®, and Excel®.
- Extended warranty: Get free additional warranty and protection on eligible items purchased with your business credit card.
- Free employee cards: You can create multiple employee cards, track employee spending, and customize spending limits while earning all the rewards from their purchases.
- 1% cash back every time you swipe
- Build your business credit through responsible usage
- Issue employee cards for free
Pros
- Opportunity to build business credit
- Only requires fair credit to qualify
- Doesn’t charge annual and balance transfer fees
Cons
- Charges high ongoing APR
- Has no 0% introductory APR
- No welcome offer
- Automatic payments: Setting up AutoPay in the Capital One mobile app will save you from having to worry about signing in to your account every month
- $0 fraud liability: If your card is either lost or stolen, you can get an emergency replacement and cash advance.
- Purchase records: You can download all purchase records quickly and securely in multiple formats, including Quicken®, QuickBooks®, and Excel®.
- Extended warranty: Get free additional warranty and protection on eligible items purchased with your business credit card.
- Free employee cards: You can create multiple employee cards, track employee spending, and customize spending limits while earning all the rewards from their purchases.
Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card
The Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card is a viable option for those who are looking for a card that allows ATM cash withdrawals. It also charges $0 annual fees and has a 0% introductory period on purchases and earns unlimited cash back rewards.
Valley Visa® Secured Business Credit Card
BEST FOR:
Those who need a secured business credit card with fixed-rate cash back rewards
- 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases
- 110% percent of your approved credit limit
- $1,000 to $25,000, based on customer request
Pros
- Applicants with poor or limited credit history can still qualify
- Offers 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers for six billing cycles
- $0 annual fee
- Offers 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases
- Report to major credit bureaus
Cons
- Credit limits are capped to $25,000
- Requires refundable security deposit of 110% credit limit
- Up to 25 free employee cards only
- Charges foreign transaction fee
- Online account access: Manage your account conveniently through online access.
- Fraud protection alerts: Immediate alerts for suspected fraudulent transactions.
- Visa purchase alerts: Receive near real-time notifications via email or text message for transactions made with your enrolled Visa card.
- Report to major credit bureaus: The card reports account information and transactions to major credit bureaus each month, helping users build credit with responsible use.
- 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases
- 110% percent of your approved credit limit
- $1,000 to $25,000, based on customer request
Pros
- Applicants with poor or limited credit history can still qualify
- Offers 0% APR on both purchases and balance transfers for six billing cycles
- $0 annual fee
- Offers 1% unlimited cash back on all purchases
- Report to major credit bureaus
Cons
- Credit limits are capped to $25,000
- Requires refundable security deposit of 110% credit limit
- Up to 25 free employee cards only
- Charges foreign transaction fee
- Online account access: Manage your account conveniently through online access.
- Fraud protection alerts: Immediate alerts for suspected fraudulent transactions.
- Visa purchase alerts: Receive near real-time notifications via email or text message for transactions made with your enrolled Visa card.
- Report to major credit bureaus: The card reports account information and transactions to major credit bureaus each month, helping users build credit with responsible use.
Brex Card
Given that Emburse Spend Card does not offer options on whether you want to pay your balances daily or monthly, the Brex Card is a great alternative business prepaid card choice if you want that feature. This card also lets you earn premium points rewards on selected spending categories.
 Brex CardBEST FOR: Those who want daily or monthly payments | |
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, it is possible to connect most major card program feeds to Emburse Spend, giving you the full spend visibility across Emburse Cards and other corporate card programs.
Verifiable information, such as a legal business name, employer identification number (EIN), physical company address, and type of business, are what you need when applying for an Emburse Spend account.
Note that only organizations incorporated in the US may register for an Emburse Spend account.
Each issued Emburse Spend Card includes a set of preloaded spending rules that are mirrored to your existing policies, which make it easier to control every purchase. You can simplify each expense through direct integration.
Bottom Line
Emburse Spend Card is a viable option if you want a business prepaid card that lets you track real-time transactions from your employee cards. It offers unlimited 1% cash back on all purchases and comes with unlimited virtual and physical cards. However, it lacks a sign-up bonus and cannot be used at ATMs.
