The Mercury Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Mercury in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Mercury
The Insider’s Guide
Business banking with cards, expenses, bill pay and invoicing
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among spend and bill pay tools, read from Mercury’s own pages.
Made by Mercury · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Mercury’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Mercury’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.0
GPA, above 69 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade
Mercury is a fintech company that offers business checking and savings, company debit and credit cards, expense management, bill pay and invoicing from one dashboard. It is not an FDIC-insured bank; accounts are provided through partner banks Choice Financial Group and Column N.A. Paid plans add invoicing extras and support, and Books and Payroll are sold as add-ons.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Mercury, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You open a business bank account, which takes setup and verification.
- 1
Best for online business banking for startups
Mercury is online business banking with checking, savings, company cards, expense management, bill pay and invoicing on a $0 plan.
- 2
Paid plans start at $29.90 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $29.90 per month, billed annually.
- 3
There is a free plan
The Mercury plan is $0 a month with checking and savings, cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay.
- 4
It runs on 2 platforms
Web and iOS.
- 5
Company cards
Virtual and physical debit and credit cards, with custom spend limits, merchant-locked cards and duplicate subscription detection. Corporate credit cards earn 1.5% cashback.
- 6
Expense management
Employee cards with limits, automatic receipt matching for card transactions, custom categories and reimbursements, including mileage.
- 7
Bill pay and payments
Free domestic ACH, wires, real-time payments and checks in USD, plus payment by ACH debit or wire drawdown.
- 8
A 3.0 GPA, above 69 of 76
That is against the other spend and bill pay tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Mercury you would be making cards issued through a bank. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Mercury at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $29.90 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial of Mercury Plus
- Runs on
- Web, iOS
- Made by
- Mercury
- Category
- Spend & Bill Pay
- Our grade
- 3.0 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 13,837 ratings
The report card
Best for online business banking for startups
Mercury is online business banking with checking, savings, company cards, expense management, bill pay and invoicing on a $0 plan. It isn't an FDIC-insured bank, and Plus at $29.90 and Pro at $299 add invoicing extras and support, while Books and Payroll cost extra.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B | The Mercury plan is $0, with Plus at $29.90 a month and Pro at $299 on yearly billing. The core is free, so the paid plans are optional. |
| Free plan and trial | A | The $0 plan has no monthly fee or minimum balance, with cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay. A 30-day free trial of Plus is offered. |
| Features | B | Company cards, expense management, bill pay and payments, invoicing and accounting integrations on the free plan. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. You open a business bank account, which takes setup and verification. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web and iPhone, with QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite. No Android or desktop app listed. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Mercury is for
- Fits if you run a startup and want cards, bill pay and invoicing on a $0 account
- Works for companies that send USD payments and sync to QuickBooks or Xero
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you use Android, as only web and iPhone are listed
- Pricey if you want ACH debit invoicing at $0 or a relationship manager, which sit on Pro at $299 a month
- Watch out: Mercury isn't an FDIC-insured bank, as banking comes from Choice Financial Group and Column N.A.
- Watch out: non-USD international wires carry a 1% exchange fee and non-USD card transactions 3%
- Watch out: Books is $35 a month and Payroll $100 plus $50 a person, both waived only until 31 December 2026
Good to know
Good for
- Startups and small companies that want banking and spend controls in one account
- Teams that issue cards to employees and want receipts matched automatically
- Businesses that send many USD payments and want no per-payment fees
Worth knowing
- Mercury is not an FDIC-insured bank; banking is provided through Choice Financial Group and Column N.A., Members FDIC.
- Non-USD international wires carry a 1% currency exchange fee, and non-USD card transactions carry 3%.
- Mercury Books is $35 a month and Mercury Payroll is $100 a month plus $50 per person paid, both waived until Dec 31, 2026.
- Treasury, which pays up to 4.21% yield, is available only with a $250K Mercury balance, and Stripe fees apply to credit card invoice payments.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$29.90
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Mercury has a free plan. Paid plans start at $29.90 per month, billed annually.
The core is free, so the paid plans are optional.
Mercury
$0
No monthly fees or minimum balance. Includes company cards, expense management, bill pay, invoicing and free USD ACH, wires and real-time payments.
Mercury Plus
$29.90
per month, billed annually
Adds recurring invoices, ACH debit invoicing at $1 per transaction, unlimited 1099 filings, priority support and 6 months of free Xero.
Mercury Pro
$299
per month, billed annually
Adds a relationship manager, ACH debit invoicing at $0 per transaction and NetSuite categorizations on top of what Plus has.
The free plan
The Mercury plan is $0 a month with checking and savings, cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay.
Trying it first
30-day free trial of Mercury Plus
Read from mercury.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
15% off with annual billing
The pricing page toggle reads Annual Pricing (15% off), and was on by default when read. The monthly-billed price is not shown.
Stated on mercury.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: Web and iOS
Business banking with cards, expenses, bill pay and invoicing. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: invoicing, bookkeeping, expense tracking, payroll, bill pay, company cards.
Company cards, expense management, bill pay and payments, invoicing and accounting integrations on the free plan.
- Company cards
- Virtual and physical debit and credit cards, with custom spend limits, merchant-locked cards and duplicate subscription detection. Corporate credit cards earn 1.5% cashback.
- Expense management
- Employee cards with limits, automatic receipt matching for card transactions, custom categories and reimbursements, including mileage.
- Bill pay and payments
- Free domestic ACH, wires, real-time payments and checks in USD, plus payment by ACH debit or wire drawdown.
- Invoicing
- Unlimited invoices that accept card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, wire and ACH, with recurring invoices on paid plans.
- Accounting integrations
- Syncs with accounting tools such as QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
What it works with
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- NetSuite
Mercury is made by Mercury.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
69/76
Other spend and bill pay tools it is graded above
Mercury's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 69 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 4.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 71 of 76) and worst on ease of use (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $29.90 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 27 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 7 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 77 spend and bill pay tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Mercury’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 61 of 76
- AFree plan and trialAbove 71 of 76
- BFeaturesAbove 61 of 76
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 76
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 18 of 76
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 39 spend and bill pay tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Mercury is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Mercury you would be making cards issued through a bank. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 69 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade. It costs $358.80 a year.
What you could make
- Expense tracking and invoicing: an app builder makes these well.
What you could not
- Cards issued through a bank.
- Money moved between bank accounts, which takes a licensed payments partner.
- Payroll taxes worked out and filed with the government for you.
- Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
- A real app for iOS. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Mercury’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Relay, Novo, Brex, Ramp and Rho
The 5 tools Mercury is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Relay
Free plan · from $30/mo
Online business banking with bill pay, cards and expenses.
- Only Relay lists an Android app.
- Mercury also covers payroll.
- 3.0GPA
Novo
Free
Free business checking with invoicing, bill pay and debit cards.
- Only Novo lists an Android app.
- Mercury also covers bookkeeping and payroll.
- 3.6GPA
Brex
Free plan · from $12/mo
Corporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies.
- Only Brex lists an Android app.
- Mercury also covers invoicing, bookkeeping and payroll.
- Brex also covers reports.
- 3.6GPA
Ramp
Free plan · from $15/mo
Corporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan.
- Only Ramp lists an Android app.
- Mercury also covers bookkeeping and payroll.
- Ramp also covers reports.
- 1.6GPA
Rho
Paid
Business banking, corporate cards and expense tools in one app.
- Mercury has a free plan. Rho does not.
- Only Mercury lists a web app.
- Mercury also covers invoicing, bookkeeping and payroll.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Mercury free?
Mercury has a free plan. The Mercury plan is $0 a month with checking and savings, cards, expense management, invoicing and bill pay.
How much does Mercury cost?
Mercury lists 3 plans. Mercury: $0.
What platforms does Mercury work on?
Mercury is available on Web and iOS.
Does Mercury offer any discounts?
Mercury publicly lists the following: 15% off with annual billing.
How is Mercury rated?
Mercury's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 13,837 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does Mercury have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Mercury is listed for Web and iOS.
Does Mercury have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Mercury is listed for Web and iOS.
Is Mercury open source?
Mercury is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
What does Mercury integrate with?
Mercury's listing names QuickBooks, Xero and NetSuite. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Mercury have a free trial?
Yes. 30-day free trial of Mercury Plus.
Who makes Mercury?
Mercury is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Mercury?
The closest alternatives to Mercury in our directory are Relay, Novo, Brex, Ramp and Rho.
How does Mercury compare with other spend and bill pay tools?
Mercury's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 69 of the 76 other spend and bill pay tools we grade, and level with 4.
Is Mercury good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Mercury B for value for money. Its paid plans start at $29.90 a month, against a middle price of $12 for the category: 27 of the 36 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Mercury?
To replace Mercury you would be making cards issued through a bank. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Mercury’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Mercury's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Mercury. Prices change, so check mercury.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Mercury, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mercury
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Mercury: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mercury
Know someone choosing between spend and bill pay tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mercury/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded spend and bill pay tools after Mercury, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Spend & Bill Pay Insider's GuideEvery one of the 77 spend and bill pay tools we grade, compared
- Brex Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, bill pay and travel for growing companies3.6 GPA
- Ramp Insider's GuideCorporate cards, expenses, travel and bill pay, with a free plan3.6 GPA
- Airwallex Insider's GuideMulti-currency business accounts, cards, bill pay and expenses3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Mercury’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Mercury is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Mercury. Prices and plans change: check mercury.com before you buy.