Ramp bank connections overview

Note: This article primarily applies to Ramp Administrators. Cardholders may find other articles in the Payments, limits, and statements section to be more applicable.

Overview

Ramp may require you to connect your business’s bank account. You can connect it directly or manually. Read more below about why we do it and how it works.

Bank connections

Why do we need a bank connection

Ramp uses data from your bank account to underwrite and maintain your business limit. When a customer links a business account, Ramp has access to a variety of information about the account, such as the cash balance and the transactions. It’s the best way to receive and maintain a higher credit limit. Learn more about Ramp business limits here.

How secure is it?

Our banking connection partners use bank-grade encryption to protect your data. When you connect through Plaid, your bank sign-in credentials are not accessible to Ramp. Some direct bank connections require you to provide connection credentials from your bank, such as a client ID and client secret, to Ramp.

Learn more about Ramp's security measures here.

Connecting directly

How do I connect my bank account directly?

If you’re already a Ramp customer, follow these steps to connect a bank account to your Ramp business:

1. Navigate to Banking > Linked accounts
2. Click on ‘Add linked account’
3. Search for or select your banking institution and follow the prompts to connect your account

What if my bank account uses an OTP or an MFA?

OTP and MFA do not always prevent a direct bank connection. Support depends on your bank and the available connection provider. Try the direct connection shown in Ramp. If it is unavailable or fails, use the manual bank account connection process.

What if I have trouble connecting an account from a listed banking institution?

Sometimes direct bank linking will fail even if the banking institution is listed as ‘covered’. If you’ve tried and failed to connect an account from a listed banking institution, try these tips:

1. Log on to your bank's website to confirm your credentials are working
2. Check to see that there aren't messages from your bank on your bank's website
3. If your sign-in credentials use multi-factor authentication (MFA) to log on to your bank, try connecting with an account that does not require MFA
4. Try a different browser
5. Disable the adblockers on your browser
6. If you are based within the US, please ensure all VPNs on your device are disabled

• If your IP address is based outside the US, use a VPN with a US-based IP address before attempting to reconnect

7. Check to make sure that you are selecting the correct account type for your banking institution in the Ramp search box

• Some institutions (such as Chase or Wells Fargo) have multiple account types listed on Ramp’s application

If you are still running into issues, please use the manual bank account connection process.

Connecting manually

Sometimes we require a customer to connect their bank account manually if the direct connection process doesn’t work.

How do I connect my bank account manually?

If you’re already a Ramp customer, follow these steps to connect a bank account manually to your Ramp business:

1. Navigate to Banking > Linked accounts
2. Click on ‘ Add linked account ’
3. Click Link account manually
4. Enter the following details and click Link account:
   • Account type — select Checking, Savings, Money market, Brokerage, or Investment
   • Routing number — the 9-digit ABA routing number for your bank account
   • Account number and Confirm account number
5. Upload the most recent bank statement for the account you are selecting by dropping the files into the box or click on it to browse your files

• Make sure the statement includes your cash balance and verifies you own the account
• The statement must be in PDF format — screenshots won’t suffice.

6. We’ll assess the document and verify the account. If there are any issues, our Risk Operations team will contact you directly.

After linking an account manually, upload an updated bank statement when Ramp requests one from Linked accounts. The upload schedule can be monthly or quarterly, depending on the account. See Uploading bank statements to Ramp for the upload steps and statement requirements.

What account types can I connect?

The account types available through a direct connection depend on your banking institution and connection provider. The manual connection form supports checking, savings, money market, brokerage, and investment accounts. All account types require a valid 9-digit ABA routing number.

Where can I find my ABA routing number?

Ramp requires a valid 9-digit routing number for a manual connection. Ask your bank which routing number applies to your account.

You can find your ABA routing number:

• On your bank’s website or mobile app, usually under account details
• On a check from the account — the routing number is the first 9 digits at the bottom left
• By contacting your bank directly

Note: Some account types, such as brokerage or investment accounts, may not display a routing number on statements. Contact your bank or brokerage to request the ACH routing number for your account.

Where can I find my bank statements?

If you’re an existing Ramp customer connecting an account manually, sign in to your business’s banking portal and look for Statements or My Documents. Download your most recent statement in PDF format. If you’re applying to Ramp, follow the application bank statement requirements instead.

Rename a bank account

You can add or update a nickname for any bank account from the Linked accounts page.

1. Go to Banking > Linked accounts
2. Find the bank account you want to rename
3. Click the three-dot menu next to that bank account
4. Choose the rename option, then add or update the nickname

Verifying my bank account

Ramp may require a debit check or another form of account verification before using a bank account for card statement payments. This may happen during onboarding or when you change the payment account.

What’s the debit check process?

The debit check process is one method Ramp may use to verify a bank account for payments. Ramp sends two small deposits and one withdrawal equal to the sum of the deposits. The deposits should arrive within two business days. Once they arrive, go to Banking > Linked accounts, select Complete verification next to your bank account, and enter the deposit amounts.

Why does Ramp require debit checks?

We do this to prevent fraud and reduce the chance that a payment you make fails.

How does this affect my limit?

If your business limit is locked pending bank verification, successful verification may unlock it. Learn more about Ramp business limits.

How long does it take?

The deposits should arrive within two business days. Once they arrive, you can complete the verification.

Troubleshooting

"This bank account is already connected."

This error appears when you try to add a bank account that matches an account already linked to your Ramp business. Ramp checks account details such as account number and routing number to detect duplicates. A bank account that is disconnected or has an expired connection still counts as a linked account, so re-adding the same account details will trigger this error.

What to do:

• If the existing connection is broken or expired, reconnect it instead of adding a new account. Go to Linked accounts and select the available reconnection action for the account. For more details, see Reconnecting your direct bank connection.
• If reconnecting is not possible, you can add a different bank account with different account details.

"Cannot delete your last verified payment source"

Ramp requires at least one bank account that can be used for card statement payments. If you try to remove the only bank account available for these payments, you will see this error. The Remove account option will be disabled for that account.

What to do:

• Add a different bank account, then select it as your Card payment source before removing the original account.

Both errors at once

In some cases, you may encounter both errors simultaneously: your only bank connection is broken, you cannot re-add it because Ramp detects it as a duplicate, and you cannot remove it because it is your only payment source available for card statement payments. This can happen when a direct bank connection expires or requires re-authentication.

What to do:

1. Try reconnecting the broken connection from Linked accounts using the available account action. See Reconnecting your direct bank connection for step-by-step instructions.
2. If reconnecting is not possible, try adding a different bank account with different account details.
3. If neither option works, contact Ramp Support — a support agent can resolve the stuck connection on your behalf.

Debit blocks

If your bank account has a debit block or debit filter to prevent unauthorized debits/withdrawals from your account, payments on Ramp may get declined.

How do I lift a debit block from my account?

To make sure your bank lets us debit your bank account, please contact your banking representative and request to whitelist Ramps Originator IDs (also called ACH IDs). Please reference this Help Center article for the full list of Ramp's Originator IDs: How do I lift a debit block on my bank account?