Tab vs Ramp
Both start at $0. Ramp bundles cards with vendor bills, purchase orders, travel, and broad finance tools. Tab is built around restaurant locations, LLCs, receipts, and the books you close.
The short answer
The choice is simple: restaurant operations at the center, or a broad finance suite at the center.
Choose Tab to…
- Code multi-LLC spend at the swipe. The entity is set the moment the card is used, so nobody rebuilds ownership from a statement at close.
- Repay each restaurant from the right bank account. Tab card payments run weekly and can be drawn from more than one account.
- Chase receipts at the swipe, not at month end. Whoever spent the money gets the text prompt, and receipts come back in about 90 seconds on average.
- Get a new LLC approved with no credit check. No credit checks are required for Tab Cards, so a store opened last quarter does not hold up the rollout.
- Reach a human when the close is due. Live chat and email are staffed by real people in the US and Canada.
Already running on Tab
Choose Ramp to…
- Pay vendor bills and approve purchase orders in the same platform. Tab does not have a vendor payment product.
- Keep cards beside managed travel and procurement. Those are real Ramp strengths and not jobs Tab tries to do.
- Use a broader finance suite. If the card is one small piece of an AP and travel rollout, Ramp may fit better.
Still comparing the wider field? The Ramp alternatives guide covers the other options.
How they stack up, job by job
Seven everyday restaurant jobs carry the score. Tab takes 6. Ramp takes vendor bills and purchase orders.
Tab reads the restaurant's financials with no credit check and no cash minimum. Ramp requires an incorporated business with $25,000 or more in cash.
Tab assigns the card to a person, location, entity, and repayment account. Ramp starts with policies and departments, so store coding takes more setup.
Tab texts right after the swipe and gets the receipt back in about 90 seconds on average. Ramp collects receipts, but is not built around hourly teams mid-shift.
Tab keeps card spend tied to the location and entity, with Andy AI on Pro checking invoices for overcharges and missed rebates. Ramp reports company spend more broadly.
Tab live chat and email are staffed by real people in the US and Canada. The existing Ramp page research flags a more automated support path.
Tab Base is free. Ramp Plus is $15 per user per month when billed annually, plus an unpublished platform fee.
Ramp has bill pay, purchase orders, and procurement tools. Tab does not pay vendor bills.
Tab detail comes from Tab product, pricing, and security pages. Ramp detail is retained from the existing researched comparison and Ramp public product pages.
From the swipe to clean books
Tab sorts out the purchase details before anyone has to chase them at month end. Three steps, and what each looks like in the product.
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Set the limit
Issue the card to the right employee and restaurant. The spend limit and its interval are set as the card is created, which is why a manager can buy before anyone builds a budget.
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Create Card: the cardholder, the restaurant, the limit, and its interval. -
Swipe. The receipt gets asked for by text.
Tab texts the person who spent the money for the receipt, the note, and the restaurant, and they come back in about 90 seconds on average. The charge carries its card, its merchant, and an Assign Location control, so the purchase is tied to a restaurant on the transaction itself.
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The receipt prompt, bound to the transaction it belongs to. -
Clean data lands in your books
Reviewed spend goes to QuickBooks Online through a full integration included on the free Base plan, or out as a customizable CSV export for another ledger. Every charge reads Verified or Unverified first, so the one still missing its receipt shows up days before the close instead of at it.
Recent Transactions: Verified and Unverified, days before the close.
Ready in about one week, in time for your first billing cycle.
Tab AccountsCash you hold in Tab Accounts earns 2% APY, worked out daily and paid monthly. The yield moves with the market.
Andy AI, on Pro. Andy reads vendor invoices for overcharges and missed rebates, the kind that cost restaurants $25k+ in profit a year.
Cash back on the free planThe Base plan earns unlimited 1% cash back on every swipe, with no card fee from Tab.
What real users say
G2's published review rollup covers 2,398 Ramp reviews. We checked it against 218 Capterra reviews and 146 TrustRadius reviews and ratings. Restaurant-only feedback was too sparse to rank, so the restaurant impact is stated plainly below.
What users flag
- Reports and manager approvals still have gaps. For a restaurant group, that can mean extra work to see who approved spend at each store.108 G2 mentions
- Receipt cleanup can still drag. The friction shows up most when a purchase has no receipt ready to match.106 G2 mentions
- Transaction review is not always clean. Card discrepancies make it harder to close several restaurants from one finance desk.99 G2 mentions
- Missed alerts and changing limits can stop a purchase. That matters when a manager is buying something the restaurant needs now.83 G2 mentions
What users like
- Staff and admins learn it quickly. Ease of use is the clearest praise theme.776 G2 mentions
- Receipts match with less chasing. Users value the automatic capture and follow-up.276 G2 mentions
What you should know
- Built around restaurant locations, not generic departments. The card, buyer, restaurant, LLC, and repayment account stay connected through the books.
- No $25,000 cash gate for a new restaurant LLC. Tab Cards do not require Ramp's published cash minimum.
- Receipts come back while the purchase is fresh. Tab texts the buyer after every swipe and gets the receipt back in about 90 seconds on average.
- Every swipe earns unlimited 1% cash back. It is included on the free Base plan, with no annual fee.
What Tab customers say
"We looked at other expense systems but it just didn't compare to the technology that Tab has."
Teresa, Accounting Specialist, Rock Strategic (75+ units)
"It's rare to find software partners whose products fully live up to the promises made during the sales process. Tab not only met expectations but exceeded them. It's been a win for both our management and store teams."
Juliana, Owner, Heidi's Brooklyn Deli (8+ locations)
The full side by side
Every row, with the better fit called.
| What you are comparing | | | Why it matters in a restaurant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Restaurant groups that code spend by location and entity | Companies buying cards beside AP, procurement, and travel | Fit decides it. The two products start from different operating models. |
| Starting price | Base is free; Pro is $150 per month per location | Free tier; Plus is $15 per user per month annually, plus a platform fee | Tab for card teams. Per-user pricing grows with every cardholder. |
| Getting approved | No credit checks required for Tab Cards | Incorporated business with at least $25,000 in cash | Tab. A new restaurant LLC does not need to clear a cash gate. |
| Locations and LLCs | Card, location, entity, and repayment account stay together | Policies and departments organize the spend | Tab. Restaurant books close by store and company, not just department. |
| Receipts | Text prompt after the swipe; about 90 seconds on average | Receipt capture through app, SMS, and finance workflows | Tab for hourly teams. The prompt reaches the person who just bought it. |
| Accounting handoff | Full QuickBooks Online integration plus customizable CSV exports | Broader direct accounting connections | Fit check. Breadth matters if your ledger is outside Tab's direct connection. |
| Vendor bills and POs | No bill pay or vendor payment product | Bill pay, purchase orders, and procurement tools | Ramp. Pick it when paying vendors inside the same system is required. |
| Travel | Not a Tab product | Managed travel beside the card | Ramp. It is the clear fit for travel-heavy finance teams. |
| Support | Live chat and email, staffed in the US and Canada | General business support model | Tab for restaurant context. The support team works with restaurant groups. |
| Cash back | Unlimited 1% on every swipe on Base | Rewards vary with the program and repayment setup | Fit check. Compare the exact offer in your application. |
Tab facts come from Tab product and pricing pages. Ramp facts are carried from the existing researched page and its cited public sources.
Questions card buyers usually ask
Straight answers to the questions operators ask before switching.
Yes. Tab Base and Ramp's free tier both start at $0. Ramp Plus adds a per-user charge and a platform fee.
No. Tab does not pay vendor bills or run purchase orders. You can keep Ramp for AP and use Tab for cards if the jobs stay separate.
Yes. Ramp is a strong general finance platform. Tab fits better when locations, LLCs, receipts, and restaurant support drive the decision.
No. Tab states that no credit checks are required for Tab Cards. Ramp uses business eligibility and cash requirements.
Tab. The card, entity, location, and repayment account stay connected from the swipe onward.
Tab provides customizable CSV exports for other ledgers. Ramp has broader direct accounting connections, so confirm the systems your finance team needs.
About one week. The account is ready for its first billing cycle in that first week.
Ramp. Managed travel is part of its broader finance suite. Tab is focused on restaurant cards, receipts, accounts, and purchasing intelligence.
Yes. Keep the jobs separate and avoid running two card programs for the same people.
Tab Base is free. Ramp Plus would be $600 per month before its platform fee when billed annually at $15 per user.
Tab is the Card of Choice, Built Exclusively for Restaurants
Start with one restaurant. Free Base plan, no credit check, unlimited 1% cash back, and receipts collected by text at the swipe.
