Expensify Amex Integration Guide [2026 Updated]

Connecting your American Express cards to Expensify is one of the most effective ways to replace manual expense reports with an automated, accurate workflow. This guide breaks down exactly how to set up the integration, choose the right connection method for your specific Amex card, and troubleshoot the common issues that can arise. We will cover everything from direct bank feeds to manual uploads, ensuring your company’s expenses flow smoothly from card swipe to financial close.

Why Integrate American Express with Expensify?

The core purpose of connecting Amex and Expensify is to eliminate the tedious and error-prone process of manual expense data entry. When an employee makes a purchase with a company-issued Amex card, that transaction data should appear in your expense management system automatically, ready to be matched with a receipt. This integration forms the backbone of a modern expense reporting system.

Beyond this main goal, connecting the two platforms provides several key benefits:

• Reduced Manual Work: Transaction details, including the merchant, date, and amount, are automatically imported. This frees up your team from having to fill out spreadsheets or manually create expense lines for every purchase.
• Improved Accuracy: Automation removes the risk of typos, incorrect amounts, or forgotten expenses that often occur with manual entry. The imported data comes directly from a trusted source—American Express.
• Real-Time Spending Visibility: Instead of waiting for monthly statements, finance teams gain a much clearer, near-real-time view of company spending. This helps with budgeting, forecasting, and identifying out-of-policy expenses quickly.
• Simplified Reconciliation: Matching company card expenses to their corresponding receipts becomes much simpler. Expensify can automatically merge an imported card transaction with a receipt captured via its SmartScan OCR technology, creating a complete and compliant record.

Your Amex Integration Options Explained

There isn’t one single "on" switch for all Amex cards; rather, there are several methods for getting transaction data into Expensify. The best method for you depends on your card type (corporate, business, personal), your bank, and your geographical region.

1. Direct Bank Feed Connection (via Plaid)

This is the most common and recommended method for connecting business and personal Amex cards to Expensify. Expensify doesn't connect directly to the bank itself but uses trusted third-party aggregators to establish a secure link. Plaid is the primary service that facilitates this connection.

• How it works: You authorize Expensify to access your Amex account through a secure, encrypted token provided by Plaid. This allows Expensify to "read" your transaction data and import it on a daily basis. You will never share your banking credentials directly with Expensify.
• Best for: Most U.S.-based personal, business, and select corporate Amex cards.
• Pros: Fully automated daily sync, secure, and easy to set up.
• Cons: The connection may occasionally require re-authentication for security reasons (about every 90 days). Syncs are typically once every 24 hours, not instantaneous.

2. Native Integration for Select Corporate Card Programs

For certain large-scale American Express Corporate Card programs, a direct feed may be available that bypasses services like Plaid. This is often managed at a domain level by an administrator and may require coordination with your Amex representative.

• How it works: American Express pushes a daily data file directly to your Expensify account. This setup is part of a formalized partnership between Amex and Expensify.
• Best for: Large enterprises with managed Amex corporate card programs.
• Pros: Highly reliable and stable connection, managed centrally.
• Cons: Limited availability, may require contacting your Amex account manager to enable, and often has a longer setup process. Typically only available in major markets like the U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia.

3. Manual Import of Card Statements

If a direct or automated connection isn't possible, you can always fall back on manually uploading your Amex statements. This is a simple but non-automated workaround.

• How it works: You log into your American Express account online, download your monthly or transactional statement as a CSV, QFX, or OFX file, and then upload it directly into Expensify.
• Best for: Unsupported card types, connecting cards from unsupported regions, or importing historical transaction data from before you set up a live feed.
• Pros: Works for any Amex account and gives you full control over what data is imported.
• Cons: Entirely manual, prone to being forgotten, does not provide real-time visibility, and introduces a time lag between spending and reporting.

4. Third-Party Automation with Zapier or Make

For highly customized needs, you can use an automation platform like Zapier. While less common for simple transaction imports, this method could be valuable if you need to trigger complex workflows based on Amex transactions.

• How it works: You would set up a "Zap" that watches for new Amex transactions (if an Amex trigger is available) and then creates a new expense in Expensify. This requires more technical setup.
• Best for: Advanced users with unique workflow requirements.
• Cons: Adds platform costs, increases complexity, and is generally overkill for standard expense importing.

Step-by-Step Guide: Connecting Your Amex Card via Bank Feed

For most users, the Plaid-facilitated bank feed is the correct path. Follow these steps to get your card connected. These instructions are typically completed by a domain administrator within the company's Expensify account.

1. Log in and Navigate to Company Cards: Log in to your Expensify account with administrator permissions. Go to Settings > Domains > [Your Company Domain] > Company Cards.
2. Start the Import Process: Click the Import Card/Bank button. A search box will appear, prompting you to search for your financial institution.
3. Search for American Express: Type "American Express" into the search field. You will likely see several options. Choose the main option, often labeled simply "American Express" or "American Express (US)," as it is the most common consumer and business login portal.
4. Authenticate via Plaid: A secure pop-up window from Plaid will appear. This is Plaid’s interface, not Expensify’s. It will ask for the same username and password you use to log in to the American Express website. Enter your credentials. It is a secure, encrypted process.
5. Complete Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): American Express will likely require you to verify your identity. This usually involves sending a one-time code to your phone or email. Enter the code in the Plaid window to proceed.
6. Select the Correct Cards: Once authenticated, Plaid will show a list of all Amex cards associated with that login. Check the box next to each card account you want to connect to Expensify. Be careful to select only the accounts you intend to import.
7. Authorize the Connection: Click "Continue" or "Authorize" to grant Expensify read-only access to your transaction data via Plaid. The pop-up window will close, returning you to Expensify.
8. Assign the Cards: Expensify will now show the newly imported cards as "unassigned." You must assign each card to the correct employee in your organization so that their transactions appear in their personal expense account. You can do this using the dropdown menu next to each imported card.

After a few hours (sometimes up to 24), transactions from the last 30-90 days will begin populating in the assigned employees' accounts, ready for expense reporting.

Troubleshooting Common Connection Issues

Even with a straightforward setup process, you may encounter a few bumps. Here are the most common problems and how to solve them.

• The Connection Needs Re-authentication: Many banks, including Amex, require you to re-authorize third-party connections every 90 days as a security measure. If transactions stop syncing, go to the Company Cards page. You will likely see a red "Fix It" button next to the connection. Click it and re-enter your Amex credentials to re-establish the link.
• Transactions Are Missing: If some, but not all, transactions are missing, it could be a simple sync delay. Most bank feeds sync only once every 24 hours. Wait a day or two to see if the missing transactions appear. If transactions are consistently missing, it could indicate an issue with the feed; try a manual refresh or contact Expensify support.
• Duplicate Transactions Appear: Duplicates typically occur if a user manually created an expense before the automated bank transaction was imported. The best practice is to always wait for the card transaction to import and then merge the SmartScanned receipt with it. To fix existing duplicates, simply delete the manually created expense entry.
• Corporate Card Program Is Not Found: Certain Amex corporate card programs (@Work, vPayment, Corporate Purchasing Card) use a different login portal and may not be supported through the standard Plaid connection. In these cases, your first step should be to contact your Amex representative to inquire about statement data pushes or direct integration options. If none are available, manual statement uploads will be necessary.

Final Thoughts

Integrating your American Express cards with Expensify automates one of the most tedious parts of financial administration, turning manual data entry into a streamlined, accurate process. While connection methods vary by card type and region, most businesses can establish a reliable, automated daily feed using a secure aggregator.

When managing corporate card policies and verifying the tax deductibility of various expenses, clear documentation is paramount. Determining specifics like per diem rates or Substantiation rules for business meals adds another layer of complexity. For these situations, we use Feather AI to get quick, citation-backed answers directly from IRS publications, ensuring our expense policies remain fully compliant and audit-proof.