Commercial feeds
Commercial feeds are the most reliable way to import company card expenses. These feeds are not affected by login credential changes or banking UI updates, making them ideal for growing teams and finance admins.
Tip: Contact your bank directly to check if your cards are eligible for a commercial feed.
Prerequisites
Before setting up a commercial feed:
- Make sure you’ve created a workspace by going to Workspaces > New Workspace.
- On the Collect plan, you can add one commercial or direct feed.
- On the Control plan, you can add an unlimited number of company cards.
Set Up a Mastercard Commercial Feed
To enable a Mastercard feed, your bank must send data from Mastercard’s SmartData portal to Expensify.
- Ask your bank’s relationship manager to send your CDF (Common Data File) to Expensify via Mastercard’s SmartData portal.
- File type: CDF v3 Release 11.01
- Specify the earliest transaction date needed.
- The bank will initiate delivery and email you a Distribution ID.
- In Expensify, go to Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Company Cards > Add Cards.
- Select your bank or choose Other, then select Mastercard Commercial Cards.
- Submit your Distribution ID.
- Expensify will activate the feed and notify you when setup is complete.
Set Up a Visa Commercial Feed
Visa commercial feeds are configured through your bank using Visa’s Subscription Management portal.
- Ask your bank’s relationship manager to enable your VCF (Visa Commercial Format) feed and send it to Expensify.
- Mention: “You can check a box in Visa’s Subscription Management portal to enable feed delivery—no test file needed.”
- Request the feed details:
- Processor ID
- Bank (Financial Institution) ID
- Company ID
- In Expensify, go to
Settings > Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Company Cards > Add Cards. - Select your bank or Other, then choose Visa Commercial Cards.
- Submit the required IDs and wait for confirmation from Expensify.
Set Up an American Express Corporate Feed
To set up an Amex Corporate Feed, you’ll need to complete and email their required forms.
- Download the forms:
Amex Feed Setup Forms (Google Drive) - Complete the form as follows:
- Page 1: Fill in legal company details, requestor name/email, feed start date, and Control Account Number (not a credit card number).
- Page 2: Leave blank.
- Page 3: Re-enter client name and Control Account.
- Page 4: Add country, authorization name, title, and signature (DD/MM/YY format).
- Email the completed forms to: electronictransmissionsteam@aexp.com
- Wait for the Production Letter containing your feed’s file name.
- In Expensify, go to Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Company Cards > Add Cards > American Express > American Express Corporate Cards
- Enter your delivery file name to submit.
- You’ll be notified once the feed is live.
Assign Company Cards
Once a commercial feed is connected:
- Go to Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Company Cards.
- Click the feed name (top-left) to select the correct card feed if multiple are present.
- Click Assign Card next to the unassigned card.
- Select the employee from the list of workspace members.
- Choose a transaction start date:
- From the beginning (all available transactions)
- Custom date
- Click Assign Card.
Transactions will begin importing immediately.
Manage Assigned Cards
You can update individual cards anytime under Settings > Workspaces > [Workspace Name] > Company Cards.
Management Options:
- Rename the Card – Customize for easier identification.
- Assign Export Account – Direct expenses to a specific accounting category (if integrated).
- Update Transactions – Pull the latest data manually.
- Unassign the Card – Removes the card and deletes unsubmitted draft expenses.
FAQ
My Feed Is Connected. Why Isn’t a Card Showing Up?
Cards only appear if they’re active and have at least one recent transaction. If the card is still missing, contact your account manager or message concierge@expensify.com.
Is There an Extra Cost for Commercial Feeds?
No. The Collect plan includes one commercial feed. To get multiple feeds, upgrade to the Control plan.
What’s the Difference Between a Commercial Feed and a Direct Feed?
- Direct Feed: Quick setup using login credentials, but may require re-authentication.
- Commercial Feed: Set up with bank involvement but offers a stable, uninterrupted connection.