How to Forward Receipts to Brex
The complete guide to Brex's receipt email workflows, receipt validation, virtual receipts, Gmail and Outlook forwarding rules, file formats, troubleshooting, and how to automate repeat routing safely.
By ilios Galil · Founder, Expensent
Published February 28, 2026 · Updated July 12, 2026
Skip manual forwarding when you can. Manual forwarding is only half the workflow. Most receipt emails stay in the inbox until someone remembers to forward them. Expensent connects to Gmail, Outlook, or Google Workspace via OAuth, surfaces invoice emails for review by next action, and forwards selected receipts to your Brex address — including historical inbox items that Gmail filters cannot backfill.
In This Guide
- 1. What is Brex?
- 2. Brex Email Paths Explained
- 3. Prerequisites: Before You Forward Receipts
- 4. Step-by-Step: How to Forward a Receipt to Brex
- 5. File Format and Size Requirements
- 6. Gmail Auto-Forward with Brex
- 7. All Receipt Submission Methods
- 8. Common Issues and Troubleshooting
- 9. Automate It with Expensent
- 10. Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Brex?
Brex is a corporate card and spend management platform built for startups, technology companies, and growing businesses. Founded in 2017 by Henrique Dubugras and Pedro Franceschi, Brex originally gained attention by offering corporate credit cards to startups without requiring a personal guarantee—a major departure from traditional business credit cards.
Today, Brex has evolved into a financial platform that includes corporate cards, expense management, bill pay, travel booking, and business accounts. Brex's automated receipt validation compares the merchant, amount, and purchase date on a receipt against the expense.
Brex also generates virtual receipts for some transactions, including common vendors such as Amazon and major airlines when the required details are available. These virtual receipts can reduce the receipt collection burden, but Brex says it cannot auto-generate receipts for all merchants.
This guide focuses on email-based receipt and reimbursement workflows—how to get documents into Brex through receipts@brex.com, receipts+forwarding@brex.com, and reimbursements@brex.com.
2. Brex Email Paths Explained
Brex documents separate email paths for card receipts, forwarding rules, and reimbursement drafts. Understanding which to use and when helps keep receipts out of manual follow-up.
receipts@brex.com — Standard Receipt Forwarding
Send or forward receipt emails to receipts@brex.com. This is the primary receipt submission email for individual card-receipt forwards.
- •Processing: Brex says receipts can be validated within minutes when enough information matches
- •Best for: Manual forwarding of individual receipt emails
- •Accepts: Emailed receipts in the body or as an attachment; Brex documents .pdf, .jpg, .png, and .xml uploads
- •Validation: Where enabled, Brex checks merchant, amount, and date after attachment
receipts+forwarding@brex.com — Gmail and Outlook Rules
Brex documents receipts+forwarding@brex.com for Gmail and Outlook forwarding rules.
- •Processing: Google Workspace receipt collection sends relevant emails to Brex within the next hour
- •Best for: Email-client forwarding rules or Google Workspace receipt collection
- •Limitation: Depends on email-client or Workspace setup instead of inbox-level review
- •Limitation: Google Workspace receipt collection runs within the next hour, not immediately
reimbursements@brex.com — Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Forward receipts for out-of-pocket purchases (expenses paid with a personal card, not a Brex card) to reimbursements@brex.com. This creates a draft reimbursement request instead of matching to a card transaction.
- •Creates:A draft reimbursement request—not a transaction match
- •Best for: Personal purchases that need company reimbursement (hotel, meals, supplies)
- •Workflow:Draft is created → you review and submit → manager approves → payment is issued
| Feature | receipts@ | receipts+forwarding@ | reimbursements@ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processing behavior | Can validate within minutes | Within the next hour | Creates draft reimbursement |
| Matches to card transaction | Yes | Yes | No (creates reimbursement) |
| Best use case | Manual forwarding | Gmail or Outlook forwarding rules | Out-of-pocket expenses |
| Forwarding-rule setup needed | N/A | Yes | N/A |
Typo-friendly:Brex also accepts common typos—receipt@brex.com (missing “s”), reciepts@brex.com, and reciept@brex.com all route to the same receipt processing system.
3. Prerequisites: Before You Forward Receipts
Before forwarding your first receipt to Brex, make sure these requirements are met.
Authorize Your Sending Email Address
Brex routes emailed receipts based on the sender's email. Your sending email must be associated with your Brex account, or with your account copilot.
If a forwarded receipt does not appear in Brex, verify the sender address and attach the receipt manually from the dashboard if needed.
Separate Matching From Auto-Validation
Where auto-validation is enabled, Brex evaluates an attached receipt against its expense using three fields:
- Merchant name— The vendor name on the receipt vs. the transaction
- Transaction amount— The total on the receipt vs. the charge amount
- Date— The receipt date vs. the transaction date
At least 2 of these 3 fields must match for the attached receipt to be validated. If only 1 or none match, Brex marks the receipt as not verified and may flag the expense for review. This validation happens after a receipt is added; it is not the rule Brex uses to choose which expense receives an emailed receipt. Validation is best-effort and can depend on receipt image quality, merchant data, and account settings.
Note the 2-Month Age Limit
Brex will not auto-match receipts to transactions older than 2 months. If you forward a receipt for a purchase made more than 2 months ago, do not expect a separate unmatched emailed receipt to appear. Open the known expense and attach the receipt manually through the dashboard. For best results, forward receipts promptly after the purchase.
Check for Virtual Receipts First
Before manually forwarding a receipt, check if Brex already auto-generated a virtual receipt for the transaction. Brex creates virtual receipts for some merchants when the needed details are available through the card network or an integration. If a virtual receipt is already attached, check your company's policy before forwarding another copy.
4. Step-by-Step: How to Forward a Receipt to Brex
Once your email is authorized, here's how to forward a receipt to Brex:
Choose the right email address
Use receipts@brex.com for standard receipt forwarding (most common). Use reimbursements@brex.com only if the expense was paid with a personal card and you need reimbursement. Use receipts+forwarding@brex.com only when setting up Gmail auto-forwarding rules.
Forward the receipt email
Forward the original receipt email to the chosen Brex address. The receipt can be part of the email body or a supported upload file such as .pdf, .jpg, .png, or .xml. To add a memo, include memo: your note here in the email body.
Brex matches, then may validate the receipt
Brex first attempts to match the emailed receipt to an expense. Where auto-validation is enabled, Brex separately compares merchant, amount, and purchase date after the receipt is attached. If sent to receipts@brex.com, validation can happen within minutes. If sent through the receipts+forwarding@brex.compath, expect the forwarding-rule or Workspace collection timing to apply.
Verify in your Brex dashboard
Open the Brex dashboard or mobile app and check that the receipt appears attached to the correct transaction. Brex says emailed receipts are visible only after a successful match. If it is not attached, open the known expense and add the receipt manually. You can also edit the memo, category, or other fields at this point.
5. File Format and Size Requirements
Brex documents common receipt upload formats, but file requirements can differ by channel and region.
Accepted Formats
- •.pdf— Document files (most common for digital receipts)
- •.jpg / .jpeg— Image files
- •.png— Image files
- •.xml (CFDI)— Mexican fiscal receipt format
- •Email body— Brex says forwarded email receipts can be in the body or an attachment
Limitations
- •Email size— Brex's public receipt support article does not publish a specific email attachment size limit
- •API uploads— Brex developer docs list a 50 MB maximum for the receipt upload endpoint
- •Mexico— Employees in Mexico may need .xml CFDI files to meet local tax requirements
- •Troubleshooting— If upload fails, Brex recommends saving the document as a different file type and trying again
Inline images work: Brex's receipt article says a receipt forwarded to receipts@brex.com can be part of the email body or an attachment. That matters for HTML receipt emails that do not include a separate downloadable file.
6. Gmail Auto-Forward with Brex
Brex documents forwarding-rule setup for Gmail and Outlook, plus a Google Workspace add-on for receipt collection. These options help, but they still depend on rule or Workspace configuration.
Option 1: receipts+forwarding@brex.com
Brex created receipts+forwarding@brex.com in its Gmail and Outlook forwarding-rule instructions.
The tradeoff: email-client rules are only as precise as the filter you write. Broad filters can forward non-receipt messages, while narrow filters can miss receipts when a vendor changes its template.
Hourly batch processing: Brex says Google Workspace receipt collection forwards relevant emails within the next hour, not immediately.
Option 2: Brex for Google Workspace Add-On
The Brex for Google Workspace add-on lets Google Workspace admins configure receipt collection for their organization.
- •Avoids asking each user to maintain a separate Gmail forwarding rule
- •Admin-configured keyword filters to target receipt emails
- •Works across the entire Google Workspace organization
Limitations: Requires a Google Workspace admin to install. Not available for personal Gmail accounts. Brex documents keyword checks for payment, receipt, invoice, Mastercard, and order, so teams should still monitor what gets routed.
The Core Gmail Limitation
Gmail forwarding rules have a structural constraint: they forward emails that match the filter, not only receipts. A filter for “from:amazon.com” will forward shipping notifications, marketing emails, and order confirmations alongside actual receipts if the rule is too broad.
The Solution: Expensent
Expensent helps by connecting to your email via OAuth, surfacing likely invoice and receipt emails for review, and sending selected or rule-routed messages to receipts@brex.com instead of relying on broad Gmail forwarding filters. See Section 9 for setup details ↓
7. All Receipt Submission Methods
Brex offers more receipt submission channels than most expense platforms. Here's how they compare:
Email Forwarding
Forward receipt emails to receipts@brex.com, receipts+forwarding@brex.com, or reimbursements@brex.com depending on the use case. Best for digital receipts that arrive in your email inbox. This is the method that Expensent automates.
Send a photo of your receipt to the Brex WhatsApp number. Brex says the photo is then matched to the relevant expense and stored in your Brex dashboard when WhatsApp notifications are enabled.
SMS
If SMS notifications are enabled, Brex can prompt cardholders to reply with a receipt photo by text message.
Slack Integration
Upload receipt images directly through the Brex Slack integration. Brex sends transaction notifications to Slack, and you can reply with a receipt image. Best for teams that live in Slack and want to handle receipts without leaving the platform.
Mobile App (Camera)
Open the Brex mobile app, find the expense, and attach a receipt. Brex also supports upload-from-mobile flows that send a push notification prompting the user to take a photo.
Push Notification
If push notifications are enabled for card expenses, Brex can prompt the user to add a receipt from the mobile app. Brex notes that push-notification receipt upload requires iOS.
Dashboard Upload
Upload receipt files directly through the Brex web dashboard. Navigate to the transaction and attach a receipt file. Best for catching up on accumulated receipts or attaching receipts that failed to auto-match.
Virtual / Auto-Generated Receipts
Brex automatically generates and attaches virtual receipts for some transactions when the required merchant or integration data is available. Check if a virtual receipt is already attached before forwarding manually.
Key insight: Brex has several receipt intake paths, including forwarding rules and the Google Workspace add-on. Expensent is useful when you want inbox-level review, historical catch-up, and narrow rules before selected receipt emails are sent to Brex.
8. Common Issues and Troubleshooting
If your receipts aren't appearing or matching correctly in Brex, work through these checks:
1.Receipt attached but failed validation
Where auto-validation is enabled, Brex requires at least 2 of 3 fields (merchant, amount, purchase date) to match after the receipt is attached. If validation fails, Brex marks the receipt as not verified and may flag the expense for review under your company policy. Review the known expense in Brex; do not treat a validation failure as proof that email delivery or attachment failed.
2.Receipt is older than 2 months
Brex will not auto-match receipts to transactions that are more than 2 months old. Go to your dashboard, find the old expense, and manually attach the receipt. Brex says emailed receipts are visible only after a successful match, so do not rely on a separate unmatched-receipt queue for this fallback.
3.Email not authorized in Brex
Brex says emailed receipts must come from an address associated with your Brex account or your account copilot. If a receipt is not appearing, verify the sender and attach the receipt manually if needed.
4.Gmail forwarding-rule setup not working
Setting up Gmail auto-forwarding to receipts+forwarding@brex.com requires adding the forwarding address in Gmail and completing Gmail's setup flow. If that creates operational friction, use the Brex for Google Workspace add-on where appropriate, or use an OAuth-connected workflow like Expensent instead of a Gmail forwarding rule.
5.Hourly delay with receipts+forwarding@
If you are using receipts+forwarding@brex.com, remember that this address processes receipts in hourly batches. A receipt forwarded through that path may not appear immediately. If you want the standard card-receipt forwarding path, forward directly to receipts@brex.com or use Expensent.
6.Duplicate receipt attached
If you forward the same receipt twice, or forward a receipt for a transaction that already has a virtual receipt auto-generated by Brex, you may end up with duplicate receipts. Check the transaction in your dashboard—if a virtual receipt is already attached, you do not need to forward the email receipt. If you have duplicates, remove the extra one manually.
7.Virtual receipt not auto-generated
Brex says it cannot auto-generate receipts for all merchants; it depends on whether the merchant shares the needed expense details through the card network or an integration. If a virtual receipt was not generated, forward or manually attach the receipt.
9. Automate It with Expensent
Expensent reduces repeat manual forwarding. Connect your email, review likely invoice and receipt emails, and create narrow rules for recurring patterns that should be sent to receipts@brex.com.
Connect your email
Link your work email using secure OAuth—we never see your password. Gmail, Outlook, and IMAP supported.
Set receipts@brex.com as your destination
Enter receipts@brex.com as your forwarding address in Expensent. This sends selected or rule-routed messages to Brex's standard card-receipt email path.
Review once, then rule-route recurring patterns.
When a new invoice or receipt matches a rule you approved, Expensent can send it to Brex through your connected mailbox. Uncertain items stay available for review.
Where Expensent Adds Review Before Brex Matching
- Connected-mailbox review — Review and route receipt candidates without relying only on Gmail's forwarding-address setup.
- Workflow-specific destination — Send selected or rule-routed messages to the Brex destination you verified for that workflow.
- Receipt candidate review — Uses AI and rules to surface likely invoice and receipt emails, not only a fixed keyword list.
- User-owned connection — Individual users can connect a supported mailbox, subject to their provider and organization's admin policy.
- Historical catch-up — Helps review past receipt emails in your inbox so you can forward the ones Brex still needs.
- Paper receipt capture — Built-in phone camera scanner with edge detection. Snap paper receipts and they're forwarded to Brex just like email invoices.
- AI price extraction — Can extract invoice amount, currency, and recipient from supported PDFs and images. International invoices can show both original and converted amounts when exchange-rate data is available.
- Fine-grained control — CC team members on forwarded receipts, attach vendor notes, filter by attachment type, skip $0 invoices, or block specific senders entirely.
- Connected-inbox setup — Connect your mailbox, set the Brex destination, and approve the recurring patterns you want routed
Want to see how the integration works in detail? See the Brex Integration Page →
10. Frequently Asked Questions
Can you forward receipts to Brex by email?
What is the difference between receipts@brex.com, receipts+forwarding@brex.com, and reimbursements@brex.com?
How does Brex validate an attached receipt?
Why is my receipt not matching in Brex?
What are Brex virtual receipts?
Can I auto-forward receipts from Gmail to Brex?
Does Brex accept PDF receipts by email?
How do I add a memo when forwarding receipts to Brex?
Can I submit receipts to Brex via WhatsApp or SMS?
What happens if I forward a receipt from an unauthorized email?
Does Brex accept common typos for the receipt email?
Can Expensent automatically forward receipts to Brex?
Stop manually forwarding receipts to Brex
Connect your inbox, review likely receipt emails, and create narrow rules that send recurring Brex receipt patterns to receipts@brex.com.
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