Card Feed

Managing business expenses used to mean hours of manual data entry, stacks of receipts, and the constant worry about human error creeping into your financial records. Card feeds have transformed this landscape, offering finance teams a way to automatically import transaction data directly from credit cards into their expense management systems.

This glossary serves as your comprehensive guide to understanding card feeds – from basic definitions to advanced troubleshooting techniques. Whether you're a finance professional exploring automation options or a business owner looking to streamline expense reporting, you'll find the answers you need to make informed decisions about implementing card feed technology.

What is a Card Feed?

A card feed is an automated data connection that imports credit card transaction information directly into expense management or accounting software. Instead of manually entering each purchase, receipt, and expense line item, card feeds create a real-time or scheduled sync between your credit card provider and your financial management platform.

Think of it as a digital bridge. When an employee makes a purchase using a company credit card, that transaction data – including the amount, merchant name, date, and transaction details – automatically appears in your expense management system within hours or days. This eliminates the need for manual data entry while providing immediate visibility into company spending patterns.

Card feeds work through secure API connections established between financial institutions and expense management platforms. These connections are encrypted and follow banking-grade security protocols, ensuring that sensitive financial data remains protected during transmission.

For example, when your marketing team purchases software subscriptions using the company American Express card, that transaction data flows directly into your expense platform. The finance team can then categorize, approve, and process the expense without anyone having to manually type in transaction details or hunt down receipts.

Benefits of Card Feeds

Card feeds have transformed how businesses handle expense management by automating data entry and improving financial visibility. Instead of relying on employees to manually upload transactions or receipts, card feeds ensure that every purchase is captured directly from the bank or card provider, creating a faster, more accurate, and seamless reconciliation process.

Efficiency

Card feeds eliminate the time-consuming process of manual expense entry. Finance teams that previously spent hours each week inputting transaction data can redirect their focus toward strategic analysis and decision-making. The automated import process means expenses appear in your system almost immediately, allowing for real-time expense tracking and faster month-end closing procedures.

Consider a mid-sized company with 50 employees using corporate cards. Without card feeds, each employee might spend 30 minutes weekly on expense reports, while finance teams spend additional hours reviewing and processing submissions. Card feeds can reduce this combined time investment by up to 80%, freeing up valuable resources for higher-value activities.

Accuracy

Manual data entry introduces inevitable human error – typos in amounts, incorrect dates, or mismatched merchant names. Card feeds pull transaction data directly from the source, ensuring that amounts, dates, and merchant information match exactly what the bank recorded. This precision reduces discrepancies during reconciliation and minimizes the back-and-forth communication typically required to resolve expense report errors.

The accuracy improvement is particularly noticeable with complex transactions. Foreign currency purchases, for instance, are automatically converted and recorded at the correct exchange rates used by the card issuer, eliminating guesswork about conversion calculations.

Time-Saving

Beyond eliminating manual entry, card feeds accelerate the entire expense management workflow. Transactions appear in your system within 24-48 hours of purchase, allowing employees to add receipts and categorize expenses while details are still fresh in their minds. Finance teams can review and approve expenses continuously rather than waiting for monthly batch submissions.

This speed improvement has a cascading effect on cash flow management. Faster expense processing means quicker reimbursements for employees and more timely visibility into company spending patterns. Finance leaders can identify budget variances or unusual spending trends weeks earlier than traditional expense reporting allows.

Types of Card Feeds

Card feeds play a crucial role in automating expense tracking and reconciliation. Different types of feeds cater to various business sizes and needs, from large corporations to solo entrepreneurs. Understanding the differences ensures you choose the right feed for accurate and efficient expense management.

1. Corporate Card Feeds

Corporate card feeds are designed for businesses that issue company credit cards to employees. These feeds integrate directly with expense management software, automatically capturing transaction details such as merchant names, dates, and merchant category codes (MCCs) for easier categorization.

Major issuers like American Express, Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo typically support these feeds. Corporate card feeds often update multiple times per day, handle multiple cards under a single account, and provide real-time visibility to help enforce spending policies and maintain budget control.

2. Personal Card Feeds

Personal card feeds link individual credit cards to expense management systems, commonly used by freelancers, small business owners, or employees who use personal cards for business purchases.

These feeds may update less frequently and offer limited transaction details. Users often need to manually separate business and personal expenses. Some expense platforms include tools to filter business transactions, but manual oversight is usually required. Personal card feeds are best suited for small teams or solo professionals.

3. Data Aggregator Feeds

Data aggregator feeds pull transaction data from banks through third-party services like Plaid, Yodlee, or Finicity. They are useful when your bank does not support direct feeds. While they enable multiple account connections in one place, they can be less reliable due to login expirations, slower updates, or occasional data errors.

4. Virtual Card Feeds

Virtual card feeds come from cards that generate unique numbers for specific transactions, vendors, or employees. Providers like Ramp, Brex, or Airbase offer these feeds. They provide near-instant updates and enhanced control, making them ideal for companies that want to monitor spending closely and reduce the risk of fraud.

5. Commercial Card Feeds (T&E or Purchasing Cards)

Commercial card feeds are specialized for travel and entertainment (T&E) or procurement purposes. They often include advanced transaction details such as invoice numbers, itemized charges, or supplier information, making reconciliation and reporting easier. These feeds are popular for companies that manage large-scale employee spending and require detailed auditing.

How to Set Up Card Feeds

Before establishing a card feed connection, ensure you have the necessary administrative access to both your credit card account and expense management platform. For corporate cards, this typically means having account administrator privileges or working with someone who does. You'll also need to verify that your card issuer supports direct feed connections with your chosen expense management software.

Check your expense management platform's integration list to confirm compatibility with your specific card issuer and account type. Some platforms support hundreds of financial institutions, while others focus on major issuers only. Banking relationships and technical capabilities vary, so verification prevents setup frustration later.

Gather essential account information including your credit card account numbers, online banking credentials (if required for setup), and any specific account identifiers your expense platform requests. Some setups require temporary access to online banking, while others use account and routing numbers for identification.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Access Integration Settings: Log into your expense management platform and navigate to the integrations or card feed section. This is typically found in account settings, administration panels, or finance configuration areas.
2. Select Your Card Issuer: Choose your credit card provider from the list of supported institutions. If your issuer isn't listed, check if they offer generic OFX or CSV export options that your platform can accept.
3. Provide Account Information: Enter your credit card account details as requested. This might include account numbers, online banking credentials, or both, depending on your issuer's integration method.
4. Authenticate the Connection: Complete any required authentication steps, which may include multi-factor authentication through your banking app or temporary verification codes sent to your registered phone number or email.
5. Configure Import Settings: Specify which transactions to import (all transactions vs. business-only), how far back to pull historical data, and how frequently you want updates. Most platforms offer daily updates, though some support real-time or multiple daily syncs.
6. Test the Connection: Verify that transactions are importing correctly by checking recent purchases against your credit card statement. Allow 24-48 hours for the initial sync to complete, as some systems require time to establish the data flow.
7. Set Up User Assignments: For corporate cards, assign specific cards to individual employees so transactions automatically appear in the correct person's expense account.

Common Challenges

Setting up card feeds can be straightforward, but several common challenges may arise during the process. Being aware of these obstacles and knowing how to address them ensures smooth integration and accurate expense tracking.

• Authentication Failures
  • The most frequent issue during setup is failed authentication. Many banks require multi-factor authentication using a phone, token, or authenticator app.
  • Make sure you have access to the required authentication device before beginning the setup.
  • Multiple failed attempts can temporarily lock the account. To avoid frustration, carefully enter credentials and follow the bank’s guidelines.
  • For Indian banks, note that OTPs may expire quickly, so ensure your mobile network is reliable before starting the authentication process.
• Network Timeouts
  • Large historical transaction imports or slow internet connections can cause network timeouts, interrupting the setup process.
  • If a timeout occurs, wait a few hours before retrying, as the expense platform may need time to process partially imported data.
  • Consider splitting large imports into smaller date ranges if your platform allows it, reducing the chance of interruptions.
  • For businesses operating across multiple branches, ensure a stable and high-speed internet connection at the location where setup is performed.
• Duplicate Transaction Imports
  • Duplicate transactions often happen when multiple setup attempts are made or when switching between integration methods.
  • Check if there are multiple active connections to the same card account and disable any redundant feeds.
  • Regularly reconcile your first few imports to ensure no duplicates exist before continuing with live transactions.
  • Some expense platforms offer automated duplicate detection and merging features, which can save time and reduce errors.
• Credential Expiration or Changes
  • In India, some banks require credentials to be updated periodically or may change login requirements.
  • Always check your card issuer’s notifications and update your connection credentials promptly to avoid feed disruption.
• Integration Compatibility Issues
  • Some card issuers may not be fully compatible with certain expense management platforms.
  • Before setup, confirm your platform supports your bank or card provider, and look for recommended integration methods or plugins.
  • In case of persistent errors, contact both the platform support and your bank for assistance to ensure data flows correctly.
• Delayed Transaction Updates
  • Even after setup, some card feeds may not update transactions in real time, leading to temporary mismatches.
  • Understand your card feed’s update frequency and plan reconciliation accordingly.
  • For companies with high transaction volumes, setting up alerts for failed imports can help catch missing data early.

Troubleshooting Card Feeds

Card feeds simplify expense tracking, but issues can occasionally arise that require troubleshooting. Understanding common problems and their causes can help businesses quickly resolve discrepancies and maintain accurate financial records.

Data Discrepancies

When transaction amounts do not match between your card feed and bank statements, the difference is often caused by timing issues or currency conversion rates. For international transactions, credit card processors may use exchange rates that differ from preliminary transaction data, or they may apply the conversion on a different date than your expense platform records. Even domestic transactions can show minor discrepancies if merchant pre-authorizations or temporary holds are involved. Allow 2-3 business days for transactions to settle fully and reflect accurate amounts. Regularly reviewing unsettled transactions helps prevent misreporting.

Missing Transactions

Transactions sometimes do not appear immediately in your feed due to processing delays between the merchant, card network, and issuer. Tips, gratuities, or partial payments may post separately from the main charge. Additionally, some recurring or subscription-based payments may process on different dates than expected. To avoid gaps in reconciliation, monitor your card feed daily in the first week of the month and cross-check with receipts or statements to catch any delayed entries early.

Merchant Name Inconsistencies

Different systems may display merchant names differently. For example, “Amazon.com” could appear as “AMZN Mktp US” or “Amazon Marketplace.” Without consistent naming, automated expense categorization can fail, leading to misclassification or reporting errors. Businesses can maintain a merchant mapping table within their expense software, set rules for recurring merchants, and periodically review unclassified transactions to ensure accuracy in reports.

Authentication Failures

Feeds can stop working if your banking credentials change or multi-factor authentication (MFA) settings expire. For instance, banks in India often require OTPs sent to registered mobile numbers, which can expire quickly. If authentication fails, update your credentials promptly in your expense platform. Additionally, ensure the person setting up the feed has access to MFA devices or apps. Multiple failed login attempts may lock your account temporarily, so enter credentials carefully.

Bank System Maintenance

Scheduled or unscheduled maintenance by banks can temporarily halt feed updates. While most expense platforms automatically retry failed connections, prolonged outages may require manual reconnection. Keep track of maintenance notifications from your bank, and consider planning critical reconciliations after maintenance windows to avoid missing data.

Account Closure or Card Replacement

When a card is closed or replaced, existing feed connections break. New cards will require fresh connections, and historical transaction data from old cards may not carry over automatically. Businesses should plan ahead by exporting previous statements before closure and ensuring all pending transactions are reconciled. This is particularly important for companies issuing multiple employee cards.

Firewall or Security Restrictions

Firewalls, VPNs, or security software can block the secure channels needed for card feed communication. Persistent connection issues often require coordination with IT teams to whitelist the expense platform or configure the network to allow API communication with the card issuer. Ensuring network reliability and security compliance prevents repeated connection failures.

Transaction Categorization Errors

Automatic categorization is convenient but not foolproof. Transactions may be misclassified due to unusual merchant codes or ambiguous business purposes. Regularly review categorized transactions, especially for high-value purchases, and set rules for recurring vendors. Training employees on consistent expense reporting can reduce errors upstream.

Delayed Updates

Not all card feeds update in real time, particularly for high-volume or international transactions. Delayed updates can create temporary mismatches in reconciliation. Businesses should account for the update frequency when planning month-end reconciliation, and may need to manually check pending transactions to maintain accurate financial records.

Streamline Your Expense Management with Mysa

Implementing card feeds and optimizing your expense management processes can feel overwhelming, especially when balancing multiple financial priorities. At Mysa, we understand the challenges finance teams face when modernizing their expense workflows and selecting the right technology solutions.

Mysa’s AI-powered accounting platform integrates directly with card feeds to automate expense tracking, reconciliation, and reporting, giving finance teams real-time visibility and control over company spending. Our team has helped hundreds of organizations successfully implement automated expense management systems, from initial platform selection through ongoing optimization.

Book a demo today to see how Mysa can help you streamline expense management and transform your financial operations with intelligent automation.

FAQs

What are the costs associated with card feeds?

Most expense management platforms include card feed functionality in their standard pricing, though some charge per-feed or per-transaction fees. Card issuers typically don't charge for providing feed access, as it's considered a standard business service. However, some premium corporate card programs may include feed access as part of higher-tier service packages that carry additional annual fees.

How secure are card feeds?

Card feeds use bank-level encryption and security protocols, often including OAuth 2.0 authentication and TLS encryption for data transmission. Your credit card numbers and sensitive account details aren't stored by expense management platforms – instead, they maintain secure tokens that allow access to transaction data only. Most feeds are read-only, meaning the expense platform can retrieve transaction information but cannot initiate purchases or account changes.

How quickly do transactions appear in card feeds?

Transaction timing varies by card issuer and expense platform combination. Most corporate card feeds update daily, with transactions appearing 24-48 hours after purchase. Some premium integrations offer multiple daily updates or near real-time transaction visibility. Pending transactions may appear immediately but could change amounts or disappear if the final transaction is declined.

Can I import historical transactions when setting up a new card feed?

Historical import capabilities depend on your card issuer and expense platform. Most systems can import 30-90 days of historical data, while some extend to 12 months or more. Be aware that importing large amounts of historical data may take several days to complete and could require manual review to ensure accuracy.

What happens if I change credit cards or banks?

Changing cards requires establishing a new feed connection, and you'll lose automatic access to historical data from the old card. Most expense platforms allow you to maintain multiple feed connections simultaneously, so you can overlap old and new cards during transition periods. Export important historical data before closing old card accounts to maintain complete expense records.

Do card feeds work with personal credit cards used for business expenses?

Yes, many expense platforms support personal credit card feeds, though you'll need to manually identify which transactions are business-related. This approach works well for freelancers or small business owners who occasionally use personal cards for business purchases, but dedicated business cards offer better expense tracking and separation.