American Express Adds Virtual Cards to Partnership With Emburse

American Express is expanding its 18-month-old partnership with travel and expense software provider Emburse.

The expansion resulted in the addition of two new features, including American Express virtual card issuance and real-time transaction data, in Emburse’s Enterprise Expense platform, the companies said in a news release Thursday (Nov. 6).

With these new features, customers of the two firms can issue American Express virtual cards within Emburse’s platform. This allows expense entries to be created and categorized automatically with mobile notifications on the go, while finance teams get increased visibility into spending as it occurs, the release said.

Widad Chaoui, senior vice president of corporate and B2B products at American Express, said in the release that the new arrangement will give customers more benefits from their card programs.

“Expense management remains a cumbersome process for our enterprise customers,” Chaoui said. “They are looking for ways to simplify the employee experience whilst strengthening policy adherence and controls.”

Emburse Chief Product Officer Paul Nagy said in the release: “This expansion makes it even easier for our shared customers to manage business spend with confidence and speed. Together, we’re helping organizations simplify the way employees pay for and reconcile expenses, giving teams enhanced clarity, actionable insight and a better overall user experience.”

Last year, American Express and Emburse teamed up to introduce American Express virtual card capabilities within Emburse Spend, streamlining expense management for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

A virtual card is a digital payment method with a unique card number, expiration date and security code that safeguards sensitive financial information and helps businesses handle expenses for spending, supplier payments and projects. PYMNTS took a closer look at their benefits in a report Thursday.

“Firms can now issue digital payment instruments embedded with rebate programs that accrue cash back on every eligible transaction,” the report said. “Where there was once a cost of doing business, now there’s a credit line and, in some cases, a six- or seven-figure revenue stream.”

The September PYMNTS Intelligence report “Why 2025 Could Be the Year of the Virtual Card” found high levels of interest in virtual cards among financial leaders, even though fewer have embraced them. Nearly 80% of middle-market chief financial officers said they are “highly interested” in accepting virtual cards, yet fewer than half of companies globally have implemented them.

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