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Brex Zapier integrationAutomate Brex with Zapier.

The Brex Zapier integration gives you 3 triggers, 15 actions and 10 searches to wire your cards, people, vendors, transfers and budgets into the rest of your tools. Here is what each operation does, what it costs on your plan, and what breaks first.

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Overview

What the Brex Zapier integration actually does

It connects Brex, where your company handles cards, payments and spend controls, to the more than 9,000 apps Zapier links, without code. Brex events can start a Zap (an automation on Zapier), and Zaps started elsewhere can create users, cards, vendors or transfers in Brex for you.

Three typical results, named by what they produce. A new hire with a card on day one: an event in your HR tool feeds Create User, then Create Card and Email Card Details, so nobody sets accounts up by hand. Money movements everyone sees: Transfer Processed and Transfer Failed push each outcome to the chat or sheet your team already watches. Spending that reports itself: Pending Card Transactions sends each card purchase out the moment it appears, ready for a review or a log.

What Zapier does not do here: there is no delete action, only Disable User. There is no trigger for a new user, a new card or a budget change, so those events cannot start a Zap. And the three budget operations work for Brex Empower customers only, as their names say. Check your plan with Brex before you design around them.

The same app also has its page on the Brex Make integration, and the n8n vs Zapier comparison helps if you are still picking a platform.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary in one minute

Seven words come back all over this page. Here they are in plain English.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run every time the trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap. Once the Zap is switched on, Zapier waits for it and nothing else.
Action
What the Zap does once it has started: the step that writes, sends or moves something in an app for you.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One task is one action your Zap completed successfully, and your plan counts those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked by Zapier on a timer. An instant trigger is reported by the app itself as it happens.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap carry on only when what arrived meets your condition, and stops it quietly otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, such as a user or a card, so the next steps can reuse it.
Cost

What Brex on Zapier really costs

Brex is not a premium app, so it works from the free plan. Its three triggers never cost a task, and waiting for them costs nothing either.

  • Premium appNo, free plan works
  • Tasks on the free plan100 per month
  • Steps per Zap on Free2 (trigger and one action)
  • Cost of a Brex trigger0 tasks

Each action that succeeds counts one task; one that fails is not billed. The free plan gives you 100 tasks a month, but only two-step Zaps: one trigger, one action. The onboarding chain above, or any Zap with a filter or a search such as Find User by Email, is multi-step and needs a paid plan. The interval grid below is for polling triggers only. All three Brex triggers are instant, so the grid never delays them.

Connect

Connect your Brex account to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open your connections

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page of your account and click + Add connection. A connection is your Brex account linked once, then reused by every step that touches it.

  2. 02

    Pick Brex

    Type Brex in the search box of the dialog that opens, select it in the results, then click Add connection. A new browser tab opens on the Brex side to finish.

  3. 03

    Sign in and allow access

    Log in to Brex in that tab and grant Zapier access. You need a Brex account, plus rights on any card, user or account you do not own yourself but want the Zap to touch.

First Zap

Your first Brex Zap, step by step

GoalEvery outgoing transfer Brex processes lands as a row in your payments sheet, with nobody copying it across.

  1. 01

    Build the trigger

    Create a Zap, pick Brex and Transfer Processed. Test it: Zapier brings back the three most recent items, so you map from a real transfer rather than a blank form.

  2. 02

    Add the filter

    This trigger sends incoming and outgoing transfers alike. From the plus icon, add Filter and set it to let only outgoing ones through. With a filter, the Zap is multi-step, so it needs a paid plan.

  3. 03

    Add the row

    Add your spreadsheet app and its action that adds a row. Map the transfer details from the trigger into the columns your finance lead reconciles against.

  4. 04

    Test each step

    Run each step once and read what came back before going further. If the filter stops your test transfer, check the rule type: a text rule on a number never passes.

  5. 05

    Publish

    Once every step returned what you expected, click Publish. From then on, each outgoing transfer adds its row and costs one task; the filter and the trigger cost none.

Triggers

Brex triggers

3 events start a Zap when something happens in Brex, and 3 of them are instant: the app calls Zapier straight away, whatever your plan.

1

Pending Card Transactions

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a card has pending transactions”

Every card purchase that shows up as pending in Brex starts the Zap. It is the trigger that puts spending in front of people while it happens, ready for a check, an alert or a log.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
a manager wants a chat message for each purchase made on the team's cards, so nothing surprises them at month end.
Watch out
on a busy account it can start often, so keep the actions after it to what you really need.
2

Transfer Failed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a transfer has failed”

When a transfer does not go through, Brex reports it and this Zap kicks off. It is the trigger that keeps a failed payment from going unnoticed until a supplier asks where their money is.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
the accounts payable owner should get an alert as soon as a payment bounces, before the supplier calls.
Watch out
do not retry automatically with Create Transfer without a human look first.
3

Transfer Processed

Instant trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when an incoming or outgoing transfer has been processed”

Fires once a transfer has been processed, incoming or outgoing alike. That makes it the natural feed for a payment log or for telling a vendor their money is on its way.

How it fires
the app tells Zapier the moment it happens, so the Zap starts right away, whatever your plan.
When to use it
every processed transfer should add a row to the cash sheet your finance lead keeps for reconciliation.
Watch out
both directions arrive here, so add a filter if you only want outgoing payments.
Actions

Brex actions on Zapier

Brex gives you 15 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Creates a Budget - “Brex Empower” Customers Only

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new Budget”

Builds a budget with its name, period type, limit amount (a decimal such as 317.50), limit type, spend type and limit visibility, all required.

When to use it
an approved project in your planning tool should get its own spending envelope in Brex.
Watch out
Brex Empower customers only.
2

Create Card

Action

In Zapier“Creates a card”

Issues a card for an existing user. The User and the Card Type are both required.

When to use it
right after Create User, in the same onboarding Zap, so the card exists before the first day.
Watch out
the user must exist first, so order the steps accordingly.
3

Create User

Action

In Zapier“Creates a User”

Adds a person to your Brex account from a first name, a last name and an email, all three required.

When to use it
a signed offer in your HR tool should give the new hire a Brex account without a ticket to finance.
4

Create Vendor

Action

In Zapier“Creates a Vendor”

Registers a new vendor in Brex from its Company Name, the one required field. Other details can follow later through Update Vendor by Name.

When to use it
a supplier approved in your procurement form should be ready to pay in Brex without retyping its details.
5

Create Department

Action

In Zapier“Creates a Department”

Opens a department in Brex from a Department Name. Useful to keep your Brex structure in line with the org chart held elsewhere.

When to use it
a team is created in your HR system and spend should be grouped under it from the start.
6

Disable User

Action

In Zapier“Disables a User.”

Turns off a Brex user, picked in the required User field. It is the closest thing to a delete on this app.

When to use it
a departure recorded in your HR tool should cut Brex access the same day, not at the next audit.
7

Email Card Details

Action

In Zapier“Lets you send an email with a secure link to get card details (card number, exp, cvc).”

Sends an email with a secure link where the recipient can see the card number, expiry and security code. It needs the Card ID, the Recipient Email and a Sender Name, which shows in the subject.

When to use it
a contractor needs a card fast and should never see its number pasted in chat.
8

Set User Limit

Action

In Zapier“Sets the limit for user”

Changes how much a user can spend each month. The User and the Monthly Limit (in USD) are required.

When to use it
a promotion or a role change in your HR tool should raise or lower spending power without a manual edit.
9

List Cash Accounts

Action

In Zapier“Lists all the existing cash accounts with their status”

Returns every cash account with its status. The list then feeds the steps after it, for a report or a check.

When to use it
a cash report in a sheet should start from the current state of your accounts, not from figures copied by hand.
10

List Expenses

Action

In Zapier“Lists all card expenses with merchant details”

Pulls the card expenses along with merchant details, so a later step can sort, sum or archive them.

When to use it
the month's card spend should land in your reporting tool with merchant names, not just amounts.
Watch out
it counts as an action, so each run costs a task.
11

Create Location

Action

In Zapier“Creates a Location”

Sets up a location in Brex from a Location Name, which is required. It mirrors the department action for offices and sites.

When to use it
a new office opens and its expenses should be tracked separately from day one.
12

Create Transfer

Action

In Zapier“Creates a new transfer”

Starts a new transfer. Payment Instrument, Account, Amount, Internal Description and External Memo are all required.

When to use it
an invoice approved in your workflow tool should turn into a payment without anyone copying the amount by hand.
Watch out
money leaves the account, so put an approval step before it.
13

Update a Budget - “Brex Empower” Customers Only

Action

In Zapier“Make changes to an existing Budget”

Changes an existing budget, found by its Budget ID, which is required.

When to use it
a project's envelope is revised in your planning tool and the Brex budget should match.
Watch out
reserved to Brex Empower customers; get the ID with Get a Budget first.
14

Update User

Action

In Zapier“Updates a User”

Edits an existing Brex user, so a change made in your source of truth also reaches Brex.

When to use it
someone's record changes in your HR tool and Brex should reflect it the same day.
Watch out
pair it with Find User by Email when you only have the address.
15

Update Vendor by Name

Action

In Zapier“Updates a Vendor matching provided name”

Edits the vendor whose name matches the required Vendor Name. Handy when the only thing you share with another system is the supplier's name.

When to use it
a supplier's details change in your accounting tool and Brex should follow.
Watch out
the name must match exactly what Brex holds.
Searches

Brex search steps

10 search steps look for data that already exists in Brex, so a later step can use it.

Searches sit at the bottom of the action list in the editor, under Action event then the SEARCH heading. Some action fields also offer + Add search step, which inserts one just before and wires the result in for you. Three settings decide what happens when a lookup does not go to plan.

1

Get Card Number

Search

In Zapier“Retrieves card number, CVV, and expiration date of a card by ID.”

Retrieves the full number, security code and expiry date of a card from its ID.

When to use it
rarely, and only when another secure system must receive the card itself.
Watch out
it hands the full card data to the next step; Email Card Details sends a secure link instead, which is usually the safer route.
2

Get Card Transactions

Search

In Zapier“List Brex Card transactions”

Brings back Brex card transactions so a later step can use them.

When to use it
a Zap started elsewhere, say a month-end reminder, needs the latest card activity to build a summary.
Watch out
for a live feed of new purchases, the Pending Card Transactions trigger is the better fit.
3

Get Cash Transactions

Search

In Zapier“List Brex Cash transactions”

Lists the transactions of a Brex Cash account, chosen in the required Account field, so the steps after it can sort or store them.

When to use it
your reconciliation sheet should pull the account's movements before someone matches them against invoices.
4

Find Department by Name

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a Department by Name”

Looks up a department from the required Department Name to Search By. In the editor, Search or Create Department is this same search with the create box ticked: it adds the department when none matches.

When to use it
an onboarding Zap must attach a new user to a team that may not exist yet in Brex.
5

Find User by Email

Search

In Zapier“Finds a User by Email”

Matches a Brex user to an email address, the one required field. Most other tools know people by email, which makes this the usual bridge.

When to use it
before Update User, Set User Limit or Disable User, when the trigger only carries an address.
6

Get a Budget - “Brex Empower” Customers Only

Search

In Zapier“Searches for a Budget”

Finds an existing budget so its ID and details can feed the next step.

When to use it
just before Update a Budget, which cannot run without the Budget ID.
Watch out
like the other budget operations, it only works for Brex Empower customers.
7

Find a Card by ID

Search

In Zapier“Finds a Card based on its ID.”

Pulls up a card from its ID and hands its details to whatever step follows in the Zap.

When to use it
an earlier step already carries a card ID and the next one needs that card's details rather than the bare identifier.
8

Find a User

Search

In Zapier“Finds a User by ID.”

Returns a Brex user from their ID rather than their email.

When to use it
an earlier step already carries the user ID and you need the person's details for a message or an update.
Watch out
with only an email in hand, use Find User by Email instead.
9

Find Location by Name

SearchFind or create

In Zapier“Finds a Location by Name”

Searches for a location by the required Location Name to Search By. Its find-or-create twin in the editor, Search or Create Location, is the same search that creates the location if nothing matches.

When to use it
a new hire's office from your HR tool must exist in Brex before the user is placed there.
10

Find Vendor by Name

Search

In Zapier“Finds a vendor based on name.”

Locates a vendor from its name. Besides the name, the step asks for a Payment Type, which is required.

When to use it
before Create Transfer, to confirm the supplier from an approved invoice already exists in Brex.
Watch out
have the Payment Type ready before you build, or the step cannot run.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    Left on its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap there and skips the steps that relied on it. Switch it on and the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    Ticking it turns the search into a find-or-create. On Brex, only Find Department by Name and Find Location by Name offer this box.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out when several items match: keep the first one (the default), stop the Zap, or pass all of them on at once.
When it breaks

When a Brex Zap breaks

Zapier links no help article to Brex, so the failures below are the ones every Zap shares, read through how this app moves money and people.

On a finance app, the costly failures are rarely loud. A Zap that loops, or one that stops halfway without anyone noticing, does more harm than an error message. If one already misbehaves, the Zapier troubleshooting page walks through the usual fixes.

  • Nothing from before the Zap

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Transfers and transactions already in Brex are never picked up, and moving that history is a separate job.

  • The Zap that feeds itself

    A Zap on Transfer Failed that retries with Create Transfer can fail, trigger itself, and retry again. Each loop burns tasks, and on this app it can move money.

  • A bulk batch held back

    When a trigger suddenly returns a huge batch, after an import or a migration, Zapier's flood protection can hold it back instead of running everything.

  • A search that finds nothing

    On its default setting, Find User by Email stops the Zap when no user matches, so the limit change or the disable after it is skipped and never runs.
Need help

Need help automating Brex with Zapier?

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FAQ

Brex Zapier integration: questions people ask

01Is the Brex Zapier integration free?
Yes, within the limits of the free plan. Brex is not a premium app, so a free Zapier account can use it. That plan gives you 100 tasks a month and two-step Zaps only, one trigger and one action. A Zap that posts each failed transfer to a chat channel fits. An onboarding chain with Create User, Create Card and Email Card Details does not: more than one action, or any filter or search, makes the Zap multi-step and Zapier asks for a paid plan.
02How many tasks does a Brex Zap use?
One per action that completes. The three Brex triggers never cost a task, and waiting for them costs nothing either. An onboarding Zap that runs Create User, then Create Card, then Email Card Details uses three tasks per new hire when all three succeed. A step that fails is not billed. Some apps and actions take more than one task, so read the task history after the first runs, especially on Pending Card Transactions, which can fire often on a busy account.
03Is Brex on Zapier real time?
Yes, for all three triggers. Pending Card Transactions, Transfer Failed and Transfer Processed are instant: Brex itself tells Zapier when the event happens, so the Zap starts right away on every plan, free included. The editor shows a lightning bolt on them. The polling grid, 15 minutes on Free down to 1 minute on Team and Enterprise, applies to polling triggers only, and Brex has none, so the plan you pick changes your step count, not the delay.
04What does it take to connect Brex to Zapier?
A Brex account, and rights on whatever the Zap will touch: users, cards, cash accounts or vendors you do not manage yourself. The connection takes three moves: open the Apps page in Zapier and click + Add connection, pick Brex in the dialog, then sign in and grant access in the tab that opens. Check two things before building: Create Transfer needs a Payment Instrument and an Account, and the budget operations need Brex Empower.
05Who can use the Brex budget operations on Zapier?
Only Brex Empower customers. Creates a Budget, Update a Budget and Get a Budget all carry that mention in their name, so check your Brex plan before you design a Zap around them. Creating a budget also asks for six required fields at once: name, period type, limit amount as a decimal, limit type, spend type and limit visibility. Updating one needs its Budget ID, which Get a Budget provides in an earlier step.
06What if the Brex operation you need is not on Zapier?
First check whether two existing operations, chained, get there. A search such as Find User by Email or Find a Card by ID usually supplies the ID another action needs. There is no delete action, so Disable User is the way to cut access. There is also no trigger for a new user, a new card or a budget change, so those events have to come from another app. If the gap remains, compare the Brex operation lists on other automation platforms.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for Brex?
It depends on your criteria, not on a winner. Zapier fits when the three instant triggers, 15 actions and 10 searches cover your flows, and when your finance team already builds Zaps. Count your steps too: an onboarding chain of three actions costs three tasks per hire and needs a paid plan. If you need operations this list lacks, or long chains where task billing adds up, compare the Brex page on Make, and the other platforms, against your own process.
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