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Forward receipts from Outlook automatically

Create an Outlook rule that forwards receipts from your vendors to your catch address. It works on Outlook.com and Microsoft 365, even when your computer is off.

Updated October 7, 2026 · 2 min read

Outlook rules created in Outlook on the web or the new Outlook run on Microsoft's servers, so they keep forwarding receipts when your computer is off. Setting one up takes about five minutes.

You'll need: your catch address. Open the catcher in ExpenseCatcher and copy it.

Create the rule

  1. In Outlook on the web (outlook.com or outlook.office.com) or the new Outlook app, open Settings (the gear icon) → Mail → Rules.
  2. Click Add new rule and give it a name, such as Receipts to ExpenseCatcher.
  3. Add a condition. The most precise is From: add the addresses your receipts come from. Or use Subject includes with words like receipt, invoice and order confirmation.
  4. Add an action: choose Forward to and paste your catch address.
  5. Keep Stop processing more rules ticked if you don't want later rules to act on these emails too.
  6. Click Save.

To check it, ask a vendor to resend a receipt, or send yourself an email with "receipt" in the subject from another account. It should appear in ExpenseCatcher within a minute.

Pick "Forward to", not "Forward as attachment". An attachment-forward wraps the receipt inside another file, which ExpenseCatcher can't open. And don't forward all mail: every email that reaches a catcher counts as a catch.

If nothing arrives: work accounts

Many Microsoft 365 organizations block automatic forwarding to outside addresses, as a defense against hijacked mailboxes. The rule saves without complaint, but the forwarded email never arrives, or the sender gets a bounce mentioning your organization's settings.

If that happens, you have two options:

  • Ask your IT admin to allow automatic forwarding for your mailbox. In Microsoft 365 it's an outbound spam policy setting.
  • Forward receipts by hand. Saving your catch address as a contact makes that three taps.

Receipts already in your inbox

Rules act on new mail. In classic Outlook for Windows you can run a rule on existing messages; elsewhere, forward older receipts by hand. Each one counts toward your monthly catches.

Using Gmail too?

The same idea works there: forward receipts from Gmail automatically.

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