Prepare a weekly list of bills to pay
- Who it's for
- Owners who pay suppliers themselves
- Outcome
- One list of bills due this week with amounts, due dates and payee details checked against past payments.
- Why Handoff 4
- This job ends in a payment. The agent prepares the list; it must never have access to pay.
Steps
- Give the agent access to your bills folder or inbox label (read-only).
- Ask for a list of bills due in the next seven days.
- Ask it to flag any bill whose bank details differ from the last payment to that supplier.
- Verify flagged bills by phone, then pay from your bank yourself.
Copy-paste prompt
Works with any agent. Replace the [square brackets] with your details.
Look through [bills folder / email label] (read only). List every bill due in the next 7 days: supplier, invoice number, amount, due date, and payee bank details as shown.
Compare each with the last bill from the same supplier and FLAG any change to bank details, amount pattern or sender email. Do not log in to any bank or payment system and do not make or schedule any payment.Notes for each agent
Only features we found in each provider's official documentation on 14 Oct 2026 are stated as product facts, with the source linked. Product features change; check before relying on them.
Claude Suggested
Connect your email through a connector and keep Cowork in Manual mode, so any connector tool set to 'Needs approval' asks before it runs.
From official docs Official source
ChatGPT Suggested
Set the email app's permission to 'Allow read actions': ChatGPT can read without asking but asks before making changes.
From official docs Official source
Gemini Suggested
Gemini can use Gmail only when the Google Workspace connected app is on; Deep Research can include Gmail as a source when you select it.
From official docs Official source
Microsoft Copilot Suggested
Copilot in Outlook's 'Prioritize my inbox' assigns high, normal or low priority with a reason. It works on your primary mailbox only, not shared mailboxes.
From official docs Official source
Open agents & automations
In n8n, give the AI Agent read-only mail access for this job. If you add any tool that changes mail, put a human review step in front of it.
From official docs Official source
Common failure, and how to catch it
- What goes wrong
- A fake invoice with changed bank details (invoice fraud) slips through.
- How to catch it
- The 'flag changed details' rule, and a phone check on any flag.
Time and cost
- Time to set up
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Uses the AI plan you already pay for. Agent features (browsing, connectors, scheduling) may need a paid tier; check your plan before relying on them.
Sources
- https://support.claude.com/en/articles/13345190-get-started-with-claude-cowork
- https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001495-managing-app-permissions-in-chatgpt
- https://support.google.com/gemini/answer/15719111
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/outlook/frequently-asked-questions-about-copilot-in-outlook
- https://docs.n8n.io/build/integrate-ai/ai-examples/human-in-the-loop-for-tools
Reviewed 14 Oct 2026 against the sources above. This playbook has not been tested on every agent listed; it is written to be agent-agnostic.