Custodian receipt storage is usually tied to card transactions, capped in history, and disappears if you change providers. Your records should outlive your custodian.
Some custodians do offer a document upload feature. It's rarely built for a 30-year holding period.
Three problems come up repeatedly:
1. It's usually attached to a transaction. Custodian upload tools are typically designed for substantiating a debit-card swipe. If you paid out of pocket and never touched the HSA card — exactly what the shoebox strategy requires — there may be no transaction to attach the receipt to.
2. History gets truncated. Statement and document retention windows of 3–7 years are common. That's shorter than the strategy you're running.
3. You'll probably switch custodians. People change jobs, chase lower fees, or move to a provider with better investment options. A transfer moves your money. It does not move your uploaded documents.
The IRS holds you responsible for substantiating a distribution, not your bank. Keeping records somewhere you control — and can export in full at any time — is the safer default.
See the full breakdown: SaveMyHSA vs. your HSA provider's storage.