Should I stop recording transactions manually since I have automatic bank import?

1

Hello,

I recently decide to upgrade and try premium for the second time. I’m still not sure that I like it. I like to put transactions in immediately at the point of sale manually. It’s pretty quick and easy and then I know my envelopes always have the right amount of money in them and I know how much I have left to spend.
However, I do occasionally miss putting in a transaction manually and my wife never puts her transactions into the app.
I want automatic bank import to be a convenient “catch-all” like the manual .QFX import that allows me to match imported bank transactions to the transactions that I have already created.
I want automatic bank import to help me keep my envelope numbers accurate in almost real-time but just cut out the steps of going to my bank, downloading the file, importing the file, and then matching imported transactions to transactions that already exist. Right now I am seeing double deductions from my envelopes and accounts when automatic bank transactions are imported which is not helpful.

In order for premium to work better for me should I just stop recording transactions manually altogether? How long do pending transactions take to be imported from my bank into Goodbudget automatically? And for how long is my envelope amount going to have the wrong value while I wait?
Also, will I ever be able to confirm automatic bank imports in the mobile app?

Thank you.

2

I’m sorry. I realize I have asked a question that has already been asked.

3

Hi @seth - Thanks for your post! Bank Sync can work as a catch-all, like you’re hoping.

While Bank Sync was initially designed for folks who prefer to not manually record transactions, you can still opt to record your transactions as you wait for yours to automatically sync down. Once they do, you can use Goodbudget’s Match tool to merge the manual entry with the automatic import, so you don’t have duplicates.

Generally, transactions appear in Goodbudget about 1-3 days after you make your purchase, but the timing is mostly determined by your bank. The transaction should be visible in Goodbudget first as a Pending transaction (if your bank supports those). After it clears in your bank, the Pending version will be replaced in Goodbudget by a cleared version that you can categorize into Envelopes.

Lastly, it’s currently possible to confirm on the web and on iPhone, but we don’t have plans to build out the confirm functionality on Android.

I hope this all helps!
Karisa

1 Like
4

Thank you for the kind reply. I learned after posting about the match feature that I didn’t know about. I should have looked harder for the answer before posting!

This was helpful thank you!

1 Like