Bank feeds

How do feeds work?

A feed connects your bank with PocketSmith and imports your transactions automatically. There are two ways software can access transactions from banks: direct feeds and third-party feeds. Direct feeds exist where a bank has a relationship with the software provider, whereas third-party feeds are connected via data providers like Yodlee.

We use third-party feeds here at PocketSmith. Establishing a direct feed with a bank is a really slow process, so we’re lucky that aggregators developed their own technology to connect to banks and import transactions on behalf of the customer!

There are a lot of feeds for my bank - which one do I choose?

Make sure the feed you select matches your online banking website. Click on the house icon beside the feed to make sure the website is correct. Also, take note of the bank type. For example, if you're looking to add a 'credit card', but the bank feed only has the 'loan' type beside it, this isn't the right bank feed.

I don't see my bank available in the feed search results, what should I do?

If your bank doesn’t show up in the search for results, try searching for variations of the bank name (for example, try “CU” instead of “Credit Union”). If you still don’t get the right result, send us a message, and we’ll see if we can find the right feed for you to connect to.

What does the "Auto-categorize where possible" option mean when I'm connecting a feed?

This means that your transactions will be automatically categorized into categories chosen by our data provider. If you select this option now, but change your mind once your transactions are imported, don't worry - you can turn this feature off later! Check out our user guide: Automatic categorization of transactions

What does "Include pending transactions" mean when I'm connecting a feed?

A pending transaction is a transaction flagged by a bank if it is not yet confirmed or posted, because some of the attributes of that transaction (merchant, date, amount, etc.) may change in the coming days. You can choose whether you'd like to include these transactions in PocketSmith, or wait until transactions are posted before they are imported.

How long does a feed take to finish syncing?

The first sync of a feed can take some time, especially if there are a lot of accounts or transactions to retrieve. Once the feed has started syncing, PocketSmith then processes all the transactions from up to the last 90 days so that they can be categorized and budgeted in your PocketSmith account.

Subsequent feed syncing should be faster as there will be less data to process. If you notice that your feed sync is taking much longer than expected, please let us know, and we will investigate for you.

Do I need to log in regularly to ensure my feed is importing transactions, or can I just set and forget?

If your bank feed requires additional security information, then you will need to log into PocketSmith at least once every 4 weeks to respond to security requirements in order to sync your bank feed and keep your transactions up to date. If you do not sync your feed for over 4 weeks this may result in missing transactions. 

If your feed does not require additional security information, we still recommend logging in at least once every 4 weeks. This allows you to spot any errors affecting your feed and ensures your feed will regularly update, according to our automatic syncing schedule. Please note that logging in once every 4 weeks is the bare minimum. To stay engaged with your finances and ensure your feeds are running smoothly, it's best to log in at least once a fortnight.

How long will it take for the error to be fixed on my feed?

If you’ve been in touch about a feed error, we’ll usually need to open an investigation with Yodlee or the other data partner you've connected to your bank through. We are not given a timeframe from data partners as to how long it will take to resolve the issue. Many issues can be solved within a few days, however, more complicated issues can take weeks. Where possible, we will keep you informed with any information about the progress of the investigation.

What if my transactions are incorrect?

If you’re seeing duplicate transactions, transactions with incorrect merchant information, or are missing transactions for whole time periods, please get in touch with us and let us know! These issues might be caused by changes at the bank’s website, so if you have noticed any differences there, it’s useful to know about these.

When investigating these issues, it’s really helpful to know which feed account is affected and - where possible - to send us through a screenshot or exported file from your actual online banking so that we can compare the information at your bank with the transactions coming through to PocketSmith.

When will my latest transactions show in PocketSmith?

Our data providers usually retrieves transactions for PocketSmith to import every 24 hours or so, but it varies between different data providers. The result of this is that feed syncs in PocketSmith might not always retrieve your most recent transactions, especially if those transactions were very recently made. You can learn more here: How Yodlee bank feeds are updated in PocketSmith and information on importing new transactions from Plaid.

Can I add my partner's bank accounts?

Absolutely! PocketSmith allows you to add more than one set of credentials for the same bank, so you can connect both your and your partner’s accounts even if you use separate logins to access your online banking. Check out: Adding more than one set of credentials to an existing bank feed

If your partner holds accounts at a different bank, learn how to add a new feed from the Account Summary page here: Adding a bank feed and establishing your accounts

How far back can the feed go to import my transactions?

When you first add your bank into PocketSmith, the feed attempts to gather the last 90 days of your transaction history. Following this initial import, the bank feed will then only sync the last 28 days of your transaction history with each sync.

My feeds have disappeared after my account lapsed, how do I reconnect my accounts?

Once an account has been downgraded, the feeds are removed from the PocketSmith account after three weeks. To reconnect your accounts, you'll need to first re-add your old feeds from the Account Summary page following the steps outlined here: Adding a feed.

When the feed has connected successfully, it will begin retrieving all the available accounts at the bank within the Ready to link section. You’ll then need to link the feed accounts to your existing (offline) accounts in PocketSmith as detailed here: Connecting your bank account to an existing account.