How bank sync works
This guide explains what happens after you connect a bank through SimpleFIN (or Plaid when Connected Services is available) — when transactions download, how they reach your register, and how sync interacts with manual import and reconciliation.
If you have not connected yet, start with Connect a financial institution.
The big picture
Bank sync downloads transactions from your provider, checks them against your register, then imports new rows automatically. You do not need to commit staged rows manually.
SimpleFIN or Plaid → download → duplicate check → register + auto-categorize
↘ also store bank balance / as of on mapped accounts
Your Home and net worth figures prefer the bank’s current balance when sync provides one. The register still uses opening balance plus transactions. Use the Bank sync — recent view (under Transactions → Views in the left nav), or the title-bar Bank sync chip when it shows a recent count, to review ordinary synced activity from the last 30 days.
Bank balances and Align to bank
When your provider sends a current balance for a mapped account, Big Picture Money stores it with an as of date.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| First sync after you map an account | If the bank balance and register disagree, the app inserts one Balance adjustment so they match |
| Later syncs | The app shows how far off the bank is (on Bank integration and on that account’s register) and offers Align to bank — you confirm before another adjustment is created |
| You leave drift alone | Home and net worth still show the bank figure; the register keeps the ledger until you align or fix transactions |
Balance adjustment rows are auditable in the register. They appear with a green highlight so you can tell them apart from ordinary spending. They stay uncategorized (no spending category) — the app does not auto-categorize them. They are not listed in Bank sync — recent, and they do not count as everyday spending — including on Spending and Income vs expense reports.
For the confirm path step by step, see Align register to bank balance.
Expected result (balances)
- After sync, Home Account balances for a mapped account shows the bank amount and an as of date when the bank sent a balance
- The first sync after mapping may add a Balance adjustment so the register matches
- A later mismatch shows Align to bank and does not auto-adjust again until you confirm
- Unmapping and remapping an account allows one automatic align again on the next first sync for that mapping
Sync history
Open Import to see Import & sync activity — a combined log of file imports and bank sync runs. Each sync row shows when it ran, manual vs automatic, and how many rows were fetched.
When sync runs
| Trigger | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sync all mapped accounts | You click the button on a connection in Settings → Bank integration. The app fetches the latest data from your sync provider for every mapped account on that connection and imports new rows. |
| Automatic sync | While Big Picture Money is unlocked and running, the app checks for new transactions on a timer (about every four hours). Closing the app or locking it pauses automatic sync. |
| No background sync when closed | Sync does not run when the app is fully quit or your database is locked. Open and unlock the app periodically if you rely on automatic updates. |
SimpleFIN rate limits
SimpleFIN Bridge limits how often your access token can fetch data (on the order of 24 requests per day per token, with some flexibility during initial setup). Frequent manual syncs can hit this limit; the connection may show an error until the quota resets. Space out Sync all mapped accounts if you sync often.
How long until transactions appear
Download and import usually finishes in seconds to a minute, depending on your network and how many accounts are mapped. When sync completes, new rows are in your register immediately.
Your bank's timing is separate from the app:
- Some institutions post transactions to your sync provider within hours; others take one or two business days.
- Pending or authorization-only activity may not appear until it posts.
- SimpleFIN returns up to roughly 90 days of history per request; older activity may require a file import. Plaid history can vary by institution and account type.
If sync succeeds but you see no new rows, the bank may simply have nothing new yet, or the transaction is still pending at the institution.
Reviewing after import
You do not need to approve each sync row. Optional follow-up:
- Click the Bank sync chip in the title bar when it shows a recent count, or open the Bank sync — recent view under Views in the left navigation.
- Categorize, tag, split, or inspect transactions like any other register rows.
- Use Reconcile when you are ready to match a statement.
Synced transactions are marked as coming from bank sync. Original provider details are kept on the transaction for reference.
Duplicate detection
Big Picture Money uses one duplicate system for file import and bank sync on the same account.
A downloaded row is skipped when it matches an existing register transaction, typically by:
| Signal | Role |
|---|---|
| Account | Duplicates are per account — the same payment on two different accounts is not a duplicate. |
| Date | Same calendar date (or posted date from the bank). |
| Amount | Same amount in cents. |
| Description | Same or very similar payee text (minor punctuation differences are normalized). |
| Bank reference ID | When your sync provider or import file provides a stable ID (for example a FITID), matching IDs count as the same transaction. |
The app also remembers a fingerprint for transactions it has already imported or synced. Re-syncing the same bank activity should not add them twice.
If something was skipped incorrectly, edit or add the transaction manually in the register.
Using sync and CSV import together
You can use both on the same account. Many people:
- Sync for day-to-day activity on a checking or card account.
- Import CSV or QFX for older statements, tax years, or accounts your sync provider does not cover.
Because duplicate detection is shared:
- Import a CSV, then sync — overlapping rows should be skipped during sync import.
- Sync first, then re-import the same period from a file — overlapping rows should be duplicates in import staging.
Neither path silently double-counts the same payment when fingerprints or heuristics match.
Tips:
- Map synced provider accounts to the same local account you use for file import on that bank account.
- If descriptions differ a lot between CSV and sync data (for example
AMZN MKTPvsAmazon.com), a rare duplicate might not auto-match — correct it manually in the register. - File import does not block sync and sync does not block import.
Reconciliation
Bank sync does not reconcile your account for you.
- Newly imported sync rows arrive uncleared and not reconciled, like manually entered or imported transactions.
- You still use Reconcile on the account register to match your monthly statement, check off cleared items, and finish when the difference is $0.00.
See Reconcile an account and Reconciliation.
Sync keeps your register up to date; reconciliation confirms it matches the bank's official statement for a period.
Adding accounts after you connect
If you link a new account in SimpleFIN Bridge or through the Connected Services Plaid flow after your initial setup:
- Open Settings → Bank integration.
- On your connection, click Refresh account list.
- Map the new provider account to a local account (or Create new in the mapping screen).
- Run Sync all mapped accounts.
Until an account is mapped, sync does not download its transactions.
Connection health
On Settings → Bank integration, each connection shows:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Healthy | Connected and last sync succeeded (or no sync attempted yet after mapping). |
| Setup needed | Connected but no accounts mapped yet. |
| Error | Last sync or refresh failed — read the message on the card and try again. |
| Disabled | You turned off sync for this connection; enable it to sync again. |
The title bar Bank sync chip summarizes overall connection health. When recent synced transactions exist, clicking the chip opens the Bank sync — recent filter; otherwise it opens bank integration settings.