Quick overview
Goodbudget imports new transaction data going forward. New transactions should appear 1-3 days after you make a purchase. The time of day when your transactions appear depends on your bank.
If you use the Premium plan to link your banks, you may have noticed differences in when synced transactions show up.
These differences are totally normal and should be expected.
Your transactions travel through a few steps before they show in Goodbudget. The timing of each step is largely determined by your bank.
Let’s follow one purchase from start to finish.
Step 1: You Make a Purchase
Here’s what happens after you make a purchase.
- You buy something with your card.
- Your bank sees the purchase first.
- Plaid checks your bank on a set schedule to look for new transaction information.
- Plaid sends new information to Goodbudget.
- Goodbudget imports these transaction updates into your budget.
Goodbudget does not control when this happens. Your bank controls when Plaid can check for updates.
Most banks allow these checks once per day.
Step 2: The Transaction Shows as Pending
Many purchases show up first as [Pending].
A pending transaction:
- Has a [Pending] label
- Is just a preview
- Cannot be edited
- Cannot be added to an Envelope
- May change in amount when it’s finalized
Pending transactions appear near the top of your Transactions list.
They may show up within a few hours — or take longer.
This depends on your bank, and when they allow Plaid to check for updates
Step 3: The Transaction Clears
After a few days, your bank finalizes (clears) the transaction.
When this happens:
- The pending version updates into a cleared transaction
- The cleared transaction is fully editable
Cleared transactions:
- Can be assigned to Envelopes
- Can be edited
- Update your Account balance
- Update your Envelope balances
Most banks clear transactions in 1–3 business days.
If it cleared at your bank but you don’t see it in Goodbudget yet, Plaid may still be waiting for your bank’s next update window.
What Happens When You First Link a Bank?
When you first link your bank account:
- Goodbudget imports the most recent transaction only
- This confirms the connection works
- Older transactions are not imported automatically
If you need older transactions:
- Download them from your bank
- Upload them into Goodbudget manually
What If You Add Transactions Manually?
You can enter transactions yourself before they’re imported into your budget.
When the imported version arrives:
- Use the Match tool
- Merge the manual and imported versions
This prevents duplicates and keeps Envelope and Account balances correct.
If Your Transactions Don’t Appear
If you do not see new transactions after several days:
- Wait for your bank’s next update window
- Try re-linking your bank
- Check that your bank allows third-party access to Plaid
Most missing transactions appear after the next bank update.
*This article was written by humans, restructured for scannability using GenAI, and reviewed by humans.
