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Bank Connections

Why Connect Your Bank?

Manually entering every transaction is tedious and error-prone. Bank connections:

  • Save Time: Transactions import automatically
  • Reduce Errors: No manual data entry mistakes
  • Stay Current: See transactions as they happen
  • Simplify Reconciliation: Match records to bank statements easily

How It Works

BeeKeeper connects securely to your bank to:

  1. Connect directly to your bank
  2. Download transaction history
  3. Sync new transactions nightly (and on demand)
  4. Never store your banking credentials in BeeKeeper

Your bank login details are handled by our banking partner, not BeeKeeper.

Connecting a Bank Account

Step 1: Start the Connection

  1. Go to Settings > Linked Accounts
  2. Click Add Connection
  3. The bank connection window opens

Step 2: Find Your Bank

  1. Search for your bank by name
  2. Select it from the results
  3. If your bank isn’t listed, try alternate names (e.g., “Bank of America” vs “BofA”)

Still can’t find your bank? The Linked Accounts page includes a note for exactly this: email us at support@futurefund.com with your bank’s name. Many banks and credit unions that don’t show up in the search box can still be connected — we just have to set it up on our end.

Step 3: Authenticate

  1. Enter your bank login credentials
  2. Complete any security verification (text code, security questions)
  3. Select which accounts to share with BeeKeeper
  1. Back in BeeKeeper, select which BeeKeeper account matches this bank account
  2. For example, link “Chase Checking …1234” to your “Checking Account”
  3. Click Save

Managing Connections

View Connection Status

Go to Settings > Linked Accounts to see all connections with these columns:

  • Bank Name
  • Account Name
  • Last Four
  • Status
  • Last Downloaded

Connections can be sorted by any column for easy management.

Refresh Transactions

Transactions sync automatically each night, but you can force a refresh:

  • Single account: Go to Bookkeeping, open the account, and choose Refresh Feed from the Actions menu
  • All accounts: On Settings > Linked Accounts, click Refresh All to sync every connection at once

New transactions appear within minutes.

Reassign a Connection

If you need to link a bank connection to a different BeeKeeper account:

  1. Click Edit on the connection
  2. Select the new BeeKeeper account
  3. Click Save

Re-authenticate

Banks periodically require re-authentication:

  1. The connection shows a red Disconnected status and a Reconnect button appears
  2. Click Reconnect
  3. Log in to your bank again
  4. Connection resumes syncing

Disconnect an Account

If you need to remove a connection:

  1. Click Delete on the connection
  2. Confirm the disconnect prompt

Note: Disconnecting doesn’t delete previously imported transactions.

What Happens After Connecting

When you first connect a bank account:

  1. Transactions are fetched: Recent transactions (typically 90 days) are imported
  2. Rules are applied: Any matching Transaction Rules auto-categorize transactions
  3. AI categorization runs: BeeKeeper’s AI suggests categories for remaining transactions
  4. Transactions appear on the Needs Review tab: Review them on the account’s Needs Review tab

From there, you review and accept transactions to create journal entries. See [Imported Transactions](imported-transactions) for the full review workflow.

If the account has an opening balance entry (recorded when you first set up the account in BeeKeeper), BeeKeeper automatically skips importing any bank transaction dated before that opening balance date. That history is already captured in the opening balance itself, so this avoids double-counting it once the bank connection is live.

The Transaction Pipeline

Bank transactions flow through a pipeline before becoming official journal entries:

Bank → Fetch → Rule Matching → AI Categorization → Review → Accept → Journal Entry

This pipeline ensures every transaction is properly categorized before entering your books.

Importing from Files

If your bank can’t be connected directly (and support can’t find another way to connect it), you can import transactions from files instead:

  1. Go to Bookkeeping and select the account
  2. Click Import
  3. Upload a file in one of these formats:
    • QFX/OFX: Standard bank download format (dedupes by bank transaction ID)
    • CSV: Comma-separated values
    • XLSX: Excel spreadsheet

Imported transactions enter the same review pipeline as bank-connected transactions.

Tips for Effective Bank Connections

Connect Early

The sooner you connect, the more historical data you capture. Banks typically provide 90 days of history.

Create Rules for Recurring Transactions

Identify transactions that repeat:

  • Monthly bills (insurance, storage)
  • Regular vendors (office supplies)
  • Bank fees

Create rules for these to minimize manual categorization.

Review Weekly

Even with automation, review imported transactions weekly:

  • Verify categories are correct
  • Catch any unusual activity
  • Keep up with uncategorized items

Keep Checking and Savings Separate

If you have multiple accounts:

  • Connect each separately
  • Link each to its corresponding BeeKeeper account
  • Track balances independently

Security Considerations

What's Shared

  • Transaction history (date, amount, description)
  • Account balance
  • Account name and type

What's NOT Shared

  • Your bank login credentials (handled by our banking partner, never BeeKeeper)
  • Account numbers (only last 4 digits visible)
  • Other bank accounts you didn’t select

Security

Our bank connections:

  • Are PCI compliant
  • Use bank-level encryption
  • Are used by thousands of businesses
  • Never store your bank password

Limitations

  • Bank Support: Not every bank is available in the search box, but many smaller banks and credit unions can still be connected — email support@futurefund.com if yours doesn’t show up
  • History: Typically 90 days of historical transactions via bank connection
  • Opening Balance Cutoff: Bank transactions dated before an account’s opening balance date are not imported, since that history is already reflected in the opening balance
  • Sync Frequency: Nightly automatic sync; manual refresh available anytime
  • Multiple Users: Connection is tied to whoever authenticated
  • File Import: QFX/OFX dedupe by bank transaction ID; CSV/XLSX dedupe by file checksum and per-row fingerprint (identical rows are skipped)
  • Admin Only: Managing connections requires admin access and an active subscription

Troubleshooting

“Bank not found”

  • Try alternate bank names
  • Check if your bank is a credit union (may have different name)
  • Email support@futurefund.com with your bank’s name — smaller banks and credit unions that don’t appear in search can often still be connected

“Connection failed”

  • Verify your bank credentials are correct
  • Complete any multi-factor authentication
  • Try again later (bank may be having issues)

“Transactions not syncing”

  • Check connection status for errors
  • Try a manual refresh
  • Re-authenticate if prompted
  • Some pending transactions may take 24-48 hours

“Duplicate transactions”

  • May occur if you imported CSV before connecting
  • Void the duplicate journal entries
  • Going forward, rely on automatic import

“Some old transactions are missing”

  • If a transaction predates the account’s opening balance, BeeKeeper skips importing it on purpose — it’s already reflected in the opening balance total
  • If you believe a transaction is missing in error, check the account’s opening balance date under its journal entries

Common Questions

Is this safe? Yes. Your bank login is handled by our secure banking partner and is never shared with BeeKeeper.

Does connecting allow BeeKeeper to move money? No. Connections are read-only. BeeKeeper cannot initiate transfers or payments.

What if I change banks? Disconnect the old account, connect the new one. Historical transactions remain in BeeKeeper.

Can I connect a credit card? Yes, if your card issuer is supported. Transactions will import like checking accounts.

How often do transactions sync? Automatically every night. You can also refresh manually at any time from Settings > Linked Accounts.

What if my bank isn’t in the search results? Email support@futurefund.com with your bank’s name. We support a growing list of banks and credit unions, and many that aren’t in the standard search can still be connected — we just have to set that up on our end.

What if my bank requires re-authentication frequently? Some banks require periodic re-login for security. When this happens, the connection shows a red Disconnected status and a Reconnect button appears. Click Reconnect and log in again.

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