General FAQ
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Balance Budget. Can’t find what you’re looking for? Contact support.
Getting Started
What is Balance?
Balance is a budgeting app designed for couples. It helps you and your partner:
- Connect your bank accounts
- Track spending automatically
- Create and manage budgets together
- Categorize transactions
- Stay financially coordinated
Key features:
- Real-time bank sync via Plaid
- Shared budgets for couples
- Individual profiles
- Mobile apps (iOS & Android) and web
- Secure, encrypted data
Is Balance really for couples?
Yes, but you can also use it solo!
For couples:
- Share one account with separate profiles
- Both see all transactions and budgets
- Real-time updates for coordination
- Individual profile views
For individuals:
- Works great for single-person budgeting
- Just create one profile
- All the same budgeting features
How is Balance different from other budget apps?
Built specifically for couples:
- Not an afterthought or add-on
- Designed from day one for two people
- Shared view of all finances
- Better coordination features
Compared to alternatives:
- Mint (discontinued): Balance is actively developed and supported
- YNAB: More affordable, simpler to learn
- EveryDollar: Better bank sync, couples-focused
- Honeydue: More comprehensive budgeting tools
- Monarch: Lower cost, simpler interface
Unique to Balance:
- Focus on couples from the start
- Simple, clear interface
- Affordable pricing
- Modern tech stack
- Active development
How much does Balance cost?
Free Trial:
- 30 days free - Full access to all features
- No credit card required - Just sign up and start
- Automatically downgrades - To free plan after 30 days (no surprise charges)
Premium Plans:
- Monthly: $5.99/month
- Annual: $59.99/year ($4.99/month - save 17%)
- What you get: Connect up to 10 bank accounts, unlimited transactions, all features
Free Plan:
- $0 forever
- Limitation: Cannot connect bank accounts (manual entry only)
- Good for: Trying Balance, manual budgeters, privacy-focused users
Using Balance
Can I use Balance on multiple devices?
Yes! Use Balance on as many devices as you want:
- iPhone
- Android phone
- iPad
- Android tablet
- Mac (web browser)
- Windows PC (web browser)
- Chromebook
- Any device with a web browser
Everything syncs automatically between all devices.
Does Balance work on desktop/computer?
Yes! Use the web version:
- Visit app.balancebudget.app
- Works in any modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Same account as mobile apps
- All data syncs automatically
Web is great for:
- Initial setup (larger screen)
- Detailed budget planning
- Reviewing lots of transactions
- When you don’t have your phone
Learn more about web vs mobile →
Can my partner and I use different devices?
Absolutely! Most common setup:
- You use iPhone, partner uses Android (or vice versa)
- You use mobile, partner uses web
- Any combination works!
All data syncs in real-time between devices and users.
How many bank accounts can I connect?
Depends on your plan:
Free Plan: 0 accounts (manual transactions only)
Premium (Monthly or Annual): Up to 10 accounts total
What counts as an account:
- Each checking account = 1
- Each savings account = 1
- Each credit card = 1
- Example: 2 checking + 1 savings + 2 credit cards = 5 accounts
Need more than 10? Contact support - we may be able to help!
Learn more about account limits →
Bank Connections
Is it safe to connect my bank?
Yes, Balance is secure.
How it works:
- Balance uses Plaid (same as Venmo, Robinhood, Betterment)
- Bank-level encryption (AES-256, TLS 1.3)
- Read-only access - Cannot transfer money
- Your password never leaves Plaid - Balance never sees it
What Balance can do:
- ✅ View transactions
- ✅ See account balances
- ✅ Read account names
What Balance CANNOT do:
- ❌ Transfer money
- ❌ Pay bills
- ❌ Change account settings
- ❌ Access anything but transactions
Learn more about security →
Learn more about Plaid →
Which banks does Balance support?
Over 12,000 US banks and financial institutions including:
- All major banks (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citi, etc.)
- Credit unions
- Online banks (Ally, Marcus, Capital One, etc.)
- Credit card companies (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover)
- Investment accounts (some)
- PayPal, Venmo
If your bank isn’t listed: You can request Plaid add it, or use manual transaction entry.
See full list of supported banks →
How often do transactions sync?
Automatic syncing:
- 1-2 times per day - Balance checks for new transactions
- Bank-dependent - Banks report to Plaid on their schedule
- 2-24 hours - Typical time from purchase to appearing in Balance
Factors affecting speed:
- Your specific bank (some are faster than others)
- Transaction type (debit faster than credit)
- Time of day (weekends slower)
- Bank processing times
You can also:
- Pull to refresh - Manually sync anytime
- Background sync - Keeps data updated automatically
Learn more about sync timing →
What if I don’t want to connect my bank?
You can use Balance without bank connections!
Manual transaction entry:
- Add transactions manually as they happen
- Enter amount, merchant, category, date
- Works great for cash purchases
- Privacy-focused option
Limitations:
- More work (manual entry for each transaction)
- May miss transactions
- No automatic syncing
- Requires discipline
Note: Free plan only allows manual transactions (no bank connections).
Budgeting
How do budgets work in Balance?
Budget Categories:
- Create categories - Groceries, Rent, Dining Out, etc.
- Set monthly amounts - How much you plan to spend
- Track spending - Transactions reduce available budget
- Stay under budget - See progress throughout month
- Reset each month - Fresh start every month
Budget types:
- Income categories - Salary, side hustle, etc.
- Expense categories - Where money goes
Visual tracking:
- Progress bars show usage
- Color codes (green/yellow/red)
- Current balance vs budgeted
Do budgets reset every month?
Yes, budgets reset on the 1st of each month.
What resets:
- Spending amounts go back to $0
- Budget allocations stay the same (unless you change them)
- Progress bars restart
What doesn’t reset:
- Your transactions (history preserved)
- Your categories (stay the same)
- Your budget amounts (same allocations unless you change)
No “rollover” - Unspent money doesn’t carry to next month automatically.
Learn more about monthly reset →
Can I change my budget amounts mid-month?
Yes! Adjust anytime:
- Go to Budget tab
- Tap “Manage”
- Edit any category amount
- Changes take effect immediately
Common reasons to adjust:
- Unexpected expense came up
- Underestimated a category
- Got extra income
- Realized you budgeted too much
Best practice: Review and adjust budgets based on actual spending patterns.
Transactions
How do I categorize transactions?
Simple process:
- Go to Transactions tab
- Tap uncategorized transaction
- Tap “Select Categories”
- Choose the appropriate category
- Done! Transaction now counted in budget
Bulk categorization:
- Long press transaction
- Select multiple
- Assign same category to all
Split transactions:
- Assign multiple categories to one transaction
- Each category gets portion of amount
- Example: Target run split between Groceries, Household, Clothing
Learn more about categorizing →
What if a transaction is in the wrong category?
Easy to fix:
- Tap the transaction
- Tap current category
- Select new category
- Budget automatically updates
Can’t change:
- Bank-synced transaction amounts (set by bank)
- Transaction dates (set by bank)
- Merchant names (set by bank)
Can change:
- Category
- Split amounts
Learn more about editing transactions →
Can I add transactions manually?
Yes! Great for:
- Cash purchases
- Pending transactions you want to budget now
- Quick entry before bank syncs
How to add:
- Go to Transactions tab
- Tap + button
- Enter: merchant, amount, date, category
- Tap “Save”
Manual transactions:
- Fully editable
- Can delete
- Can change all details
Learn more about manual transactions →
Couples Features
How do we budget together?
Shared account approach:
- One person creates the Balance account
- Add partner profile - In settings
- Both use same account - Share login credentials
- Both see everything - All transactions, budgets, accounts
- Real-time sync - Changes appear instantly
Each person can:
- Categorize transactions
- Add manual transactions
- View budgets
- Connect bank accounts (with shared account credentials)
Learn more about couples budgeting →
Do we need separate Balance accounts?
No, share one account!
Why share one account:
- That’s the whole point of Balance!
- Both see all spending
- Coordinate on budget together
- Real-time updates
- True shared finances
Profiles within account:
- Each person can have a profile
- Switch between profile views
- But see same data
- Just different visual representation
Separate accounts only if:
- You want completely separate finances
- Not budgeting together
- Each managing own money independently
Can we each have our own profile?
Yes! Profiles work like this:
What profiles do:
- Show whose transaction it might be
- Personalization (avatars, names)
- Individual view preferences
What profiles DON’T do:
- Hide data from each other
- Create separate budgets
- Allow different bank connections
Both profiles see:
- Same transactions
- Same budgets
- Same accounts
- Same everything
Think of it as: Views into the same shared financial data, not separate accounts.
Privacy & Security
Can Balance employees see my transactions?
Very limited access for support only:
Support staff can:
- See account status (with your permission)
- Help troubleshoot issues
- Verify identity for password resets
Support staff cannot:
- See transaction details without explicit permission
- Move money
- Change budgets
- Access account without reason
All access is:
- Logged and monitored
- Read-only
- Only when helping with support request
- Never shared with marketing or third parties
What happens to my data if I cancel?
If you downgrade or cancel:
Data retention:
- Active: Data kept while account active
- After cancellation: Retained for 90 days
- After 90 days: Automatically deleted (unless you reactivate)
Reactivating:
- Within 90 days: All data restored
- After 90 days: Data permanently deleted, start fresh
Deleting account:
- Contact support to request deletion
- Permanently removes all data
- Cannot be undone
Can I export my data?
Currently: No automated export feature
To get your data:
- Contact support@balancebudget.app
- We can provide transaction export
- CSV or JSON format
- Includes all your historical data
Data portability: We support your right to your data and will help with exports.
Technical Issues
The app isn’t working. What should I do?
Quick fixes to try first:
Restart the app
- Close completely and reopen
Check internet connection
- Wi-Fi or cellular data working?
Update the app
- Check App Store or Play Store for updates
Restart your device
- Turn phone off and back on
Clear cache (Android)
- Settings > Apps > Balance > Storage > Clear Cache
Reinstall app
- Delete and redownload
- Log back in (data is safe in cloud)
Still not working? Contact support@balancebudget.app
How do I report a bug?
Contact support:
- Email: support@balancebudget.app
- Include:
- Description of the bug
- What you expected to happen
- What actually happened
- Device (iPhone 15, Samsung S23, etc.)
- App version (Settings > About)
- Screenshots if helpful
We appreciate bug reports! Helps us improve Balance for everyone.
Getting Help
How do I contact support?
Email: support@balancebudget.app
Response time:
- Usually within 24 hours
- Faster during business hours (9 AM - 5 PM Pacific)
- Slower on weekends and holidays
What to include:
- Clear description of issue
- What you’ve already tried
- Device and app version
- Screenshots if relevant
In-app:
- Settings menu > Help & Support
- Opens email to support
Where can I find more help?
Help Documentation:
- This help site: balancebudget.app/help/
- Comprehensive guides
- Step-by-step instructions
- Troubleshooting articles
Contact Support:
- support@balancebudget.app
- For specific questions
- Technical issues
- Account help
Feature Requests:
- Email support with suggestions
- We read and consider all feedback
- Help shape Balance’s future
Coming Soon
What new features are you working on?
Currently in development:
- 🔔 Push notifications - Transaction and budget alerts
- 🌙 Dark mode - For night use
- 📊 Enhanced reports - More spending insights
- 📱 Widgets - Home screen budget view
- 🤖 2FA - Two-factor authentication
- 🎯 Goals - Savings goals tracking
Want early access? Email support@balancebudget.app to join beta program!
Can I request a feature?
Yes, please do!
How to request:
- Email support@balancebudget.app
- Subject: “Feature Request”
- Describe the feature
- Explain how you’d use it
- Why it would help your budgeting
We read every request and prioritize based on user demand and feasibility.
Common Concerns
What if my partner and I break up?
Options:
One person keeps account
- Delete other person’s profile
- Change password
- Continue using
Split into separate accounts
- One person creates new account
- Decide who keeps existing account
- Can’t split data (each starts fresh or keeps existing)
Both create new accounts
- Start fresh individually
- Delete shared account
No automatic “split” feature - Contact support if you need help with this situation.
Is Balance available outside the US?
Currently: US only
International expansion:
- Planned for future
- Depends on bank connections available in other countries
- Starting with Canada and UK potentially
If you’re international:
- Can use with US banks
- Manual transaction entry works anywhere
- Web app accessible globally
Want to be notified? Email support@balancebudget.app to join interest list for your country.
Still Have Questions?
Can’t find your answer?
👉 Browse help docs: balancebudget.app/help/
👉 Contact support: support@balancebudget.app
👉 Check billing FAQ: Billing FAQ →
👉 Check technical FAQ: Technical FAQ →
We’re here to help! 💙