Missing Transactions - Troubleshooting

When you can’t find a specific transaction in Balance, there are several possible reasons. This guide helps you locate missing transactions or understand why they haven’t appeared yet.

Quick Checklist

Before deep troubleshooting, check these common causes:

• Wait 24 hours - Normal sync time is 2-24 hours after purchase
• Check bank website - Does it appear there? If not, bank hasn’t processed it
• Pull-to-refresh - Manually refresh transactions
• Check correct month - Are you viewing the right month?
• Clear filters - Active filters may be hiding it
• Verify account connected - Check Accounts tab for errors

Step-by-Step Investigation

Step 1: Check Timing

How long has it been since the purchase/deposit?

Less than 24 hours:

• This is normal - transactions take time to sync
• Banks need time to process and report
• Balance syncs 1-2 times per day
• Wait longer before troubleshooting

24-48 hours:

• Check bank’s website - does it appear there?
• If not on bank site → Bank hasn’t processed yet
• If on bank site → Continue troubleshooting

More than 48 hours:

• Definitely investigate further
• Should have appeared by now
• Continue with steps below

Learn about sync timing →

Step 2: Verify on Bank Website

Log into your bank’s website or app:

1. Check if transaction appears there
2. Note the date
3. Note the status (pending/cleared)
4. Note the exact amount

If transaction NOT on bank site:

• Bank hasn’t processed it yet
• Merchant may not have submitted it
• Wait for bank to process
• Not a Balance issue - Balance can’t sync what banks haven’t reported

If transaction IS on bank site:

• Should sync to Balance soon
• Try manual refresh
• Continue troubleshooting

Step 3: Manual Refresh

1. Go to Transactions tab in Balance
2. Pull down on the transaction list
3. Release to trigger refresh
4. Wait 10-30 seconds
5. Check if transaction now appears

What refresh does:

• Checks for new transactions immediately
• Fetches latest from bank
• Updates pending transactions
• Doesn’t make banks report faster

Learn about refreshing →

Step 4: Check Month Selection

Are you viewing the correct month?

1. Look at month button at top of Transactions tab
2. Shows current selected month (e.g., “Nov”, “Dec”)
3. Tap to change months
4. Navigate to month when transaction occurred
5. Check if transaction appears

Common mistake:

• Transaction happened in previous month
• Viewing current month
• Need to select correct month

Month boundaries:

• Transactions appear in month they occurred (per bank’s date)
• Not when they cleared
• Check both months around month-end transactions

Step 5: Check Filters

Active filters may be hiding the transaction:

1. Look for filter pills at top of Transactions tab
2. Any filters active?
3. Tap “Clear All” to remove all filters
4. Check if transaction now appears

Common filter issues:

Account filter:

• Filtering by different account
• Transaction is on different account
• Clear account filter

Status filter:

• Filtering to “Categorized” only
• Transaction is uncategorized
• Clear or change to “Uncategorized”

Type filter:

• Filtering to “Income” only
• Transaction is an expense (or vice versa)
• Clear filter

Date range:

• Custom date range excluding transaction
• Clear filter
• Check full month

Learn about filters →

Step 6: Check Account Connection

Verify the account is still connected and syncing:

1. Go to Accounts tab
2. Find the account where transaction should appear
3. Check status

Status indicators:

✅ Green/Normal - Connection is healthy, should be syncing

⚠️ Yellow/Warning - May have minor issue, check details

❌ Red/Error - Connection broken, needs reconnection

• Tap account
• Tap “Reconnect”
• Log in with current credentials
• Transactions should sync after reconnecting

Account not visible:

• May have been disconnected
• Check if you accidentally removed it
• Reconnect if needed

Learn about reconnecting →

Step 7: Check Transaction Type

Some transactions may not sync:

Transfers between your accounts:

• Internal transfers sometimes excluded
• Check if it’s a transfer between accounts you have
• May need to mark manually as transfer

ATM withdrawals:

• ATM withdrawal itself should appear
• Cash spent after withdrawal doesn’t auto-sync
• Need to add manual transactions for cash spending

Pending authorizations:

• Some banks don’t report pending
• May only appear when cleared
• Gas station pre-auths especially
• Wait for final cleared transaction

Very old transactions:

• Initial connection imports 30-90 days
• Older than that not imported
• Would need to add manually

Step 8: Check for Duplicates

You may have already added it manually:

1. Look for “Manual” badge on transactions
2. Check if you created manual entry for it
3. When bank transaction syncs, you’ll have duplicate
4. Delete manual entry if bank transaction appeared
5. Or mark bank transaction as transfer

Pending → Cleared:

• Sometimes appears as two separate transactions
• Pending version and cleared version
• Usually resolve automatically
• May need to mark one as transfer

Step 9: Check Amount Variations

Transaction amount may be different than expected:

1. Bank may show different amount
2. Pending amount vs cleared amount
3. Currency conversions
4. Additional fees added

Try searching by:

• Merchant name
• Approximate amount
• Date range
• Category (if auto-categorized)

Step 10: Wait and Try Tomorrow

Sometimes patience is the solution:

1. Banks have their own schedules
2. Weekends and holidays add delays
3. Small merchants may batch transactions
4. System backlogs occasionally occur

Check back:

• Tomorrow morning
• After manual refresh
• 48-72 hours max for most transactions

Common Scenarios

Scenario: Just Made Purchase

Timeline:

• Purchase: Now
• Bank processes: 2-24 hours
• Balance syncs: After bank processes

What to do:

• Wait 24 hours
• Add manual transaction if you want to budget now
• Pull-to-refresh after 12 hours
• Delete manual when bank transaction appears

Scenario: Paycheck Missing

Check:

• Direct deposit date vs. pay date (may differ)
• Correct account selected
• Viewing correct month
• Bank website shows it

Typical timing:

• Direct deposits often appear day before official date
• Or exactly on pay date
• Rarely late unless bank issue

Scenario: Credit Card Purchase

Credit cards often slower:

• May take 24-48 hours
• Some issuers don’t report pending
• Wait for cleared status
• Check issuer’s app/website first

Scenario: Weekend Transaction

Weekend purchases:

• May not process until Monday
• Banks don’t work weekends
• Friday evening → Monday morning typical
• Add 24-48 hours to normal timeline

Scenario: Cash Purchase

Cash doesn’t auto-sync:

• ATM withdrawal syncs
• Actual cash spending doesn’t
• Must add manually
• Go to Transactions tab
• Tap + button
• Enter cash purchase details

Learn about manual transactions →

Special Transaction Types

Refunds and Returns

Refunds may appear as:

• Positive transaction (income)
• Separate from original purchase
• May take 3-7 days to process
• Check bank website for status

How to handle:

• Assign to “Other Income” or “Refunds” category
• Balances out original expense over time

Pending Transactions

Not all banks report pending:

• Some banks: Pending appears quickly
• Other banks: Only cleared transactions
• Check your bank’s behavior

Amount may change:

• Gas stations pre-authorize high amount
• Restaurants adjust for tip
• Final amount when cleared

International Transactions

May be slower:

• Currency conversion takes time
• Additional processing required
• 2-5 days not unusual
• Check for currency conversion fees

Check Deposits

Checks are slowest:

• Must physically clear
• 2-5 business days typical
• May show as pending first
• Final amount when fully cleared

Bank-Specific Issues

Chase

• Generally reliable syncing
• 6-12 hours typical
• May need reconnection periodically

Bank of America

• Can be slower (12-24 hours)
• Pending transactions may not appear
• Wait for cleared status

Credit Unions

• Often slower (12-24 hours)
• Smaller institutions = less frequent updates
• Still within normal range

Online Banks (Ally, Capital One)

• Usually faster (2-6 hours)
• More frequent updates
• Better pending transaction reporting

Prevention Tips

Stay on Top of Transactions

✅ Do:

• Check Balance daily or every few days
• Pull-to-refresh regularly
• Add manual transactions for cash
• Keep account connections healthy
• Set realistic expectations (24 hours is normal)

❌ Don’t:

• Expect instant syncing
• Panic if transaction hasn’t appeared in 6 hours
• Add duplicate manual transactions
• Ignore account connection errors
• Forget about weekend/holiday delays

When It’s Not Actually Missing

Sometimes transactions ARE there:

Categorized already:

• May have been auto-categorized
• Check by clearing filters
• Look in category you’d expect

Different month:

• Bank’s transaction date may differ from your memory
• Check previous/next month

Spouse/partner categorized:

• They may have already handled it
• Check with them
• Look for recently categorized

Added as manual, forgot:

• You may have entered it already
• Look for “Manual” badge
• Check transaction list carefully

Contact Support

If after all steps, still missing:

Email support@balancebudget.app

Include:

• Bank name and account type
• Transaction date, merchant, amount
• Screenshot from bank website showing it
• Screenshot of Balance Transactions (showing it’s missing)
• How long since transaction occurred
• Steps you’ve tried
• Account connection status

Next Steps

• Transaction Sync Timing → - Understand normal timing
• Sync Issues → - More sync troubleshooting
• Bank Connection Errors → - Fix connection problems
• Adding Manual Transactions → - Add missing transactions yourself

Most “missing” transactions appear within 24 hours. Be patient! 🙂