Set up bank notification expense tracking on Android
- Install Stash and create the cash or card account you will use for imported transactions.
- Open Stash’s notification import settings. Choose Enable notification access and allow Stash in Android’s Notification Access screen.
- Return to Stash and choose Select banking apps. Select the banking apps you want Stash to process.
- Keep transaction notifications enabled in the banking app and Android settings. A future supported purchase alert can then be captured.
- Review the first import: check the amount, currency, merchant, expense direction and destination account before confirming.
Granting access does not retrieve your bank’s full transaction history. Start with future alerts and use manual entry or statements for older activity.
Example: an alert becomes an expense
Illustrative alert: “Card purchase of AED 42.50 at Carrefour.” A useful result contains the following fields. Actual wording and recognition depend on your bank.
| Field | Example | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | AED 42.50 | The purchase amount, not an available balance |
| Merchant | Carrefour | The store, not the bank’s message footer |
| Direction | Expense | A purchase, not a refund or repayment |
| Account | Your selected card | Any card hint matches the correct account |
| Category | Groceries | A suggestion you can correct |
An alert arrived, but no expense appeared
- No notification: check that the banking app and Android actually displayed transaction details. Stash cannot capture an alert that was never delivered.
- App not selected: confirm both Notification Access and the banking-app selection in Stash.
- Hidden details: an alert that only says “Open the app” may not contain enough information to create a transaction.
- Different wording: review any uncertain import and add the purchase manually if its format is unsupported.
- Two sources: if the purchase also arrived by email, check for an existing record before confirming another copy.
For missing history, compare against the issuer’s statement. Optional Gmail import can be another capture source when eligible emails contain the transaction details.
You choose which apps Stash can use
Android Notification Access is an explicit operating-system permission. Inside Stash, you choose the banking apps whose notifications may be considered. Notifications from apps outside that selection are ignored by the import pipeline.
From an alert to a budget transaction
When a selected app posts a transaction alert, Stash processes the notification on the device, identifies likely transaction fields and creates a candidate for review. It does not log in to your bank and it does not move money.
Where notification tracking may fall short
Some banks hide useful details, combine several events, change wording, or do not post transaction notifications at all. Android settings may also delay or suppress notifications. In those cases, Gmail import, statements or manual entry may be more appropriate.
Common questions
- Does notification import require bank credentials?
- No. Stash reads only notifications from Android apps you select after you grant Notification Access.
- Can Stash read every notification?
- The Android permission exposes notifications, but Stash filters processing to the apps selected by the user.
- Can I turn it off?
- Yes. Remove an app from the selection or revoke Notification Access in Android settings.