BudgetGo

Setup guide · about 2 minutes each

Log spending the moment it happens.

Apple Shortcuts automations can send Apple Pay payments and bank SMS alerts straight to BudgetGo, so transactions land in your records without typing a thing. Everything runs on your iPhone.

  1. You pay or get a bank textApple Pay tap or SMS alert
  2. Shortcuts runs instantlyYour personal automation
  3. BudgetGo logs itAmount, merchant, and category

Before you start

Three quick checks.

  • BudgetGo is installedDownload it from the App Store and sign in once so its actions appear in Shortcuts.
  • Shortcuts is on your iPhoneApple's Shortcuts app comes preinstalled on iOS 17 and later.
  • Imports are onIn BudgetGo, open Data Hub and turn on Wallet or SMS imports. When they're off, BudgetGo ignores anything the automation sends.

Apple Wallet

Log Apple Pay payments automatically.

This automation runs every time you tap a Wallet card to pay, then sends the amount and merchant to BudgetGo's Add Transaction to Budget Go action.

  1. 1

    Open Shortcuts

    Find and open the Shortcuts app on your iPhone.

    The Shortcuts app icon on the iPhone home screen
  2. 2

    Create a personal automation

    Open the Automation tab, then tap + to create a new personal automation.

    The Automation tab in the Shortcuts app The plus button for creating a personal automation
  3. 3

    Choose the Wallet trigger

    1. Search for Transaction (shown as Wallet on some iOS versions) and select it.
    2. Select every card you want BudgetGo to track.
    3. Choose Run Immediately so the automation never waits for confirmation, then tap Next.
    Searching for the Transaction trigger, described as When I tap a Wallet Card or Pass Selecting the Wallet cards to track The Run Immediately option selected
  4. 4

    Add the BudgetGo action

    Tap New Blank Automation, search for BudgetGo, and choose Add Transaction to Budget Go.

    Creating a new blank shortcut for the automation Searching for the Add Transaction to Budget Go action
  5. 5

    Connect the payment details

    1. Tap the Amount field, choose Select Variable, then pick Shortcut Input.
    2. Tap the inserted Shortcut Input and change it to Amount.
    3. Repeat for Merchant, choosing Merchant from Shortcut Input.
    4. Tap the play button to test it, then tap Done.

    Currency is optional. Leave it empty to use your BudgetGo default currency, or enter a code such as USD, EUR, or NGN.

    Choosing Select Variable on the Amount field Choosing Amount from the Shortcut Input The completed automation with the play button for testing
  6. 6

    Check it in BudgetGo

    In BudgetGo, open Data Hub and tap Wallet Automation. Make sure Apple Wallet tracking is on, then tap Run test shortcut. The status changes to verified once BudgetGo receives a payment from your automation.

    BudgetGo Wallet Automation screen with Apple Wallet tracking switched on and a Run test shortcut button

Messages

Turn bank SMS alerts into transactions.

If your bank texts you about card payments and transfers, a Message automation can pass each alert to BudgetGo's Import SMS Transaction action. BudgetGo reads the message on your device and creates a transaction only when it recognizes a financial alert.

  1. 1

    Create a Message automation

    In Shortcuts, open the Automation tab, tap +, and choose Message.

  2. 2

    Limit it to your bank's messages

    1. Tap Sender and choose your bank's contact or number, or use Message Contains with a word that appears in every alert, such as your bank's name.
    2. Choose Run Immediately, then tap Next.

    Keep the filter narrow. Matching only your bank keeps personal conversations out of BudgetGo.

  3. 3

    Add the BudgetGo action

    Tap New Blank Automation, search for BudgetGo, and choose Import SMS Transaction.

  4. 4

    Pass in the message

    1. Tap the Message field, choose Select Variable, pick Shortcut Input, and set it to Content.
    2. Tap the Sender field and choose Shortcut Input set to Sender. This is optional but helps BudgetGo identify your bank.
    3. Tap Done.
  5. 5

    Test it

    Wait for your next bank alert, or open the automation's detail in BudgetGo's Data Hub and tap Test connection. Then return to BudgetGo to review the imported transaction.

    BudgetGo SMS Automation screen with the forwarding toggle, status, and Test connection button

Troubleshooting

If a transaction doesn't show up.

I can't find the BudgetGo actions in Shortcuts

Open BudgetGo once after installing or updating so iOS registers its actions, then search Shortcuts again for "BudgetGo".

I got a "Transaction Import Failed" notification

The Wallet automation sent an empty amount or merchant. Re-open the automation and make sure both fields use Shortcut Input with Amount and Merchant selected.

The automation asks before it runs

Edit the automation in Shortcuts and switch it from Run After Confirmation to Run Immediately.

An SMS alert didn't create a transaction

Only supported financial messages produce transactions. Check that imports are on in Data Hub and that the Message field uses the message Content.

Still stuck? Email support@budgetgo.ai or use the support page.