A review inbox that keeps your categories honest

What it does

A budget is only as good as its categories. When a month’s transactions arrive in a batch, it’s easy to accept whatever they were filed under and move on, and by the end of the month “Shopping” holds a car repair and “Dining” holds a school trip.

The review inbox gives new transactions a short stop on the way in. Each one waits until someone in the household has glanced at it and either agreed with it or fixed it. Done every day or two, it takes a minute and keeps every report and budget bar telling the truth.

How it works in Kemback

Open Review. The heading says how many new transactions are waiting. Each row shows the date, payee, account, category and amount.

• What arrives here. Transactions from a file import, from a bill you enter with Enter now, and, when it arrives with the Plus plan, from bank sync. Anything you type in yourself is already reviewed, so it skips the inbox.
• Confirm. Press the tick on a row and it leaves the inbox. Confirm all clears everything shown in one click.
• Recategorize. Pick a different category from the row’s list. Choosing a category confirms the transaction at the same time.
• Make it a rule. After you change a category, Kemback offers to remember it: “Always categorize payees containing ‘Trader’ as Groceries?” Choose Create rule, and next time it’s filed correctly before it reaches you.
• Splits and transfers are safe. A split transaction or a transfer shows a badge instead of a category list, so confirming it never breaks its splits or unlinks a transfer.

Nothing is held back while it waits. Unreviewed transactions already count in your register, budget and reports; the inbox is simply where you check them.

Fast from the keyboard

On a computer, the inbox is built for speed: j and k move between rows, c confirms, e jumps to the category, and Shift+A confirms everything shown. A day’s review takes seconds.

Bills that changed

The inbox also catches surprises in your recurring bills. When a new transaction looks like a scheduled bill but the amount isn’t what Kemback expected, it asks, for example: “Did this pay City Water? It’s $7.30 more than usual.” Yes, it did links the payment to the bill, so the bill is marked paid; No stops the question.

When a bill has gone up, the inbox flags it with a Went up badge: “City Water went up $7.30 (usually $45.00).” A price rise is easy to miss in a list of transactions, and much easier to act on while it’s new. See bills and recurring transactions for the calendar and how due dates are matched.

Reviewing as a household

In a shared household, the inbox belongs to everyone. Owners and editors can confirm and recategorize; viewers and advisors can see what’s waiting without changing it. A transaction in someone’s private account only appears in their own inbox.

Where it runs

The review inbox works in any browser at kemback.com. In a phone’s browser, swipe a row right to confirm it or left to change its category. The iPhone app, which is in beta, has the same inbox, with a swipe to confirm and the same rule offer and bill questions. It’s on the Free plan.

Pair it with rules that categorize automatically, so most transactions arrive already right, and make the inbox part of a weekly money check-in.

Questions

Which transactions go to the review inbox?

Transactions that arrive without you typing them: from a file import, from a bill entered with Enter now, and from bank sync when it arrives with the Plus plan. Transactions you enter yourself are already reviewed.

Do I have to review every transaction?

No. Nothing is held back while it waits: unreviewed transactions already count in your register, budget and reports. The inbox is a place to check them, and Confirm all clears what's shown in one click.

What are the keyboard shortcuts?

j and k move up and down, c confirms, e jumps to the category, and Shift+A confirms everything shown. Choosing a category also confirms the transaction.

Can I review on my phone?

Yes. In a phone's browser, swipe a row right to confirm it or left to change its category. The iPhone app, in beta, has the same inbox, with a swipe to confirm.

Can everyone in my household review?

Owners and editors can confirm and recategorize. Viewers and advisors can see the inbox but not change it. Transactions in someone's private account appear only in their own inbox.