PocketSmith bank feed not updating: the fixes PocketSmith documents

First, find out whose problem it is

PocketSmith does not talk to most banks directly. Its troubleshooting guide names data providers by region: Yodlee for most feeds, Akahu for New Zealand, Salt Edge for the UK and EU, Plaid for North America, and Basiq. When a feed stops, the fault can be at your bank, the provider or PocketSmith, and the fix differs.

Open Manage > Feeds. A Provider Notices label on your connection means the error affects many users of that provider, not just you. If there is no notice, read the error on your feed and match it to the table below.

Step 1: trigger a manual sync

PocketSmith syncs feeds automatically by default, and its data providers also run their own scheduled daily syncs. To force one, go to Manage > Feeds, open the feed's Overview tab and press SYNC, or TRY AGAIN if it shows an error.

If you turned off Automatic syncing on the feed's Settings tab, perhaps to stop bank alert emails, PocketSmith only syncs when you trigger it, so a stale feed may simply be waiting for you.

Step 2: deal with MFA and changed passwords

Feeds that use multi-factor authentication do not follow the automatic schedule. PocketSmith says they can only be synced by logging in to PocketSmith: start a sync, wait 30 seconds to a minute for the pop-up, and enter the security information. Answers to security questions are usually remembered, but security tokens change about every 2 minutes and must be entered each time, and security images will likely be requested each time you log in to PocketSmith.

If you changed your bank password, go to Manage > Feeds, select the feed, open the Authorise tab, and press TRY AGAIN if you see Authorisation failed. If there is no error and the feed has not tried to sync since the change, press REAUTHORISE or RECREATE, enter the new details and press SUBMIT.

Step 3: reconnect or switch provider

If transactions stopped arriving after a certain date, PocketSmith says the feed may have disconnected from the account and can be reconnected to the existing PocketSmith account rather than a new one, which keeps your history in place.

When a feed keeps failing, or a better option such as open banking exists, the Feeds page may show a Switch button. Switching removes the old feed, adds the new one with your settings copied, then asks you to authorise it and relink accounts. Account names can differ between providers, so pick the matching account by hand if it is not matched automatically. The switching article does not say what happens to existing transactions, so check for duplicates afterwards.

Step 4: clean up duplicates or gaps

PocketSmith says feeds can create duplicates when a bank's website format changes unexpectedly, and that it often cannot detect duplicates with different dates (usually pending transactions) or different merchant names. When it does detect them it usually merges the two and keeps the categories, labels and notes you added. The Find duplicates tool in the Transactions toolbar highlights possible duplicates, but only those posted on the same date.

For recent or ongoing duplicates, use Help > Feed help and follow the duplicate-transaction steps, providing a screenshot or export from online banking plus examples. For duplicates older than 90 days with no recent ones, compare with your bank records and delete them yourself.

Intermittent missing transactions, PocketSmith says, are usually a provider problem with no user fix; report them through Help > Feed help with a screenshot or bank export for the period.

Step 5: import files while the feed is down

If you need current numbers, PocketSmith documents a file-import workaround. The order matters, because getting it wrong creates duplicates.

• Go to Manage > Feeds, open the feed, select the Accounts tab and click Unlink next to the account, then Confirm. Do not remove the whole feed.
• On the Transactions page, hover over Add and choose Quick import.
• Drop in your bank files, preferably OFX; CSV files need a format chosen or created.
• Match each file to the right account.
• Select Replace transactions on overlapping dates, then Start Import.
• When the feed works again, relink each feed account to its existing account, not a new one.

When to contact support, and what to send

Contact support if a provider error, partial sync or timeout lasts beyond 48 hours, or an authorisation error survives the credential, login and MFA checks. Use the Help menu and choose Feed help, or submit a feed issue through PocketSmith's Contact Us page.

Before you do, leave the feed exactly as it is, including the error. PocketSmith asks you not to delete it or edit credentials unless support or the sync prompts you to, because either can delay the investigation. Have a screenshot or transaction export from online banking for the affected dates ready.