Sync Not Working

Why transactions might be delayed in Forbidden Finance, how the sync cadence actually works, and how to troubleshoot stale data.

Overview

If your connected bank transactions are not appearing or seem outdated, the most common cause is simply how often your bank reports. On every tier, Forbidden Finance syncs daily, plus updates whenever your bank reports changes — there is no hourly or real-time bank sync. Transactions do not appear the instant you swipe your card. This guide explains how sync works, what can cause delays, and how to troubleshoot.

Sync Cadence by Tier

Tier	Bank sync	What This Means
Free	No bank sync	Manual accounts only. Add transactions by hand or CSV and JSON import.
Starter	Daily, plus bank-reported updates	Syncs once a day and whenever your bank reports new activity.
Pro	Daily, plus bank-reported updates	Same cadence as Starter — Pro adds more connections, not a faster clock.
Premium	Daily, plus bank-reported updates	Same cadence again. Premium adds unlimited connections, not faster sync.

The cadence is set by your bank, not your tier. Your bank reports to our aggregator network a few times a day, and a daily pass catches anything missed. Pending or authorization-hold transactions may not appear until they post.

Common Sync Issues

Transactions Are Delayed

If transactions from today or yesterday have not appeared yet:

Give your bank time to report. A purchase you made this afternoon may not appear until your bank next reports it or the daily pass runs. This is the same on every tier.
Pull to refresh. On the dashboard, pull down to request an immediate sync. New activity your bank has already reported appears shortly after.
Check if the transaction has posted at your bank. Pending transactions (authorizations that have not fully cleared) may not sync until the bank finalizes them. Check your bank's app or website to confirm the transaction status.

Data Seems Stale (No Updates for Several Days)

If your account data has not updated in multiple days:

Check for a degraded connection

Look for a yellow or red connection health banner on the dashboard, or go to Settings > Accounts to see the status of each bank connection. A degraded connection stops syncing until you reconnect.

Reconnect if needed

If the connection is degraded, tap Reconnect and re-enter your bank credentials through the secure connection flow. See the Bank Connection Issues guide for detailed steps.

Confirm the last sync time

In Settings > Accounts, each connected account shows the date and time of its last successful sync. If this timestamp is current but transactions still seem missing, the issue may be on your bank's side.

Balances Are Wrong

If your account balance in Forbidden Finance does not match your bank:

Check pending transactions. Forbidden Finance reflects posted balances. Pending transactions at your bank may cause a temporary mismatch.
Check manual adjustments. If you manually edited an account balance, the manual value is used until the next sync overrides it.
Wait for the next sync cycle. Balance discrepancies usually resolve after the next scheduled sync.

Some Accounts Are Not Syncing

If only certain accounts from a bank connection are not updating:

Verify the account is selected. During the bank connection setup, you choose which accounts to link. Go to Settings > Accounts to confirm the affected account is included.
Check the rail and account type. The bank rail syncs checking, savings, credit, loans, and many retirement balances. Direct brokerage holdings connect on the brokerage rail (Pro and above); some HSAs and 529s need a Premium Connection slot. An account on the wrong rail will not sync there.

How to Force a Refresh

Pull down on the dashboard or go to Settings > Accounts and tap Refresh next to a specific bank connection. This requests an immediate sync without waiting for the daily pass, and new activity your bank has reported appears shortly after.

A refresh pulls whatever your bank has reported so far. If your bank has not yet reported this morning's purchase, refreshing will not conjure it. See Sync Schedules for what each sync actually does.

Tips

Upgrading does not make sync faster — every paid tier syncs daily plus whenever your bank reports. What higher tiers add is more connections. For the freshest data on any tier, use pull-to-refresh.

Set up notifications for bank connection health so you know immediately when a connection needs attention, rather than discovering stale data days later.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know when my last sync happened?

Go to Settings > Accounts and look at the "Last synced" timestamp next to each connected bank account.

Can I trigger a sync manually?

Yes. Pull to refresh on the dashboard and a sync is requested right away, without waiting for the daily pass. It works the same on every paid tier and does not count against any limits.

Why do some transactions appear on my bank app but not in Forbidden Finance?

Your bank app shows pending (authorized but not yet posted) transactions. Forbidden Finance typically shows transactions after they post. There can also be a delay until your bank reports the change to our aggregator network.

Do manual accounts sync?

No. Manual accounts are updated only when you add transactions by hand or import them via CSV or JSON. They are not connected to a bank and do not sync automatically.

Bank Connection Issues

Fix degraded or broken bank connections.

Sync Schedules

Detailed breakdown of sync frequency by tier.

Connect Your Bank

Set up a new bank connection.

Contact Support

Get help with persistent sync issues.

Need more help? Contact us at [email protected].

Was this page helpful?