Needs a category

Needs a category is the queue of transactions Arca couldn’t file by itself. Sort them here, and turn each answer into a rule so next month’s list is shorter.

Why transactions end up here

A transaction lands in the queue when no rule, merchant or recurring item gave it a category. Internal transfers and split transactions never do. Until it has a category, a transaction is left out of budgets and insights, so it’s worth keeping the queue short.

You get here from the Review strip on Home, the count in Activity, or the badge on Activity in the phone’s tab bar.

Sort one at a time

You see one transaction at a time, with the text exactly as it appears on your bank statement.

Pick a category. Suggested ones are at the top, based on your rules and earlier choices; All categories are below.
Choose Save and next (or press Enter).
Not sure? Skip (or S) moves on without saving. Mark as internal transfer takes it out of your spending altogether.

Switch on Also create a rule for similar transactions and Arca files the matching ones too, now and on every import.

Teach it once

After you file a transaction without a rule, Arca asks Always file … as …?

Always files this merchant the same way from now on, and moves the earlier ones too.
Just this one only files this transaction.
Edit match lets you change what Arca looks for before you save.

More about this in Rules and merchants.

Worth teaching

Merchants with a pile of transactions waiting show up under Worth teaching. File one, tap Always, and the rest are sorted at once. This is the quickest way to empty a long queue after your first import.

Sort several at once

Tap Select to pick several transactions from the queue and give them one category, exclude them, or delete them in one go.

Ask AI

If you’ve switched on AI, an Ask AI button suggests categories for this transaction and the next ones in the queue. The AI’s pick is marked Suggested by AI; you still choose.