Overview

When you import transactions from your bank, ArrivHQ automatically checks if any of them already exist as manually-entered expenses or revenue. This prevents duplicate records and keeps your financial data clean for tax reporting.

The matching system handles common differences between bank data and your records — tip amounts at restaurants, batch delays (credit card charges posting 1-5 days late), and merchant name variations (your bank might show "THEFISHANDCOMPANY" while your receipt says "The Fish & Co.").

Want a visual walkthrough? See our blog post: AI-Powered Bank Sync: Smart Transaction Matching

How it works

Automatic matching

Every time transactions sync from your bank, ArrivHQ runs a three-tier matching process:

  1. Exact match -- If the merchant name, amount, and date are identical to an existing record, it is flagged as a possible duplicate with 100% confidence.

  2. Strong match -- If the vendor name is very similar, the amount is within a few cents, and the date is within 1-2 days, it is flagged as a likely match with 90%+ confidence.

  3. AI fuzzy match -- For cases where the names look different, amounts differ (tips), or dates are off by several days, ArrivHQ uses AI to evaluate whether the transactions are the same. The AI considers restaurant tip patterns, credit card batch delays, and merchant name abbreviations.

Matching runs automatically after every bank sync. You do not need to trigger it manually.

Reviewing matches

Matched transactions appear in the review queue with a comparison card showing both the Plaid import and your existing record. You will see:

  • The bank's version (merchant name, exact amount, posted date)
  • Your existing record (vendor, amount, date, whether it has a receipt attached)
  • A confidence percentage and a brief explanation of why they matched
  • Whether the difference is likely a tip amount

Confirming a match

When you confirm a match:

  • The bank's exact amount and posted date become the record of truth
  • Your existing receipt image, description, category, and property assignment are preserved
  • The reconciliation status updates to "matched"
  • The imported transaction is marked as merged

This means you keep your detailed records while getting the bank's authoritative transaction data. Your receipt stays attached, your category stays set, and your Schedule E data remains accurate.

Rejecting a match

If the AI got it wrong and the transactions are not the same, click Not a Match. The imported transaction goes back to the regular review queue as a new transaction, and you can approve it separately.

Limits & requirements

  • Matching is available on Host and Portfolio plans with bank sync enabled.
  • Up to 100 transactions can be imported per property per month.
  • AI matching costs are included in your plan -- no additional charges.
  • Matching only compares against unmatched records from the last 90 days.

FAQ

What happens to my receipt when I confirm a match? Your receipt image and all attachments are preserved. Only the amount and date are updated to match the bank's data. Everything else stays exactly as you entered it.

Will matching affect my tax reports? Matching improves your tax data. The bank's exact amount (including tips) and posted date are more accurate for Schedule E than a receipt amount that may not include tip. Your category and property assignment are preserved.

What if the amount difference is a tip? The AI detects tip patterns automatically. If you entered $79.25 from a receipt but the bank shows $99.25, the system recognizes the $20.00 difference as a likely tip and explains this in the match reason.

Can I undo a confirmed match? Once confirmed, the merge is permanent. The original receipt-based amount is stored in the decision history for audit purposes, but the record reflects the bank's data going forward.