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The Connect your card integration (tagged Track Spend) lets you link checking accounts and credit cards through Plaid so ClearSpend can automatically detect SaaS charges from your transaction history — without manual statement uploads.

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When to use Plaid

  • You want ongoing charge detection without exporting CSVs
  • Invoice emails don’t exist for some vendors (e.g. card-only SaaS)
  • You need Actual Spend dates that match your card statement
For one-time backfill without card OAuth, use Import subscriptions instead. See Plaid vs CSV.
Plaid card integration connected

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What it does

Plaid connections run on a schedule in the background, similar to Gmail and Google Drive, so new SaaS charges appear without re-uploading CSV files.

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How it works

ClearSpend uses Plaid Link — the same card-connection flow used by major finance apps:
  1. You choose your institution in Plaid’s secure modal.
  2. You authenticate directly with your card issuer (ClearSpend never sees your login credentials).
  3. Plaid returns a read-only access token that ClearSpend stores encrypted.
  4. ClearSpend syncs transactions and matches recurring SaaS charges to subscriptions.
ClearSpend never stores your card credentials. Authentication runs entirely through Plaid. Access is read-only — ClearSpend does not initiate payments or transfers.

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Who can connect

Owners and Admins can link and disconnect card accounts from Integrations, consistent with other integrations. See Roles and permissions.

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Connect your card

1

Open Integrations

Navigate to Integrations in the sidebar.
2

Find Connect your card

Locate the Connect your card card under Track Spend.
3

Click Connect

Click Connect or Link card account. A Plaid modal opens to choose your institution.
4

Sign in with your card issuer

Complete Plaid’s authentication flow for the account or card you want to link. You can connect more than one institution over time.
5

Wait for the first sync

After linking, ClearSpend imports recent transactions and matches SaaS charges to subscriptions. The integration card shows the linked institution and last sync time.
You can also start the flow from + Add Data Source when connecting more data sources.

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Security

  • Read-only access — transaction history only; no ability to move money.
  • Credentials stay with Plaid — ClearSpend receives an encrypted token, not your card password.
  • Disconnect anytime — revoke access from Integrations or through your card issuer’s connected-apps settings.
  • Per-org isolation — your transaction data stays in your ClearSpend workspace.

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Pair with other sources

Card data confirms what was charged and when; invoices provide contract terms, seat counts, and renewal dates. Most teams use both for the fullest picture:

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Common questions

No. Plaid provides transaction metadata (merchant, amount, date). ClearSpend never receives or stores full account or card numbers.
No. Card data confirms charges and dates; invoices provide renewal terms and seat counts. Use both for the fullest picture.

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