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ClearSpend separates verified charges (from card statements or Plaid) from supporting documents (invoices and receipts). Only verified charges drive KPI cards, charts, and dashboard totals. Invoices help match and reconcile spend — they do not create spend on their own.

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Charges vs. supporting documents

Invoice-only amounts never appear in KPI cards, spending trend charts, or dashboard widgets — even if you manually approve the subscription and it moves to Overview. ClearSpend needs a matching charge from a statement import or Plaid before that spend is included in totals.

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Invoice-only lifecycle

  1. Upload or forward an invoice with no matching charge → ClearSpend creates a temporary subscription and places it on Subscriptions → Needs review.
  2. A charge arrives (statement CSV or Plaid) for the same vendor → the subscription is verified and linked to real spend. Amounts then flow into KPIs and charts automatically.
  3. You approve manually without a charge → the subscription moves to Overview, but its amount stays out of KPIs and charts until ClearSpend receives a charge from a statement or Plaid.
See Needs review for the approval workflow.

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+ Add Data Source menu

The + Add Data Source button (top-right) is the primary entry point for uploads and manual rows.
Add Data Source dropdown with import, upload, forward, manual, and integrations footer
Details for each option: Adding a data source.

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Other entry paths

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What each layer contributes

  • Charges (statements + Plaid) — source of truth for what was actually paid. These drive subscription amounts, KPI cards, spending trend, and reconciliation views.
  • Invoices and receipts — supporting documents for reconciliation, audit trails, and matching charges to vendors. They can create or update subscription metadata but do not add spend to charts without a charge.
  • Integrations and the extension — add usage and app discovery (logins, OAuth grants, directory users) in addition to documents or transactions.
  • Grouping on the Subscriptions page rolls related rows under one vendor without deleting history.

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Quick decision guide

For accurate dashboard totals, connect at least one charge source (statement import or Plaid) before relying on invoice uploads alone. See Choosing integrations if you are unsure which connection to add first.