Link the two sides of a transfer

When you move money between two of your own accounts, Pennyweight sees two transactions: one leaving, one arriving. Linking them tells Pennyweight they are one movement, so neither side counts as spending. Transfers aren't spending explains the rule behind this.

How to do it

1. Find the two sides. Tell your AI the amount, the date and both accounts.
2. Ask your AI to link them. If you'd rather, ask it to categorize both sides as Transfer. When one side gets that category, Pennyweight looks for the other side and links the pair itself if exactly one transaction fits.
3. Check the answer. Your AI tells you whether the pair was linked, or why it wasn't.

When you add a transfer by hand, ask your AI to add both sides. As it saves the second side, it can link it to the first. If only one side is new, ask your AI to categorize it as Transfer and name the other account (the one where the matching side already is). Pennyweight then looks for the other side on that account only.

What you'll see

Your AI confirms the two transactions are linked as a transfer. It may mention whether the amounts match and how many days apart the two sides are. After that, both sides are left out of your spending and cash flow reports. Your account balances don't change. A link records what happened; it moves no money.

When Pennyweight pairs them for you

Categorizing a transaction as Transfer links it automatically only when exactly one other transaction fits:

• on a different account in your workspace;
• within 3 days either way;
• the same amount in the same currency, with the opposite sign;
• not already linked;
• showing its own sign of being a transfer: a transfer category, a word such as transfer, deposit, withdrawal or Zelle in its description, or a mention of the other account.

If several transactions fit, nothing is linked, and your AI gets up to five candidates to show you so you can pick. If none fit, nothing is linked either, and you can ask your AI to link the pair directly.

Good to know

• A transfer link needs two different accounts and opposite signs. Pennyweight refuses a pair on the same account, or two transactions moving the same direction, and says which kind of link fits instead. A purchase and its refund are matched differently: see match a refund to its purchase. A purchase recorded twice, such as a PayPal payment and the card charge behind it, is in a purchase shows twice.
• A $0 transaction can't be linked. Correct the amount first, or delete the placeholder.
• A transaction can belong to only one link. If either side is already linked, Pennyweight refuses and says to unlink it first. See undo a wrong transfer match.
• When you link by hand, the amounts and dates don't have to match. A transfer that lost a fee on the way can still be linked. Your AI is told whether the amounts match.
• Automatic pairing runs only when your AI saves or changes transactions. It doesn't run on bank sync. If one operation leaves more than 200 transactions categorized as a transfer, no pairing is attempted.
• Only the exact category Transfer (or TRANSFER_IN / TRANSFER_OUT) counts. A category such as Bank Transfer is ordinary spending and doesn't trigger pairing.
• When your AI checks for duplicates, a pair with opposite signs can come back with a suggestion to link it. See find and fix duplicates.