# Transaction Visualizer | Shortcuts Library

> A budgeting tool to visually manage credit card transactions on autopilot

## What this shortcut does

I created this shortcut to help control spending while using a credit card but still earn points on purchases. I use a different method for paying important bills, expensive gifts, or trips. This widget is useful because I dislike opening my bank app. It's right on my iPhone’s lock screen, and I can easily see how much I've spent for the month before my budget resets. The widget updates automatically and doesn't need subscriptions or extra apps. It just adds transactions and displays them effortlessly. Sometimes, if my phone is off or I’m getting gas, I might miss a transaction, but most of the time it’s instant and accurate. Your bank’s alerts may vary. If I need to add a transaction manually or get a refund, I have to edit the files in the card folder using an app like Jayson and/or Runestone Text Editor. I've been working on and using this shortcut for about four months, making improvements along the way. Feel free to try it out and let me know if you run into any issues. Thanks!
See Widget Demo
Silent Video Guide
You'll still want to at least skim the text though!
Setup
Be sure to have the Shortcuts and Scriptable apps installed on your device.
Turn On Your Alerts
To use this app correctly, you need to turn on alerts in your bank's app:
Go to your bank app.
Find
Settings
and look for
Alerts
.
Turn on the alert most similar to
"Transactions: Single transaction above: $1.00"
.
Set it to send alerts to your
phone number
and also mute the thread if you wish.
This ensures you'll get a text message every time you spend more than a dollar, which is important for the app to work properly.
Save the Alert Message
The alert will be sent to your phone via a short code. I recommend saving the short code as the name of your bank in your contacts. When you get the alert, copy every word
up to but not including the $
.
For example:
If your alert was
:
"Bank Alert: A transaction of $25.76 was made on your credit card ending in 1234 at Amazon on 10/08/2024"
You would then copy the text:
"Bank Alert: A transaction of"
Set Up the Shortcut Automations
Scan the QR code or tap
Get Shortcut
, then Add Shortcut.
Inside the
Shortcuts app
, navigate to the Automations tab and create a new
Personal Automation
for
Message
:
When the sender:
is the bank contact
Message contains
the text you copied earlier
Select
Run Immediately
, hit
Next
Create a new
blank automation
.
Search for the action
Run Shortcut
, tap to add it.
Tap the
down arrow
next to "Run Shortcut", tap
Choose Variable
and select
Shortcut Input
.
Now tap the word
Shortcut
, and choose
Transaction Visualizer
.
Tap
Done
.
Make another automation for
Time of Day
at 5:00 AM, for example.
Repeat daily, Run Immediately, Notify when run: Off, Next.
Search for and tap
Transaction Visualizer
.
Customize the Shortcut
Find the
Transaction Visualizer
shortcut back on the shortcuts page and press the
3 dots
.
Rename
the shortcut to the name of your credit card.
Give new values to the 4 keys in the dictionary at the top:
Card Name
: Match the name of the shortcut
Background
: Any hex code for your chosen color
Amount
: The monthly spending limit
Closing Date
: Your credit card closing date
NOTE:
Closing Date
can only be set within the shortcut
once
before running. After that, if needed, use any text editor to modify it later. Otherwise, the date will update automatically based on the initial date.
Run the Shortcut
Once everything is set:
Safely run the shortcut.
Tap
OK
and allow all prompts (e.g., "Always Allow 3x-5x").
Navigate to your home screen or an empty space.
Add a
Medium Scriptable widget
and long press to configure.
Select the correct script (same name as the Card Name) and use
Run Script on Tap
for When Interacting.
Add Your Previous Transactions *Updated - Fixed error where transactions would duplicate
You'll need a text editor or the shortcut link above to edit the files directly. For text editors, find one you like, enter the Files app > iCloud > Scriptable >
Transaction Visualizer
> select the folder that has the name of the card you are interested in, and then edit the
transactions.txt
file. The shortcut in the link however will add transactions to any card and run its own shortcut immediately so all you have to do is tap the widget to refresh.
These options are here if you want or need to add transactions but future ones can be handled by the automations you setup earlier.
When adding transactions, add them line by line like this:
0.00
19.99
45.67
26.33
Similarly, the closing date can be changed from the
config.json
manually if it ever needs to be updated, otherwise, it will update automatically on the same day each month. Any other values can be changed in both the shortcut or
config.json
like the background or the amount/monthly limit. Although possible, I do not recommend changing the Card Name because then you need to remember to switch the widget that is tracking it. You can just duplicate the shortcut, change the values, and set up a new widget. This is also how you would set up multiple widgets or cards.
Everything should be all set. Track as many cards as you want and reach out to me if you have any issues either here or on reddit.

## Compatibility

iPhone, iPad

## Required apps

Scriptable, Shortcuts

[View this page](https://shortcutlibrary.app/shortcuts/transaction-visualizer)

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