Transfers to accounts outside keel

Sometimes you send money to an account that isn't in keel yet — a savings account you haven't imported, a new credit card, your partner's account before their statements arrive. Without the other side, that payment would look like a mystery expense and quietly inflate your spending.

A pending transfer fixes this: tell keel the money went to an account it can't see yet, and the transaction is excluded from your reports immediately. When the other account's statement eventually arrives, keel finds the matching leg for you.

How it works

Marking a pending transfer

1. In the Transfers section of the review queue — or on the transaction's detail page — an account picker asks "Where did you send this?" (for money out) or "Where did this money come from?" (for money in).
2. Pick one of your existing keel accounts, or tap "Destination/Source account not in keel yet".
3. The transaction is excluded from your reports and score straight away. The money left your account regardless of where it landed, so keel doesn't wait for proof of the other side.

Automatic matching when the statement arrives

When you later import the other account, keel looks for the counterpart automatically: the exact same amount, opposite direction, within 3 days. Matching is exact to the penny — close-but-not-exact amounts won't auto-match.

Matched pairs appear in the review queue in a "Resolved this import" group, with Confirm and Undo on each. Confirming links both sides permanently; either transaction's detail page then shows the other side under "Matched transfer".

If the counterpart was already categorised as something else when it arrived, keel flags it for your review rather than overriding your classification silently.

No timeout

A pending transfer stays excluded from your reports even if you never import the destination account. There's no expiry and nothing reverts — the outflow was real, and keel doesn't second-guess you for not importing every account.

Why it works this way

Excluding the transaction immediately — before the counterpart exists — keeps your spending figure honest from day one. The alternative (leaving it as an expense until both sides are visible) would overstate your spending for however long it takes you to import the other account, then mysteriously correct itself.

Good to know

• Matching needs the same household, opposite direction, exact amount, and within 3 calendar days.
• You can undo a match: open either side and use "Remove transfer classification" to unlink both cleanly.
• Loan receipts and debt repayments look like transfers but get their own treatment — see Transaction types explained.

FAQ

I marked a transfer as pending but the match didn't happen — why? Check the conditions: exact amount, opposite direction, within 3 days. If your import covered a different date range, try importing more history for the other account.

What if the amounts differ slightly — a fee was taken in transit? The auto-match won't fire. Open the counterpart transaction and link it manually from the account picker on its detail page.

Does a pending transfer count toward my savings rate? Not until it's resolved to a savings account. Once matched to a savings-type account, classify it as a savings transfer — see Transfers between accounts.