Frequently Asked Questions

Is BalanceBuddy free?

Yes. The payment planner, dashboard, benefits tracker, and the rewards tools are free to use. The site is supported by ads. The Points Simulator and Transfer Partners comparison work without even creating an account.

Do I have to connect a bank account?

No. Connecting a bank through Plaid is optional — it just keeps balances and amounts due up to date automatically. You can add every card manually and use the planner without linking anything.

How does the payment plan work?

You enter your income and pay schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly) and your cards' balances and due dates. BalanceBuddy sorts cards by urgency, fully covers anything due before your next paycheck, then allocates the remainder across the rest — so each statement is paid before its due date without overspending any single paycheck.

What is a passkey, and why no password?

A passkey signs you in with your device's fingerprint, face, or PIN instead of a password (the WebAuthn standard). There's nothing to type, reuse, phish, or leak in a breach. Keep your device secure, since it's what unlocks your account.

Is my financial data safe?

Your bank credentials go directly to Plaid through their hosted Link flow — BalanceBuddy never sees them. The access tokens we store are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM, traffic is HTTPS-only with HSTS, and sessions use CSRF protection and a 30-minute idle timeout. We never sell or share your account data. Full details are in the Privacy Policy.

Which banks and cards are supported?

Bank sync uses Plaid, which connects to thousands of U.S. banks and credit-card issuers. For cards Plaid doesn't return full details on, you can always add and edit them manually — including the balance, due date, and statement closing day.

What are the Points Simulator and Transfer Partners tools?

The Points Simulator estimates how many points each card earns on your real spending so you can compare cards side by side. The Transfer Partners guide shows the 2026 point-transfer ratios from Bilt, Chase, Capital One, Citi, and Amex to dozens of airline and hotel programs. Both are free and need no signup.

Is this financial advice?

No. BalanceBuddy is a planning tool. Its calculations are estimates based on the data you and your banks provide and on publicly documented rewards programs. Verify amounts with your bank and card issuer before paying. See the Terms of Use.

How do I delete my account and data?

Go to Settings → Delete account in the app. Your linked banks are disconnected immediately and all data is permanently erased after a 7-day grace period — signing in again within those 7 days cancels the deletion. You can also export everything we hold about you as JSON from Settings → Your data.

How do I get help?

Email support@balancebuddy.us or read more about BalanceBuddy. Ready to start? Open the app.