Finance and Plaid

Finance combines bank transactions, categorization rules, cash flow, P&L, monthly reporting, and Square deposit tracking. Plaid powers bank connectivity when finance tracking is enabled for a store.

Demo frames

Connect bank data

1. Open Dashboard > Finance for the store.
2. Start the Plaid connection flow.
3. Select the business bank account or accounts that should feed reporting.
4. Confirm the connection status after Plaid returns to CafeTally.
5. Run an initial sync if the page does not show recent transactions.

Security

Finance pages can require a valid MFA session. If MFA is requested, complete the challenge before viewing sensitive financial data. Disconnect Plaid from the integration settings if a store should no longer sync bank data.

Reports

Cash flow shows movement across selected periods. P&L groups income, COGS, labor, operating expenses, transfers, and other categories into a monthly view. Monthly reports help operators review whether the business is improving, flat, or drifting in the wrong direction.

Categories and rules

Rules help classify repeated vendors and transaction patterns. Use manual category overrides when a transaction is correct for this month but should not create a broad rule. Audit views are useful when finance numbers look surprising because they show how a transaction was classified.

Sync expectations

Plaid data can lag depending on institution behavior and account freshness. Square deposits may need matching logic because payment processor deposits often combine multiple sales days, fees, and adjustments. If numbers look off, compare the date range, account coverage, category rules, and transfer detection before assuming revenue or expense data is missing.