Connecting Your Bank Account
Overview
Connecting your bank account through Plaid allows StartGlobal to securely import your business transactions automatically. The connection is read-only, meaning StartGlobal can only view your transaction data and cannot initiate any transfers or withdrawals. Automatic transaction syncing saves you time and ensures your bookkeeping stays up to date.
Before You Begin
- You must have an active StartGlobal account with a registered company.
- Have your business bank account login credentials ready (username and password for your bank's online portal).
- You must connect a business bank account, not a personal account.
- Navigate to Accounting in your dashboard sidebar.
Step-by-Step Instructions
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Navigate to the bank connection area.
What to do: Click Accounting in the sidebar, then look for the option to connect your bank account (this may appear on the Transactions tab or as a prompt on the Federal Tax tab).
What you will seeA bank connection interface with an option to add a new bank connection.
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Start the Plaid connection flow.
What to do: Click the button to connect a new bank account. This launches the Plaid connection widget.
What you will seeA secure Plaid window opens where you can search for your bank. A note confirms: "Secure access ONLY to transactions" and "Read-only Access".
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Select your bank and log in.
What to do: Search for your bank by name, select it, and enter your online banking credentials in the Plaid window.
What you will seeYour bank's login form within the Plaid secure widget. You may be prompted for multi-factor authentication (a code sent to your phone or email).
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Select the account to connect.
What to do: If you have multiple accounts at the same bank, select the business checking or savings account you want to connect.
What you will seeA list of your accounts at the selected bank. Choose the one(s) relevant to your business.
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Confirm the connection.
What to do: Complete the Plaid flow by confirming your selection.
What you will seeA toast notification appears: "Bank connection updated successfully!" The Plaid window closes and you return to the StartGlobal dashboard.
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Monitor the sync status.
What to do: After connecting, check the sync status indicator for your connected account.
What you will seeOne of the following statuses:
- "Synced" (green) -- Transactions are fully synced and up to date.
- "Syncing transactions" (blue) -- Transactions are currently being imported.
- "Waiting for transactions" (blue) -- The connection is established and the system is waiting for your bank to provide transaction data.
What Happens Next
- Once your bank account is connected and synced, transactions will automatically appear in your Transactions tab under the Non Categorised section.
- You can then categorize, add receipts, and confirm each transaction.
- Transaction syncing happens periodically, so new transactions will continue to appear as they are processed by your bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Bank is not found in the Plaid search | Try searching by the bank's full legal name. If it still does not appear, your bank may not be supported by Plaid. Upload bank statements manually as an alternative. |
| Connection fails during login | Double-check your credentials. If your bank requires multi-factor authentication, ensure you complete that step within the time limit. Try again if the session times out. |
| Status stuck on "Waiting for transactions" | This is normal for newly connected accounts. Allow up to 24 hours for your bank to provide the initial transaction data. If it persists beyond that, try disconnecting and reconnecting. |
| Status stuck on "Syncing transactions" | A large transaction history may take time to import. Wait a few hours and refresh the page. |
| Toast notification does not appear after connecting | Refresh the page and check whether your bank appears in the connected accounts list. If it does, the connection was successful. |
Bank is not found in the Plaid search
Try searching by the bank's full legal name. If it still does not appear, your bank may not be supported by Plaid. Upload bank statements manually as an alternative.
Connection fails during login
Double-check your credentials. If your bank requires multi-factor authentication, ensure you complete that step within the time limit. Try again if the session times out.
Status stuck on "Waiting for transactions"
This is normal for newly connected accounts. Allow up to 24 hours for your bank to provide the initial transaction data. If it persists beyond that, try disconnecting and reconnecting.
Status stuck on "Syncing transactions"
A large transaction history may take time to import. Wait a few hours and refresh the page.
Toast notification does not appear after connecting
Refresh the page and check whether your bank appears in the connected accounts list. If it does, the connection was successful.
Need more help?
Our support team is available to help you with any questions about your StartGlobal account.