Recurring Expenses
CshFlow automatically identifies subscriptions and recurring bills by analyzing your transaction patterns. No manual categorization required—just upload your CSV and let the system work.
What Are Recurring Expenses?
Recurring expenses are predictable charges that happen on a regular schedule:
Subscriptions:
- Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, Disney+)
- Software (Adobe, Microsoft 365)
- Cloud storage (iCloud, Dropbox)
- Gym memberships
Regular Bills:
- Phone and internet
- Utilities (hydro, gas, water)
- Insurance premiums
- Loan payments
Predictable Spending:
- Weekly transit passes
- Monthly parking
- Regular prescriptions
Why Automatic Detection Matters
Traditional Budgeting Approach
Most apps require you to:
- Manually categorize every transaction
- Create budget categories
- Set spending limits
- Reconcile monthly
Problems:
- Time-consuming
- Easy to forget subscriptions
- Categories overlap
- Requires constant maintenance
CshFlow's Approach
- Upload CSV - Just provide your banking data
- Automatic Analysis - Patterns are detected automatically
- Confidence Scoring - Shows how certain the detection is
- One-Click Management - Mark as cancelled, not a subscription, etc.
Benefits:
- Zero manual work
- Finds forgotten subscriptions
- Updates automatically
- Always current
How Detection Works
CshFlow analyzes your transaction history looking for patterns in:
- Frequency: Are charges happening at regular intervals?
- Amount: Are the charges similar each time?
- Duration: How long has this pattern existed?
- Consistency: Are there any gaps or skipped months?
Based on these factors, each potential subscription gets a confidence rating:
| Confidence | What It Means |
|---|---|
| High | Very likely a recurring subscription |
| Medium | Probably recurring, with some variation |
| Low | May or may not be recurring |
Examples
Streaming Service
Monthly charges of the same amount on the same day = High confidence subscription
Utility Bill
Monthly charges on similar dates but varying amounts = Medium confidence (utilities fluctuate with usage)
Coffee Shop
Frequent but irregular purchases = Low confidence (regular habit, not a subscription)
What CshFlow Does With Detection
Daily Spending Calculator
Detected recurring expenses are automatically:
- Added to your expected expenses
- Projected to their next billing date
- Included in your available balance calculation
Your daily limit accounts for these upcoming charges automatically.
Vendor Analysis
Shows you all detected recurring expenses, their confidence levels, and projected next charges.
Target Optimizer
Uses detected subscriptions to recommend what you could cancel and how much you'd save.
Managing Your Subscriptions
Mark as "Not a Subscription"
If CshFlow incorrectly identifies something as recurring (like weekly grocery shopping), you can mark it as not a subscription.
Mark as Cancelled
When you cancel a real subscription, mark it as cancelled so CshFlow stops projecting future charges.
Add Manual Expenses
For subscriptions that aren't detected (new subscriptions, annual charges, or payments from other accounts), you can add them manually in Settings.
Limitations
Needs Historical Data
Detection works best with at least 3-6 months of transaction history. New subscriptions won't be detected until there are enough transactions to establish a pattern.
Variable Services
Usage-based services (like utilities that vary seasonally) may have lower confidence scores due to amount variation.
Annual Expenses
Annual charges need more time to detect since the pattern only repeats once per year.
Improving Detection
For the best detection accuracy:
- Upload complete transaction history (6-12 months recommended)
- Include transactions from all your accounts
- Upload new transactions regularly to keep data current
- Use feedback features to mark false positives
Privacy
- All detection happens in your database
- Your transaction patterns are never shared
- No external services are used for analysis
Related Features
- Vendor Analysis - View all detected recurring expenses
- Daily Spending - See how recurring expenses affect your limit
- Settings - Add manual recurring expenses
Recurring expense detection automatically finds your subscriptions and bills so you never miss a charge or forget to budget for it.