📖 What AI Powers
Budget Clan uses Google's Gemini AI for three optional features:
- Statement import: parse a bank statement (PDF, CSV, or image) into transactions (see Accounts)
- Receipt scanning: extract supplier, date, totals, and line items from a receipt photo or PDF (see Receipts)
- Currency conversion: estimate a historical exchange rate when linking across currencies (see Multi-currency)
Everything else in the app works without AI. These features simply stay hidden or prompt for a key.
🔑 Getting an API Key
Create a free API key at aistudio.google.com/app/apikey (sign in with any Google account). Then set it in the app via System Settings → AI → Gemini AI settings. The key is encrypted and stored on your Settings sheet, so it roams with your account across devices rather than staying local to one device. Only you can decrypt it, since it's bound to your signed-in Google identity.
Using your own key this way is a Gold feature, so the key field only appears in the app for Gold members. On Silver, AI features run instead on BudgetClan AI credits. No key needed, but credits are limited. Bronze has no AI access at all. See Tiers & Membership.
🎚️ AI Mode
System Settings → AI → Gemini AI settings also has an AI mode picker that decides which of the two paths above is actually used: Off (AI features hidden), Own key only, BudgetClan AI only, or Both, where the app asks you to pick each time. Gold members see all four options; Silver only sees Off and BudgetClan AI only, since the own-key modes need a Gold key.
🧠 Model Settings
System Settings → AI lets you tune which Gemini models are used:
- Short-document model: used for small files; a fast, cheap model is usually plenty
- Long-document model: used above the page threshold; a stronger model handles long statements better
- Page threshold: the page count that switches between them (default 20)
The defaults work well. Change them only if extractions are inaccurate or slow.
✅ Always Review the Results
AI extraction is presented for review before anything is saved. Check dates, amounts, and line items before confirming. Currency conversions are approximate historical rates, not live market data; converted records carry an FX flag so you can correct them later.
🔒 Privacy
When you use an AI feature, the selected document (statement or receipt) is sent to Google's Gemini API under your API key for processing. Nothing is sent anywhere unless you trigger an AI action. If you'd rather keep documents out of AI entirely, simply don't configure a key. All manual entry paths remain available.