📖 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, or the Set Gemini API key… menu item in Accounts or Receipts. The key is stored only on your device.
🧠 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.