Auto-record with tap-to-pay
With iOS 17, Gem can automatically log your expenses whenever you pay with your iPhone in stores. You need to set up an automation like this:
- Open the
Shortcuts app on your iPhone - Tap Automation at the bottom
- Tap
button, scroll down and choose Transaction - Choose all cards and categories, select Run Immediately on the bottom, then tap Next
- Tap New Blank Automation (the gray box)
- In the bottom panel: Scroll until you see Gem, or
search for it - Tap Apple Pay import
- You'll notice a new block added, named "Add amount with note", tap the blue Amount
- Your keyboard will have a suggestions bar on the top (look for "Select variable"), scroll until you see Shortcut input, then tap it
- In the block, tap the blue Shortcut input and choose Amount
- In the block, tap Note, choose Shortcut input again
- In the block, tap the blue Shortcut input and choose Merchant
- Tap Done in the upper-right corner
- You made it!
- When you edit expenses created via shortcut, Gem remembers your categorization and apply it to similar future expenses.
For example, if an expense is named "CarShop LLC” and you set its category to "Transport" - Gem will repeat that for future expenses named "CarShop LLC".
Gem creates rules that you can edit and remove, see Settings> Import & Apple Pay> Auto-edits - If you don't want Gem to create rules whenever you edit expenses, go to Settings
> Import & Apple Pay> Preferences> Turn off Remember my edits
This automation works only when you pay in stores. It's not working when you pay in apps or websites using Apple Pay. Please submit feedback to Apple and ask for this :)
Sometimes you might see "Automation failed" notification after paying with your iPhone. Unfortunately, this is a known issue and appears to be a bug in iOS. It might be related to the card providers, since Apple Wallet occasionally doesn’t receive the transaction in time — causing the whole automation to fail. I've reported this issue to Apple and hoping to resolve this soon. If you can, please also report that to Apple
Automation failure
Tap-to-pay automation might sometimes not work.
Shortly after paying, you'll get the following notification:
This is a known issue and appears to be a bug in iOS. It might be related to the card providers, since Apple Wallet occasionally doesn’t receive the transaction in time — causing the whole automation to fail. I've reported this issue to Apple and hoping to resolve this soon. If you can, please also report that to Apple.
Import rules
Gem can automate the edits you make to expenses imported from a CSV file or via Shortcuts. For example, auto-categorizing them based on your edits.
Adding to favorite wallets. Gem adds imported expenses to the default wallets you set in Settings
- Go to Settings
> Import & Apple Pay > Preferences - Turn off Add to favorite wallets
Automatic creation of rules. When you categorize imported expenses, Gem creates rules like this: If expense has note "CarShop LLC" then set category "Car". This saves you time by automatically categorizing similar future expenses. You can edit and remove these rules from Settings
- Go to Settings
> Import & Apple Pay > Preferences - Turn off Remember my edits
Expenses without categories. When expenses are created via Shortcuts, Gem adds the merchant name to the Note field, and leaves the Category field empty if it doesn't find any category or import rule matching the note exactly. Such expenses appear with dashed line in your history, allowing you to find and categorize them later. If you want Gem to create a new category for every note:
- Go to Settings
> Import & Apple Pay > Preferences - Turn off Uncategorized expenses