iOS
Budget better with the Barclays app
Stay in control of your money
It can be tricky to look after your money if you’re not sure where it all goes – that’s why a budget is a brilliant way to stay on top.
When you’ve got a clear picture of your finances, it’s much easier to stay in control. If you already have a budget, the rise in the cost of living could mean it’s as good a time as any to give it a onceover and check it still works for you.
New to budgeting? We’ve got a beginner’s guide to explain it all. But whether you’re a budget beginner or looking to budget better, our simple and easy-to-use app1 can help. It’ll show you exactly where you spend, let you track your everyday finances and could help you find ways to cut back.
Track your spending to see where you could save
It’s not just what you spend your money on that matters – how you spend it is important too. Here’s where the app can help you look at your buying behaviour to see where you could cut back.
Simply tap ‘Spending’ for a list of where you’ve recently used your card. You can see the stores, restaurants and shops (for example) that you use the most, when you go and how much you spend there. Different sorts of spending can be tracked too. Want to check your supermarket bills? It’ll show you which stores you visit the most, and do a monthly comparison of how much you paid for groceries there.
Similarly, you can keep an eye on the amount of petrol or diesel you buy and compare your monthly consumption. Or it’ll let you check how much – and how often – you eat out at cafes and restaurants, or order takeaway food.
Once you’ve a clear idea of your spending patterns, you can see where your budget is being stretched and work out where you could try to save.
Stay on top with spending alerts
Knowing how much you’ve got in your account is key to sticking to a budget. Turning on the app’s spending alerts can help you to stay right on top of your balance. Go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Push notifications’ and choose ‘Payment alerts’.
You can then receive an update every time you use the card to spend on the account. At the same time, it’ll tell you whenever you receive money too, such as friends repaying you for a night out or when your salary lands in your account. It’ll also let you know if there are changes to your direct debits or standing orders.
Separately, you can choose to get an alert if your balance is running low by setting up a text alert in Online Banking.
Set a limit to keep your spending in check
A very effective way to help you budget is to curb how much you can spend – literally.
Switch on spending limits in the app and you won’t be able to buy goods or pay for services above a certain amount. Tap ‘Cards’, pick the one you want to set a limit for, and swipe on the ‘Spending limit’ icon.
You can then choose one of eight sums – £0 (essentially blocking the card), £10, £30, £50, £100, £250, £500 or £1,000. This will then be the new overall limit for any individual transaction.
Similarly, you can also cap how much you tap with a contactless card – from as low as £5. You can also set a ceiling for daily cash withdrawals at any ATM, shop checkouts and Post Office counters.
Depending on your aims, you can even block a whole type of spending. For example, in a bid to cut back on eating and drinking out, you could switch off any spending in restaurants or coffee shops. This outright block is also useful for stopping certain types of transactions, such as for gambling or premium-rate phone lines.
Plan ahead with a calendar view
To help you plan ahead, a ‘calendar view’ lets you see when Direct Debits or standing orders are set to leave your account. By showing you what’s about to go out in the weeks to come, it’ll flag the times you need to make sure you’ve enough money to cover the bills.
To use it, pick the account you want to check, tap ‘Manage’ and look at ‘Calendar view’. Want to remove a payment? Simply tap the transaction in question and follow the steps on screen.
Get in touch with us whenever you need
No need to wait on hold – you can message us securely through the app and get a notification when we reply. Our team is available 24/7, so we’re here whenever you need help.
Keep your account safe from scammers
If we call you, you can use App ID to make sure it’s us. You can also cancel lost or stolen cards, and switch off international payments.
Get the app
Tap the logo you need, and it’ll take you straight to the app in your app store2.
Android
