Fee & Interest Detector automatically scans your linked bank accounts for hidden charges — overdraft fees, NSF fees, credit card interest, foreign transaction fees, out-of-network ATM fees, and other bank charges — and notifies you when they appear or increase.
How It Works
ExpenseBot reads your existing Plaid bank connection (the same one used for expense reconciliation) and checks for transactions Plaid classifies as bank fees. No new bank connection required — if you're already connected, it works automatically.
Every month, ExpenseBot reviews up to the latest 35 continuous days available in your Plaid reconciliation cache. If less history is available, the report labels the actual window instead of pretending it covers 35 days. It waits rather than showing a misleading zero when the cache is stale, a cache read fails, or required fee fields are missing. You're notified via:
- Activity Center (bell icon, top right)
- Push notification on mobile (if enabled)
- Discovery email the morning after your first scan
What It Detects
| Fee Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Interest charges | Credit card interest, cash advance interest — typically the largest bucket |
| Overdraft fees | Account went below zero |
| NSF / Returned-payment fees | Payment bounced or was returned |
| Foreign transaction fees | Purchases in a foreign currency |
| Out-of-network ATM fees | ATM use outside your bank's network |
| Other bank fees | Annual card fees, monthly maintenance fees, late fees, wire fees |
Where to Find It
Go to expensebot.ai/my-fee-audit-report — the page shows the latest scan total, the largest individual charge, the charge date and description, a category breakdown, and practical next steps. You can also reach it by clicking any fee-audit notification in the Activity Center.
The 35-day total is a rolling scan, not a calendar-month total. The page shows the date through which the data is complete. A longer-history total says Year so far only when the cache actually reaches January 1; otherwise it says Since [date].
Do I Need to Do Anything?
No. Once your bank account is connected via Plaid, the Fee Detector runs automatically once a month. You'll only hear about it when something is worth knowing — fees were detected for the first time, a new fee type appears, fees rose materially, or a genuinely new large charge appears.
ExpenseBot can help you understand what was charged and what to ask about. It does not promise that a bank will refund a fee. The report's script asks the bank to explain what triggered the charge and whether a one-time courtesy refund or lower-fee option is available.
Does It Connect to My Bank Account?
No new connection is needed. It uses the Plaid connection you already set up for bank reconciliation. If you haven't connected a bank account yet, go to Settings → Bank Connections to add one.
Tip: For an interest charge, compare the statement balance, due date, and grace-period terms. Ask the issuer what triggered the charge and what would prevent another one. For overdraft or returned-payment fees, review the triggering transaction and your overdraft settings before contacting the bank.