Anthropic Links Claude to Your Bank Accounts via Plaid

Anthropic is rolling out a spending management feature in Claude, accessible in read-only mode via Plaid and initially reserved for American subscribers. The chatbot can categorize purchases and answer budgeting questions, without moving money or providing investment advice. The company presents this feature as a first milestone and is seeking banks and asset managers for future developments.

Anthropic launches a beta and prepares financial partnerships

Claude's new personal finance feature is available in beta this week for subscribers of the Claude Pro, Max, and Ultra plans in the United States. This announcement comes after the introduction of a similar function for ChatGPT by OpenAI in May, which also uses Plaid for banking connections. Anthropic views this step as a first move and believes that for major financial decisions, users benefit more from Claude's assistance alongside licensed professionals and regulated companies. The company states it is working on this perspective and invites banks, wealth managers, and financial service firms to participate in designing these uses.

What Claude can do with your banking data

Claude can generate an overview of expenses categorized by types, such as rent, utilities, purchases, or food. It answers practical questions, for example, about bills due before the next paycheck, the feasibility of financing a major purchase like a vacation trip, or the amount that could be saved each month. If the user grants access to the necessary information, the chatbot can also explain financial terms and answer questions about balances and transactions.

Read-only access and defined data scope

Claude's access to bank accounts is strictly read-only. Thanks to Plaid, Claude does not have access to users' banking passwords, and banks do not have to interact with unverified AI bots. According to Anthropic, the chatbot cannot move, manage, or invest money, and it is not designed to provide investment advice. Once the connection is established, Claude can view the bank name, account names and types, the last four digits of the associated number, balances, credit limits, and up to two years of transaction history.