A rule is a simple “when → then” instruction. When a transaction matches all your enabled conditions, then Talvo applies your selected actions. You can combine conditions and use several actions in the same rule.
Merchant name contains “AH”
Set category → Groceries
Rename merchant → Albert Heijn
Create your first rule
Open a new rule
Open the rules manager and choose New rule.
Choose what should match
Under When, enable the conditions you need: merchant name, amount and/or account.
Choose what should happen
Under Then, enable the actions you want and fill in their values.
Check and create
Choose View matches to check your conditions, then Create rule to save.
Choose your conditions
Only enabled conditions are checked. If you enable more than one, all of them must match the same transaction. For example, a merchant-name condition plus an account condition means that merchant on that account.
Merchant name
Choose Is exact to match the whole name, or Contains to match text within the name. Matching is case-insensitive and checks both the original name from the bank and the current merchant name.
Amount
Enable Amount to narrow the rule by the transaction amount. Fill in the amount condition shown in the rule editor, then use the preview to check which payments match.
Account
Enable Account and select the account the rule should apply to. Useful when the same merchant appears on both a personal and a shared account.
| Condition | AH 2111 | AH 3456 |
|---|---|---|
| Is exact: AH 2111 | Matches | No match |
| Contains: AH | Matches | Matches |
Use a distinctive part of the merchant name. Short or generic text can match more merchants than you intended. Uppercase and lowercase letters are treated the same.
Choose your actions
Enable one or more actions. Each selected action applies when all the conditions match.
Set category
Choose the category to assign, such as Groceries. This is useful for recurring payments that should always land in the same category.
Add labels
Choose the labels to add to matching transactions. Labels from multiple matching rules accumulate, so a transaction can receive labels from more than one rule.
Rename merchant
Enter the merchant name you want to use. For example, turn “AH 2111” into “Albert Heijn” to make your transaction list easier to read.
Exclude from budget
Matching transactions do not count towards budgets. Use this only for payments you intentionally want to leave out of your budget calculations.
Understand rule order
Talvo runs rules in order for each newly synced transaction. When several rules match, the first rule that sets a category wins for the category; the first that sets a name wins for the name. Labels from matching rules are added together.
Suppose rule 1 sets the category to Groceries and adds the label Shared. Rule 2 also matches and sets the category to Shopping, adds Weekly and renames the merchant. The category stays Groceries, both labels are added, and rule 2 can supply the name if no earlier rule has set it.
Preview before saving
Choose View matches in the Preview section. Talvo checks your existing transactions so you can see whether the conditions find the payments you intended. This does not modify those transactions.
- Too many matches? Use a more specific merchant name, switch to Is exact, or add an account or amount condition.
- No matches? Check the spelling and remember that all enabled conditions must match. Try removing an unnecessary condition.
- Happy with the matches? Choose Create rule. The saved rule applies to newly synced transactions.
Examples to start with
Tidy up supermarket payments
When the merchant name contains “AH” → set the category to Groceries and rename the merchant to Albert Heijn.
Label shared spending
When the account is your shared account → add the label Shared. A separate merchant rule can still set a category.
Keep a particular payment out of budgets
When an exact merchant name and the selected account match → exclude from budget. Preview carefully so the rule only covers the payments you intend.
Next: refine your categories or learn how budgets and rollovers work.
A few common questions
Will a new rule change my old transactions?
No. Rules change only newly synced transactions. View matches uses existing transactions as a preview and does not modify them.
Do all conditions have to match?
Yes. Every enabled condition must match the same transaction. Disabled conditions are ignored.
Does capitalisation matter for merchant names?
No. Merchant-name matching is case-insensitive and checks both the original name from the bank and the current name.
What if two rules set different categories or names?
Rules run in order. The first matching rule that sets a category determines the category. The first that sets a name determines the name. Labels from matching rules accumulate.