How to Track Apple Pay Spending Automatically
Apple Pay doesn’t give you a running total of what you’ve spent, and transactions aren’t exported anywhere you can budget against. The fix is an iOS Shortcuts automation: every time you pay with Apple Pay, the Shortcut prompts you for the amount and logs it straight into Brim. Setup takes a few minutes and then runs automatically.
Why can’t I see my Apple Pay spending total?
Apple Pay shows individual transactions in Wallet, but there’s no built-in monthly total, no categories, and no budget. Apple treats Wallet as a payment tool, not a budgeting tool — so to track Apple Pay spending you need a separate app that records each purchase.
How do I track Apple Pay purchases automatically?
You can use the built-in Shortcuts app to trigger an action whenever Apple Pay is used:
- Open the Shortcuts app and go to the Automation tab.
- Create a Personal Automation triggered by a Transaction with your Apple Pay card.
- Add an action that opens Brim and logs the amount.
- Set it to run immediately, without asking for confirmation.
The full walkthrough, with screenshots, is in the help guide: Add Apple Pay transactions to Brim automatically.
Does this work without connecting my bank?
Yes. This method captures the purchase at the moment of payment, so there’s no bank login, no third-party data sharing, and no waiting for transactions to clear. Your spending data stays on-device with iCloud sync.
Is automatic Apple Pay tracking private?
It’s as private as your phone. Brim stores transactions on-device and syncs through your own iCloud account — your purchase history never passes through a third-party server.
Frequently asked questions
Will it log every Apple Pay purchase? It runs whenever the automation’s trigger fires for the card you selected. You can add automations for multiple cards.
Can I add purchases manually too? Yes — alongside the Apple Pay automation you can add transactions manually or with a double-tap on the back of your iPhone.