# 🏦 bank-mcp

<p align="center">
  <img src="bank-mcp.png" alt="bank-mcp — Banking data for AI assistants" width="700">
</p>

**Give your AI assistant secure, read-only access to your bank accounts.**

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---

Most people manage their finances by logging into bank portals, downloading CSVs, and building spreadsheets. bank-mcp eliminates that friction by letting your AI assistant query your bank accounts directly — balances, transactions, spending breakdowns — through natural conversation. It connects to real bank APIs via the [Model Context Protocol](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) so any MCP-compatible client (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, and others) can understand your finances.

- **5 providers, 15,000+ institutions** — US and European banks covered
- **Read-only by design** — no write access, no transfers, no modifications
- **Works with any MCP client** — Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, and more
- **Pluggable architecture** — add your own provider in under 100 lines

## Table of Contents

- [Supported Providers](#supported-providers)
- [Quick Start](#quick-start)
- [Client Setup](#client-setup)
- [Available Tools](#available-tools)
- [Screenshots](#screenshots)
- [Architecture](#architecture)
- [Provider Setup Guides](#provider-setup-guides)
- [Caching](#caching)
- [Multiple Connections](#multiple-connections)
- [Security](#security)
- [Adding a New Provider](#adding-a-new-provider)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [Development](#development)
- [Contributing](#contributing)
- [License](#license)

## Supported Providers

| Provider | Region | Institutions | Auth Method | Setup Difficulty |
|----------|--------|-------------|-------------|-----------------|
| **[Enable Banking](https://enablebanking.com)** | Europe | 2,000+ | RSA key + session | Medium |
| **[Teller](https://teller.io)** | US | 7,000+ | mTLS certificate | Medium |
| **[Plaid](https://plaid.com)** | US / CA / EU | 12,000+ | Client ID + secret | Easy |
| **[Tink](https://tink.com)** | Europe | 3,400+ | OAuth2 token | Easy |
| **Mock** | Demo | — | None | Instant |

### US Banks

Supported through Plaid and Teller — covering the top 20 US institutions and thousands more:

JPMorgan Chase · Bank of America · Wells Fargo · Citibank · Capital One · U.S. Bank · PNC · Truist · Goldman Sachs · TD Bank · Citizens · Fifth Third · M&T Bank · Huntington · KeyBank · Ally · Regions · BMO · American Express · USAA

### European Banks

Supported through Enable Banking and Tink — covering major banks across the EU and UK:

HSBC · BNP Paribas · Deutsche Bank · ING · Crédit Agricole · Santander · Société Générale · UniCredit · Intesa Sanpaolo · Barclays · Lloyds · BBVA · CaixaBank · Commerzbank · Rabobank · ABN AMRO · Swedbank · Handelsbanken · Nordea · PKO Bank Polski

## Quick Start

### 1. Run the setup wizard

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server init
```

The interactive wizard walks you through everything — provider selection, credentials, bank authorization, and account verification — all with a polished terminal UI:

```
┌  bank-mcp — Connect your bank account
│
◇  Choose your banking provider
│  Plaid / Teller / Tink / Enable Banking
│
◇  Environment
│  Sandbox / Development / Production
│
◇  Found 3 account(s) ─────────────────────────╮
│    ****1591 (Bank of America Platinum Card)   │
│    ****3588 (Bank of America My Checking)     │
│    ****2450 (Bank of America Essential Savings)│
├───────────────────────────────────────────────╯
│
└  Setup complete!
```

### 2. Add to your MCP client

At the end of setup, the wizard asks which MCP client you use and shows the exact configuration:

- **Claude Code** — one command: `claude mcp add bank -- npx @bank-mcp/server`
- **Cursor** — add to `.cursor/mcp.json`
- **Windsurf** — add to `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
- **Gemini CLI** — add to `~/.gemini/settings.json`
- **Codex CLI** — add to `~/.codex/config.json`

> **Using a different tool?** See [Client Setup](#client-setup) for all supported clients including Claude Desktop, VS Code, and Zed.

### 3. Try it

Ask your AI assistant about your finances in natural language:

```
"What's my checking account balance?"
"Show my spending by category this month"
"Find all Amazon purchases over $50"
"Compare my spending this month vs last month"
```

### Demo Mode

Don't have bank credentials yet? Start with realistic fake data:

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server --mock
```

This launches with a mock provider that generates deterministic sample accounts and transactions — perfect for testing your setup or building on top of bank-mcp before connecting real accounts.

## Client Setup

bank-mcp works with any MCP-compatible client. Pick your tool below.

### Claude Code

Add to `.mcp.json` in your project root (or `~/.claude/.mcp.json` for all projects):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bank": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
    }
  }
}
```

Or add via the CLI:

```bash
claude mcp add bank -- npx @bank-mcp/server
```

### Claude Desktop

Add to your `claude_desktop_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bank": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
    }
  }
}
```

Config file location:
- **macOS:** `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
- **Windows:** `%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json`

### Cursor

Add to `.cursor/mcp.json` in your project root (or `~/.cursor/mcp.json` globally):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bank": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code (Copilot)

Add to `.vscode/mcp.json` in your workspace:

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "bank": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
    }
  }
}
```

### Windsurf

Add to `~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bank": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenAI Codex CLI

Add to `~/.codex/config.toml` (or `.codex/config.toml` in your project):

```toml
[mcp_servers.bank]
command = "npx"
args = ["@bank-mcp/server"]
```

Or add via the CLI:

```bash
codex mcp add bank -- npx @bank-mcp/server
```

### Gemini CLI

Add to `~/.gemini/settings.json` (or `.gemini/settings.json` in your project):

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bank": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
    }
  }
}
```

### Zed

Add to your Zed `settings.json`:

```json
{
  "context_servers": {
    "bank": {
      "command": {
        "path": "npx",
        "args": ["@bank-mcp/server"]
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> **Don't see your tool?** bank-mcp uses standard MCP stdio transport. Any client that supports MCP stdio servers can connect using `npx @bank-mcp/server` as the command.

## Available Tools

| Tool | Description | Key Parameters |
|------|-------------|----------------|
| `list_accounts` | List all bank accounts across connections | `connectionId?` |
| `list_transactions` | Fetch transactions with filtering | `accountId`, `from?`, `to?`, `minAmount?`, `maxAmount?` |
| `search_transactions` | Full-text search on descriptions and merchants | `query`, `accountId?`, `from?`, `to?` |
| `get_balance` | Current and available balances | `accountId`, `connectionId?` |
| `spending_summary` | Expenses grouped by merchant or category | `accountId`, `from?`, `to?`, `groupBy?` |

## Screenshots

All examples below use Claude Code with the mock provider (`npx @bank-mcp/server --mock`).

**Listing accounts** — *"List my bank accounts"*

![Listing bank accounts](screenshots/1-bank-accounts.png)

**Checking balances** — *"What's my current balance?"*

![Account balances](screenshots/2-balance.png)

**Transaction history** — *"Show my transactions from the last 15 days"*

![Recent transactions with spending breakdown](screenshots/3-list-transactions.png)

**Searching transactions** — *"Find all Starbucks purchases in last 2 weeks"*

![Finding Starbucks purchases](screenshots/4-find-transactions.png)

**Spending by category** — *"Show my spending by category this month"*

![Category breakdown with chart](screenshots/5-transactions-by-category.png)

<details>
<summary><strong>More examples</strong> (merchant analysis, subscriptions, grocery comparison, financial overview)</summary>

<br>

**Top merchants** — *"Which merchants am I spending the most at?"*

![Merchant spending breakdown](screenshots/6-group-by-merchants.png)

**Subscription tracking** — *"Show my recurring subscriptions"*

![Recurring subscription analysis](screenshots/7-search-summary.png)

**Grocery comparison** — *"Compare Trader Joe's vs Whole Foods spending"*

![Trader Joe's vs Whole Foods analysis](screenshots/8-search-merchants.png)

**Full financial picture** — *"Give me my full February financial picture"*

![Monthly income, expenses, and savings](screenshots/9-income-spending-data.png)

</details>

## Architecture

<p align="center">
  <img src="architecture.png" alt="bank-mcp architecture diagram" width="700">
</p>

### File Structure

```
~/.bank-mcp/
  config.json          # Connections & credentials (permissions: 600)
  keys/                # RSA keys and certificates

src/
  providers/
    base.ts            # Abstract BankProvider class
    registry.ts        # Provider registration
    enable-banking/    # PSD2 via Enable Banking API
    teller/            # US banks via mTLS
    plaid/             # US/CA/EU via Plaid API
    tink/              # EU Open Banking via Tink API
    mock/              # Deterministic fake data
  tools/               # MCP tool implementations
  utils/
    cache.ts           # In-memory TTL cache
    http.ts            # Fetch with timeout + retry
```

### Provider Interface

Every provider extends the same abstract class, making it straightforward to add new integrations:

```typescript
abstract class BankProvider {
  abstract listAccounts(config): Promise<BankAccount[]>;
  abstract listTransactions(config, accountId, filter?): Promise<Transaction[]>;
  abstract getBalance(config, accountId): Promise<Balance[]>;
  abstract getConfigSchema(): ConfigField[];
}
```

## Provider Setup Guides

### Enable Banking (PSD2)

**What you need:**
- [ ] An [Enable Banking](https://enablebanking.com) account with a registered app
- [ ] Your RSA private key (`.pem` file, downloaded when you created the app)

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server init
# Select: Enable Banking → enter App ID + key path
# Pick your country → select your bank
# Log in at your bank → paste the redirect URL
# → Session created, accounts verified!
```

> **Tip:** The wizard handles the entire OAuth flow — redirect URI setup, bank selection, and session creation. Sessions expire after 90 days (PSD2 regulation); re-run `init` to refresh.

### Teller (US Banks)

**What you need:**
- [ ] A [Teller](https://teller.io) developer account
- [ ] Your Application ID (from the Teller dashboard)

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server init
# Select: Teller → enter Application ID
# Pick environment (sandbox for testing)
# → Teller Connect opens in your browser
# → Link your bank, token captured automatically!
```

> **Tip:** Start with **sandbox** — no certificates needed, instant test data. For development/production, the wizard prompts for mTLS certificate paths. Free tier supports up to 100 live connections.

### Plaid (US/CA/EU)

**What you need:**
- [ ] A [Plaid](https://plaid.com) developer account (free signup)
- [ ] Your Client ID and Secret (from the [Plaid dashboard](https://dashboard.plaid.com/developers/keys))

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server init
# Select: Plaid → enter client ID + secret
# Pick environment (sandbox for testing)
# → Sandbox: token created automatically!
# → Dev/Prod: paste an existing access token
```

> **Tip:** Start with **sandbox** — the wizard auto-creates a test token, no browser needed. Plaid provides the richest transaction categorization — 104 sub-categories with confidence scores — ideal for LLM-driven spending analysis.

### Tink (EU Open Banking)

**What you need:**
- [ ] A [Tink](https://tink.com) developer account (free for testing)
- [ ] Your Client ID and Client Secret (from the [Tink Console](https://console.tink.com))

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server init
# Select: Tink → enter Client ID + Secret
# Pick your market (country)
# → Tink Link opens in your browser
# → Connect your bank, paste redirect URL
```

> **Tip:** Tink covers 3,400+ banks across Europe. For sandbox, use Demo Bank with test credentials (shown in the wizard). Transactions include PFM categories with merchant enrichment.

## Caching

All data is cached in-memory (no disk persistence — cache dies with the process):

| Data | TTL | Why |
|------|-----|-----|
| Account list | 1 hour | Accounts rarely change; minimizes API calls |
| Transactions | 15 minutes | Balances new transactions vs freshness |
| Balances | 5 minutes | Most time-sensitive; users expect current data |

Cache is per-connection and per-account. Restarting the server clears all caches.

## Multiple Connections

Configure as many bank connections as you need — even across different providers:

```json
{
  "connections": [
    { "id": "ing-main", "provider": "enable-banking", "..." : "..." },
    { "id": "chase-checking", "provider": "plaid", "..." : "..." },
    { "id": "revolut", "provider": "tink", "..." : "..." }
  ]
}
```

All tools accept an optional `connectionId` parameter to target a specific connection. When omitted, every connection is queried and results are merged — so "show all my balances" works across banks automatically.

## Security

### Design Principles

bank-mcp handles sensitive financial credentials. Its security posture is built on minimizing attack surface:

- **Read-only by design** — the `BankProvider` interface exposes only read methods (`listAccounts`, `listTransactions`, `getBalance`). There are no write methods — no transfers, no account modifications, no payment initiation. This is enforced at the type level, not by convention.
- **No network listener** — bank-mcp runs as a stdio process (stdin/stdout), not an HTTP server. There is no open port, no attack surface from the network.
- **Minimal dependencies** — only 4 runtime dependencies (`@modelcontextprotocol/sdk`, `@clack/prompts`, `jsonwebtoken`, `zod`). Fewer dependencies means fewer supply chain risks.
- **Open source** — every line is auditable. No obfuscated code, no compiled blobs, no telemetry.

### Credential Storage

- Config file at `~/.bank-mcp/config.json` is created with **`600` permissions** (owner read/write only)
- RSA keys and certificates are stored in `~/.bank-mcp/keys/` with the same restrictive permissions
- Credentials are **never logged** — the server sanitizes config objects before any debug output
- No credential caching beyond the process lifetime — when the server stops, credentials exist only on disk

### Data Flow

```
Your Bank's API ← HTTPS → bank-mcp (local process) ← stdio → MCP Client (local)
```

- Transaction data flows directly from your bank's API to your local MCP client
- **Nothing is stored remotely** — no cloud relay, no proxy server, no intermediate storage
- **No telemetry** — zero analytics, no crash reports, no usage tracking, no phone-home
- In-memory cache is per-process and dies when the server stops

### What Your MCP Client Sees

The MCP client (Claude, Cursor, etc.) receives structured tool results containing:
- Account names, types, and balances
- Transaction descriptions, amounts, dates, and categories
- Spending summaries

The LLM processes this in its context window. Be aware that cloud-hosted LLMs send your conversation (including tool results) to their servers. If this is a concern, use a local model or review your provider's data retention policy.

### Recommendations

- **Rotate tokens** — if your banking provider supports token rotation, enable it
- **Use sandbox first** — test your setup with mock data or Plaid sandbox before connecting live accounts
- **Review permissions** — ensure `~/.bank-mcp/` is not world-readable (`ls -la ~/.bank-mcp/`)
- **Scope access** — if your provider supports it, request the minimum scopes needed (read-only account and transaction access)

### Reporting Vulnerabilities

If you discover a security issue, please email the maintainer directly rather than opening a public issue. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for contact details.

## Adding a New Provider

The pluggable architecture makes it straightforward to add support for additional banking APIs:

1. **Create your provider** at `src/providers/your-provider/index.ts`
2. **Extend `BankProvider`** — implement `listAccounts`, `listTransactions`, `getBalance`, and `getConfigSchema`
3. **Register it** in `src/providers/registry.ts`
4. **Add an init flow** at `src/init/flows/your-provider.ts` — interactive setup using `@clack/prompts`

See [`src/providers/enable-banking/`](src/providers/enable-banking/) as a reference implementation. The mock provider at [`src/providers/mock/`](src/providers/mock/) is also useful for understanding the expected data shapes.

## Troubleshooting

**`npx` is running an old version**

npx caches packages. Force the latest:

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server@latest
```

**"Permission denied" reading config**

The config file should be readable by your user:

```bash
ls -la ~/.bank-mcp/config.json
# Should show: -rw------- (600)
# Fix: chmod 600 ~/.bank-mcp/config.json
```

**"Session expired" (Enable Banking)**

PSD2 sessions expire after 90 days. Re-run the init wizard:

```bash
npx @bank-mcp/server init
# Select your existing Enable Banking connection to update the session
```

**Tools not showing up in your MCP client**

1. Verify the server starts: `npx @bank-mcp/server --mock` (should output MCP protocol on stdout)
2. Check your config file path matches your client's expected location
3. Restart your MCP client after adding the config
4. Check your client's MCP logs for connection errors

**"ETLS" or certificate errors (Teller)**

Teller requires mTLS. Verify your certificate files:

```bash
ls -la ~/.bank-mcp/keys/teller/
# Should contain: certificate.pem, private_key.pem
# Both should be chmod 600
```

## Development

```bash
git clone https://github.com/elcukro/bank-mcp.git
cd bank-mcp
npm install
npm test          # Run tests (vitest)
npm run build     # Compile TypeScript
npm run dev       # Watch mode (recompile on change)
npm run lint      # ESLint
```

## Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.

If you're adding a new provider, open an issue first to discuss the approach — we want to make sure the integration fits the project's architecture.

## License

[MIT](LICENSE) — use it however you want.

---

<p align="center">
  Built for the <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io">Model Context Protocol</a> ecosystem
</p>