Question 1

Why does NBU use CSV files instead of just linking to my bank?

Accepted Answer

Because linking to your bank means handing your login to a third party that signs in as you and scrapes your data. We won't ask you to do that. You export a CSV (every major Canadian bank offers it, and it takes about 30 seconds) and upload it here. Your banking credentials stay between you and your bank.

Question 2

Can I bring in accounts from different banks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It's the main reason NBU exists. Import a statement from each bank or card and NBU brings them into one view: total spending across everything, plus a net worth figure that counts your savings and investments. Your bank can't show you accounts held at other banks. NBU can, because you bring the data together yourself.

Question 3

How do I export a CSV from my bank?

Accepted Answer

Most Canadian banks put this under Account History or Statements. Look for a Download or Export button, choose CSV, and pick your date range. Takes about 30 seconds. If your bank only offers PDF, that works too, though it costs a few Sparks to process since reading a PDF takes AI.

Question 4

Do I need to create an account to try NBU?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You need a free account, just an email address. No credit card required. The free plan is a real plan and not a trial, so you can import your statements and review your month for as long as you like. You never connect a bank login.

Question 5

Is there a mobile app?

Accepted Answer

Not yet. NBU works in your mobile browser, but a native app is on the roadmap. Everything works there today, from importing a statement to asking Valerie a question. You can add the site to your phone's home screen, and it opens like an app. We have not set a date.

Question 6

Will NBU support open banking?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Canada is still rolling out open banking, and when it's available we'll add it as an option. Until then, CSV import is the safe bridge: you get your accounts in one place without handing your bank login to anyone. We see open banking as something to adopt on your terms, not a reason to start scraping your credentials now.

Question 7

Does NBU connect to my bank?

Accepted Answer

No. We never ask for your banking credentials. You export a CSV or PDF from your bank and upload it here. Your login stays yours. There is no read-only connection either, and no aggregator in between, so there is nothing to revoke if you stop using NBU. See the full story on our Privacy-first page.

Question 8

Why not just use a spreadsheet for all this?

Accepted Answer

Honestly, you can. The founder did for years, if you enjoy maintaining scripts and mapping each bank's format by hand. NBU is that spreadsheet rebuilt so you don't have to: AI categorization, multiple banks in one view, and a net worth figure that updates itself. Same privacy as a spreadsheet (your data, no bank login), far less work.

Question 9

How does Valerie handle sensitive information in my transactions?

Accepted Answer

Only the descriptions your own history and NBU's community knowledge could not already place are sent to Google's Gemini model to be sorted. Your name and account number are not. What you type to Valerie in chat is filtered first, for card numbers, social insurance numbers, emails and phone numbers.

Question 10

I'm in Québec. Does anything specific apply to me?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it's good for you. NBU is built by a Québec company and complies with Law 25, the province's privacy law. You have a named Privacy Officer to contact (privacy@quantumizeai.com), the right to access and delete your data, and a fully French version of the product. Your financial data is never sold.

Question 11

Can I delete my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes, at any time. You can export your data as a CSV from the Data Management page, or delete your account entirely. Deleting your account permanently removes your data from our systems. You can also delete less than everything: one transaction, a batch of them, or a whole account and its history.

Question 12

What is Law 25 and how does it apply to NBU?

Accepted Answer

Law 25 is Québec's provincial privacy legislation. As a Québec company, Quantumize AI is subject to it. It gives you the right to access, correct, and delete your personal data. You may also file a complaint with the Commission d'accès à l'information (CAI). See our Privacy Policy for details.

Question 13

Who is NBU's Privacy Officer?

Accepted Answer

Our Privacy Officer can be reached at privacy@quantumizeai.com. Quantumize AI Inc., Montréal, Québec, Canada. Write to that address about anything touching your personal information, whether that is a question, a request to see what we hold on you, a correction or a complaint. A person reads it.

Question 14

Is a CSV more private than a PDF?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A CSV is read inside the app, and the only part that leaves is a description NBU cannot place, unless you hand the file to Valerie yourself, to map its columns or as an attachment. A PDF or screenshot is read by AI, so the whole page goes, name and account number included.

Question 15

Do I have to use NBU every day?

Accepted Answer

No, and we'd rather you didn't. NBU is built around a once-a-month review: import your statements, see where you stand, and get on with your life. There are no streaks or daily reminders. Stay away five days or more and you'll come back to a discount on AI actions.

Question 16

What is credit card churning?

Accepted Answer

Churning is opening a credit card for its welcome bonus, spending what the bonus requires in time, then moving on. It's legal in Canada and it isn't for everyone: it only pays if your normal spending already reaches the bonus without inventing purchases, and if you never carry a balance. NBU checks that first part for each card you chase.

Question 17

How does NBU help with credit card churning?

Accepted Answer

NBU keeps the moving parts in one place: every spend target and deadline on the bonuses you chase, including offers that split into two targets months apart, a warning before an annual fee posts, and the cooldown dates. It also values a card against your own spending, so a boosted dining rate is worth what you actually spend on dining.

Question 18

Can I create my own categories?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can create custom categories and set monthly budgets per category. Valerie will track your spending against them. NBU also starts you with ten ready-made categories, such as Housing and Groceries, so your list is never empty on day one. Rename them or add your own.

Question 19

How does NBU keep churning from wrecking my budget?

Accepted Answer

NBU checks every reward chase against your real spending. It compares a card's welcome-bonus spend target to what you actually spend in a month, so you can see whether you'd hit it on normal purchases or have to invent expenses. It also tracks the deadline, the annual fee and the cooldown, so you know the cost before you apply.

Question 20

What can I ask Valerie?

Accepted Answer

Anything about your spending, budgets, or financial habits. You can also ask general financial questions about RRSPs, TFSAs, debt payoff strategies, and similar topics. She'll be clear when you're better off talking to a registered professional. She can also act: recategorize a transaction, or add a card you are churning. She asks first.

Question 21

Is Valerie a financial advisor?

Accepted Answer

No. Valerie is an AI assistant. She's not registered with the AMF and nothing she says should be treated as professional financial advice. Use her as a thinking partner, not the final word.

Question 22

Can I track multiple accounts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Import a statement from each bank or card and NBU brings them all into one view: total spending across everything, plus net worth. That's the main reason NBU exists. There is no limit on how many accounts you add, on any plan. The free plan limits churning to one card, which is a separate thing.

Question 23

How do I set a monthly budget?

Accepted Answer

Go to the Budget section in your dashboard and set a monthly limit per category. Valerie will track your spending against it and flag when you're getting close. Budgets don't roll over: each month starts fresh at the limit you set, so room you didn't use doesn't carry into the next one.

Question 24

Is NBU free?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The free plan costs no money and needs no credit card. Paid plans are available now, Plus at $6/mo and Household at $12/mo CAD: they add more monthly Sparks and waive the 100-Spark community contribution. You'll get plenty of notice before anything you're using changes.

Question 25

What are Sparks, and what do they cost?

Accepted Answer

Sparks are small credits that power Valerie's AI work, like categorizing a tricky import or answering a question. A standard action is about 10 Sparks. A plain CSV import is free, and a PDF or screenshot costs a few, since it takes AI to read one.

Question 26

How do I get more Sparks without paying?

Accepted Answer

Free accounts start with up to 600 welcome Sparks, and earn more by teaching Valerie. You also get a return offer: your next 20 actions are half price when you have been away five days or more. Paid plans include 300 Sparks a month on Plus and 650 on Household, so earning matters most on the free plan.

Question 27

What happens to my data if I cancel?

Accepted Answer

Nothing is deleted. Cancelling takes effect at the end of the period you already paid for, so you keep Plus or Household until then. Your transactions, accounts, categories and churning cards all stay. On the free plan only one card keeps an active pursuit, and you can pursue the others again if you resubscribe. The 100-Spark contribution applies again.

Question 28

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

Go to Account Settings and select Delete Account. You'll be asked to confirm. Deletion is permanent and removes all your data from our systems. There is no undo and no recovery window. If you want to keep your transaction history, export it to CSV from Data management in Settings before you confirm.

Question 29

Will prices change for current beta users?

Accepted Answer

Paid plans are available now, and if you subscribe during the beta you keep your plan and price. As we finalize what's in each plan, we won't just flip a switch. You'll have plenty of notice and time to decide.

Question 30

Why do free accounts contribute 100 Sparks a month?

Accepted Answer

Because Valerie's AI costs real money to run and to improve, and ads, data sales and engagement tricks are off the table permanently. So free accounts share the cost: 100 Sparks a month into a shared pool, starting only after your first import lands. Paid plans cover it entirely.

Question 31

How do I earn back the 100 Sparks?

Accepted Answer

Teaching Valerie earns it back with room to spare, 10 Sparks for every unknown merchant you categorize up to 150 a month, plus 10 for each new bank format you map. Earning needs community learning on, which is off by default. The contribution comes out of your balance either way.

Question 32

What happens if my Spark balance cannot cover the contribution?

Accepted Answer

Your account pauses until you top up or subscribe. Your data and your exports stay reachable the whole time, so nothing is held hostage and nothing is deleted. Only a paid plan stops the contribution. Community learning lets you earn it back instead, up to 150 Sparks a month.

Question 33

What file formats does NBU accept?

Accepted Answer

CSV is the primary format and costs nothing to process. PDF is also supported and costs a few Sparks, since reading a PDF requires AI. So is a photo or screenshot of a statement, as PNG, JPEG, WebP or HEIC, which goes the same way as a PDF. NBU does not read OFX or QFX files.

Question 34

My transactions are showing wrong dates. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

This is usually a date format mismatch (DD/MM/YYYY vs MM/DD/YYYY). Go to Import Settings and check your date format, or re-map the date column. If the problem persists, contact us at hello@getnbu.com. You can also fix it after importing: "Change the date format" on the statement re-reads the raw dates NBU kept from your file. CSV imports only.

Question 35

A transaction imported twice. How do I fix it?

Accepted Answer

Find the duplicate in your transaction list, select it, and delete it. If you're seeing many duplicates, check whether you imported overlapping date ranges. That is the usual cause. Most bank exports let you pick the period, so importing January to March and then February to April brings February in twice.

Question 36

Is NBU available in French?

Accepted Answer

Yes. NBU is fully bilingual. Toggle the language using the EN/FR switch in the top navigation. The French is Québec French, written rather than machine-translated, and it covers the product itself as well as this site. NBU remembers your choice, so you land in the same language the next time you sign in.

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