How to Track Expenses with ChatGPT and Claude Using an MCP Finance App
Updated ยท catetin.ai
You can track expenses with ChatGPT or Claude by connecting them to catetin.ai through MCP (Model Context Protocol). Once connected, the assistant can read your categories, transactions and summaries, and create, update or delete transactions only after you confirm each change. The full setup guide is at https://catetin.ai/docs/mcp-integration.
Can ChatGPT or Claude track your expenses on their own?
On their own, general AI assistants do not keep a reliable, structured record of your spending. You could paste numbers into a chat, but the history is scattered across conversations and there is no proper ledger, dashboard or category breakdown behind it.
Connecting the assistant to a real money tracker solves this. Your transactions live in catetin.ai, and ChatGPT or Claude becomes another way to read and update them in natural language.
What is MCP and why does it matter for a finance app?
MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external apps and tools in a controlled way. An MCP finance app exposes specific actions, such as reading transactions or adding an expense, that the assistant can use with your permission.
catetin.ai provides an MCP server at https://api.catetin.ai/mcp, which is what Claude and ChatGPT connect to.
How to connect catetin.ai to Claude
- In Claude, open Settings and go to Connectors.
- Find catetin.ai, or choose Add custom connector and enter https://api.catetin.ai/mcp.
- Select Connect.
- Sign in with the same Google or Apple account you use for catetin.ai.
- Review and approve the permissions.
How to connect catetin.ai to ChatGPT
In ChatGPT, find catetin.ai among the available apps and choose Connect, then sign in with your catetin.ai Google or Apple account. If you use developer mode, you can add the server URL https://api.catetin.ai/mcp directly. For screenshots and troubleshooting, follow the full setup guide at https://catetin.ai/docs/mcp-integration.
What can an AI agent do with your catetin.ai data?
Permissions are deliberately limited. The assistant only sees groups you are a member of, and any change to your data needs your confirmation each time.
- Read your group names, currencies and timezones.
- Read categories, transactions and summaries.
- Create, update or delete transactions, only after you confirm each change.
- Save a chat message to a group.
- Read your plan and remaining AI quota.
Example prompts to try
- "How much did my Family group spend on food last month?"
- "Add a lunch expense of $12 today to my Personal group."
- "Change yesterday's coffee transaction to $4."
- "How much AI chat quota do I have left?"
Getting started
If you do not have a catetin.ai account yet, install the app from the App Store or Google Play, or sign in at web.catetin.ai with Google or Apple; desktop apps are available too. Then connect it to Claude or ChatGPT using the steps above and try one of the example prompts.
Frequently asked questions
Can ChatGPT add expenses to my budget app?
Yes, when ChatGPT is connected to catetin.ai via MCP. It can create, update or delete transactions, but only after you confirm each change.
Is it safe to connect my finance app to Claude?
catetin.ai only exposes groups you are a member of, and every create, update or delete needs your confirmation. You approve the permissions when you connect.
What is the catetin.ai MCP server URL?
The server URL is https://api.catetin.ai/mcp. The full setup guide is at https://catetin.ai/docs/mcp-integration.
Do I need a catetin.ai account to use it with ChatGPT or Claude?
Yes. You sign in with the same Google or Apple account you use for catetin.ai when connecting.