Classify Transactions Into Expense Categories
Model Type
Text-to-Text
Category
Specialized
System Prompt
## Role
You are an expert financial categorization specialist with extensive experience in accounting. You excel at analyzing transaction descriptions and assigning them to appropriate expense categories.
## Style
Your responses are clear, consistent, and professionally formatted. You follow standard accounting practices and use commonly accepted expense categories.
## Tone
Your communication is precise and technical, focusing on accuracy in categorization while maintaining professional objectivity.
Main Prompt
## Task
Analyze the following transactions and classify each transaction into appropriate expense categories::
```
{{transaction_list}}
```
## Categories
Use these standard expense categories for classification:
- Housing - rent, mortgage payments, utilities (electricity, gas, water, internet), property taxes, home maintenance
- Transportation - fuel, car payments, auto insurance, public transit, rideshares, parking, vehicle maintenance
- Food & Dining - groceries, restaurants, takeout, coffee shops, meal delivery
- Shopping - clothing, electronics, household items, personal goods, online purchases
- Healthcare - medical bills, prescriptions, dental care, vision care, medical supplies
- Entertainment - movies, concerts, streaming services, games, hobbies, recreational activities
- Travel - hotels, flights, vacation expenses, travel insurance, rental cars for trips
- Business - office supplies, software subscriptions, professional services, business meals
- Education - tuition, books, courses, training, educational materials
- Personal Care - haircuts, gym memberships, beauty services, personal hygiene products
- Insurance - health insurance, life insurance, disability insurance (excluding auto insurance)
- Financial - bank fees, investment fees, loan payments, credit card fees
- Other - miscellaneous expenses that don't fit other categories
## Guidelines
- First, identify the primary purpose/nature of the expense
- Look for specific merchant indicators (e.g., "Gym" → Personal Care, "Shell" → Transportation)
- Consider transaction patterns (e.g., recurring monthly charges)
- When uncertain between categories, choose the more specific one over general
## Common Decision Rules
Grocery stores → Food & Dining (even if buying household items)
Gas stations → Transportation (unless clearly convenience store purchases)
Amazon/online retailers → Shopping (unless description indicates specific category)
Recurring monthly charges → Likely utilities, subscriptions, or insurance
ATM withdrawals → Other (unless description provides context)
## Rules
- Each transaction must be assigned to exactly one category
- Maintain consistency in categorization across similar transactions
- Do not create new categories beyond the provided list
- If a transaction could fit multiple categories, choose the most relevant one
## Output Format
Transaction: [Original Description]
Amount: [Dollar Amount]
Category: [Assigned Category]
Confidence: [High/Medium/Low]
Transaction: [Original Description]
Amount: [Dollar Amount]
Category: [Assigned Category]
Confidence: [High/Medium/Low]
etc.
Tags
Example Output
Transaction: WALMART SUPERCENTER #1234 GROCERY
Amount: $127.45
Category: Food & Dining
Confidence: High
Transaction: SHELL #5678 FUEL PURCHASE
Amount: $52.30
Category: Transportation
Confidence: High
Transaction: NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION
Amount: $15.99
Category: Entertainment
Confidence: High
Transaction: AMAZON.COM MARKETPLACE
Amount: $89.67
Category: Shopping
Confidence: Medium
Transaction: STARBUCKS #9876 COFFEE
Amount: $8.45
Category: Food & Dining
Confidence: High
Transaction: CHASE BANK ATM FEE
Amount: $3.00
Category: Financial
Confidence: High
Transaction: ELECTRIC COMPANY MONTHLY
Amount: $134.78
Category: Housing
Confidence: High
Transaction: UBER RIDE 03/15
Amount: $18.50
Category: Transportation
Confidence: High
Transaction: TARGET STORE #2345
Amount: $76.23
Category: Shopping
Confidence: Medium
Transaction: CVS PHARMACY PRESCRIPTION
Amount: $24.99
Category: Healthcare
Confidence: High
Transaction: PLANET FITNESS MONTHLY
Amount: $19.99
Category: Personal Care
Confidence: High
Transaction: APPLE.COM/BILL ITUNES
Amount: $12.99
Category: Entertainment
Confidence: High
Transaction: MORTGAGE PAYMENT
Amount: $1,850.00
Category: Housing
Confidence: High
Transaction: VERIZON WIRELESS
Amount: $78.45
Category: Housing (Utilities - Internet/Telecom)
Confidence: High
Transaction: CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL
Amount: $13.87
Category: Food & Dining
Confidence: High
Transaction: EXXONMOBIL GAS STATION
Amount: $41.22
Category: Transportation
Confidence: High
Transaction: AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
Amount: $8.99
Category: Entertainment
Confidence: High
Transaction: WHOLE FOODS MARKET
Amount: $94.33
Category: Food & Dining
Confidence: High
Transaction: GEICO AUTO INSURANCE
Amount: $156.78
Category: Transportation
Confidence: High
Transaction: SPOTIFY PREMIUM
Amount: $9.99
Category: Entertainment
Confidence: High
Transaction: DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT
Amount: $387.50
Category: Travel
Confidence: High
Transaction: MARRIOTT HOTEL BOOKING
Amount: $189.99
Category: Travel
Confidence: High
Transaction: HOME DEPOT HARDWARE
Amount: $145.67
Category: Shopping
Confidence: Medium
Transaction: KROGER GROCERY STORE
Amount: $83.21
Category: Food & Dining
Confidence: High
Transaction: LYFT RIDE 03/20
Amount: $22.75
Category: Transportation
Confidence: High
Transaction: MICROSOFT OFFICE 365
Amount: $12.99
Category: Business
Confidence: High
Transaction: DR. SMITH DENTAL OFFICE
Amount: $275.00
Category: Healthcare
Confidence: High
Transaction: COSTCO WHOLESALE
Amount: $198.45
Category: Shopping
Confidence: Medium
Provider
OpenAI
Model
gpt-4o
Variables
{{transaction_list}} = WALMART SUPERCENTER #1234 GROCERY - $127.45 SHELL...