---
title: "Detect spending patterns"
method: POST
path: "/v1/tools/betteroff_detect_spending_patterns"
tags: ["tools"]
---

# Detect spending patterns

`POST /v1/tools/betteroff_detect_spending_patterns`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.betteroff.finance`
- URL: `https://api.betteroff.finance/v1/tools/betteroff_detect_spending_patterns`
- Auth: one of:
  - OpenID Connect (`https://app.betteroff.finance/api/auth/.well-known/openid-configuration`, scopes: `transactions:read`)
  - HTTP bearer

Use this when the user asks about spending habits, trends, or unusual transactions. Detect spending patterns: frequent merchants, complete-month trends, and unusual transactions (monthly repeats such as rent excluded). Frequent merchants are habits, not bills; use betteroff_list_recurring for recurring charges.

## Request body

- object
  - `startDate` string, date, nullable, required: Start date (ISO). Use null for 6 months ago.
  - `endDate` string, date, nullable, required: End date (ISO). Use null for today.

## Response `200`

Tool result

- union
  - object
    - `ok` false, required
    - `requestId` string
    - `error` string, required
    - `code` string, required
    - `retryable` boolean, required
    - `nextStep` string, required
    - `field` string
    - `missingInputs` object[]
      - `id` string, required
      - `name` string, required
      - `balanceMissing` boolean, required
      - `interestRateMissing` boolean, required
      - `minimumPaymentMissing` boolean, required
  - object
    - `ok` true, required
    - `requestId` string
    - `schemaVersion` '4', required
    - `data` object, required
      - `asOf` string, nullable, required
      - `period` object, required
        - `start` string, nullable, required
        - `end` string, nullable, required
      - `transactionCount` integer, required
      - `frequentMerchantPatterns` object[], required
      - `monthlyTrend` object[], required
      - `monthlyOutliers` object[], required
      - `overallTrend` Schema1, required (unresolved $ref)
      - `overallTrendBasis` object, required
      - `unusualTransactions` object[], required
    - `currency` string, nullable, required
    - `timezone` string, required
    - `asOf` string, nullable, required
    - `revision` integer, required
    - `householdRevision` integer, required
    - `quality` object, required
      - `state` 'complete' | 'partial' | 'unavailable', required
      - `reasons` string[], required
    - `evidence` object[], required
      - `source` string, required
      - `id` string
      - `observedAt` string, nullable, required
    - `page` object, required
      - `returnedCount` integer, required
      - `totalCount` integer, nullable, required
      - `truncated` boolean, required
      - `nextCursor` Schema3, required (unresolved $ref)
    - `warnings` string[], required
    - `notes` string

## Other responses

- `400`: INVALID_INPUT (a missing, unknown, or invalid argument, named in `fields`), TOOL_CALL_REJECTED, or a body that is not JSON.
- `401`: AGENT_TOKEN_INVALID: the token is missing, expired, or revoked.
- `402`: AGENT_SUBSCRIPTION_INACTIVE or FEATURE_NOT_INCLUDED: needs BetterOff Core.
- `403`: INSUFFICIENT_SCOPE, ACCESS_DENIED, or AGENT_GRANT_REVOKED.
- `404`: TOOL_NOT_FOUND, or NOT_FOUND for a record the org does not have.
- `409`: CONFLICT: the record's state rules this call out. Read it again.
- `422`: INCOMPLETE_DATA or RESULT_TOO_LARGE. Narrow the request; don't retry as is.
- `429`: RATE_LIMITED. Retry after Retry-After seconds.
- `503`: DATA_UNAVAILABLE, DEPENDENCY_UNAVAILABLE (including the 25-second tool deadline), or AGENT_AUTHZ_UNAVAILABLE. Retryable.
- `default`: Problem details

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/betteroff/apis/betteroff-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/betteroff/apis/betteroff-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/betteroff/apis/betteroff-api/revisions/bc858c8d428d?raw)