Finch connects Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini CLI to your money through a read-only MCP server. You pair your assistant with a short code and approve it in the Finch app with Face ID or your fingerprint. The assistant can read your cached Finch data but cannot move money, trade or change settings. Current setup steps are on the Finch MCP Server Instructions page.
What if you could open Claude or ChatGPT and simply ask: “How much did I spend on restaurants this month?” or “What is my net worth trend over the last six months?”, and get an answer based on your real numbers? No CSV exports, no copy-pasting statements, no spreadsheet.
That is what the Finch MCP server does. It connects Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini CLI to the financial data you already have in Finch through a secure, read-only connection that you approve with Face ID or your fingerprint. Setup takes about five minutes, and this guide walks you through every step.
What is MCP (Model Context Protocol), in plain English?
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol, an open standard introduced by Anthropic and now supported by several AI assistants. Think of it as a standard plug between an AI assistant and an outside service. Without it, an assistant only knows what you type or paste into the chat. With it, the assistant can ask a trusted service for specific facts, such as your balances or recent transactions, and use them to answer you.
The practical result: instead of describing your finances to an AI, you let it look at them (with your permission, read-only) and ask plain-language questions. Your assistant becomes a smart financial coach that works with your actual numbers instead of generic tips.
Finch MCP server vs. Finch API: which one do you need?
Finch offers two ways to use your data outside the app. Most people want the MCP server; developers building their own tools want the API.
| Finch MCP server | Finch API (beta, invite only) | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Chatting with Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini CLI | Your own scripts, dashboards and reports |
| Setup | No code, 8-character pairing code | API key sent as Authorization: Bearer header |
| Approval | Face ID or fingerprint in the Finch app | Key generated in the Finch app with chosen permissions |
| Address | https://api.fjnch.ch/mcp | https://api.fjnch.ch/v1 |
| Access duration | Up to 30 days of active use, revocable any time | Keys expire after 30, 60 or 90 days |
| Docs | MCP Server Instructions | Finch API Documentation |
What your assistant can do with Finch: 13 read-only tools
The Finch MCP server gives your assistant 13 tools. Every one works from your cached Finch data, and none of them can write, transfer or trade.
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
get_net_worth | Net worth trend over 1D, 1W, 1M, 6M or YTD in your base currency |
list_accounts | Balances, account types and currencies (account numbers masked to the last 4 digits) |
list_transactions | Recent transactions with an optional date filter, up to 100 per query |
search_transactions | Natural-language search across your transaction history, up to 25 matches |
get_spending_summary | Income vs. expenses over 1W, 1M, 6M, 1Y or YTD across all accounts |
list_stock_holdings | Your stock and ETF positions |
list_crypto_holdings | Your cryptocurrency portfolio |
search_investment_transactions | Buy and sell history, filterable by ticker symbol |
list_goals | Savings goals and your progress toward them |
list_assets | Manually tracked assets such as real estate, vehicles and valuables |
get_market_snapshot | Finch's shared market commentary, movers and news headlines |
get_refresh_status | Remaining monthly bank refreshes, or whether an account can sync |
refresh_account | Requests a fresh bank sync for one account, straight from your chat |
Before you start
- The Finch app on your phone, with at least one account connected. Download Finch for iOS or Android. Check which institutions currently connect automatically in the Swiss banks list.
- An AI assistant that supports custom MCP connectors. This guide covers Claude (web and desktop), ChatGPT and Gemini CLI.
- Your phone next to you. The final approval happens in the Finch app.
How connecting works
Setup is done without code and takes about five minutes. You add Finch to your assistant as a connector, your browser shows a short pairing code, and you approve it in the Finch app with Face ID or your fingerprint. There are no API keys to copy and no passwords to share.
Setting it up? Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini change their settings menus regularly, so we keep the exact steps in one place. Follow the Finch MCP Server Instructions for the current setup for each assistant, including the server address and help if something goes wrong.
15 prompts to try first
Once connected, talk to your assistant like you would to a personal finance coach. These prompts map directly to what the tools can do.
Spending
- How much did I spend on restaurants this month?
- Compare my income and expenses over the last 6 months. Where is the gap biggest?
- Find every transaction that looks like a subscription and total it up.
- Search my transactions for Migros and show my last few purchases.
Net worth and accounts
- What is my net worth trend over the last 6 months?
- Which of my accounts holds the most money, and in which currency?
- Give me a one-paragraph summary of my overall financial picture right now.
Investments
- What stocks and ETFs do I currently hold?
- Show my buy and sell history for a specific ticker.
- What does my crypto portfolio look like today?
Goals, assets and data freshness
- How close am I to my savings goals?
- List the assets I track manually, such as property or a car.
- How many bank refreshes do I have left this month?
- Refresh my main account, then recheck my balance.
- What happened in the markets this week?
Tip: ask for a format. “Give me a table”, “keep it to three bullets” or “what should I look at first?” makes the answers far more useful.
How bank refreshes work (and why a balance may look old)
Your assistant reads cached data. That keeps answers fast, but a balance can lag behind your bank until the next sync.
- Most institutions sync freely whenever requested.
- Some institutions charge per sync. For those, a refresh uses one of your monthly plan refreshes. The first sync of each such account is free.
- On the Free plan, per-sync institutions update once when first connected; a premium plan restores ongoing manual refreshes.
- No surprises: when your allowance runs out, your assistant tells you clearly. You never get an unexpected charge.
If a number looks stale, just ask: “Refresh my account and tell me how many refreshes I have left.” You can also pull to refresh in the Finch app.
Privacy and security: what you should know
- Read-only by design. The assistant can view your overview. It cannot transfer money, invest or change settings.
- Masked account details. Account numbers are masked to the last four digits. Full IBANs never leave Finch.
- Biometric approval. Every connection needs Face ID or fingerprint confirmation. Always check the domain on the consent screen (for example
claude.ai) and only approve a request you started yourself. - Your AI provider sees what you ask for. Anything you request in a conversation is sent to your chosen provider (such as Anthropic, OpenAI or Google) and handled under its privacy terms. Only ask for what you are comfortable sharing.
- Revoke any time. In the Finch app go to API keys › Connected assistants. Removing the connector inside your assistant does not end access on the Finch side, so revoke it in Finch too.
For full details, see the Finch privacy policy.
What the MCP server does not do
- No payments, trades or settings changes, it is read-only.
- It works from cached data, so freshness depends on your last sync.
- List queries return up to 100 transactions; searches up to 25 matches.
- Refreshes for per-sync institutions are limited by your plan.
Building your own tool? Meet the Finch API
If you would rather build a dashboard, script or report than chat with an assistant, Finch also offers a read-only REST API for balances and transactions. It is currently an invite-only beta and keys are created inside the Finch app. Read the Finch API documentation.
Get started in five minutes
- Download the Finch app and connect your accounts.
- Follow the MCP Server Instructions to add Finch to Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini CLI.
- Approve the pairing with Face ID or your fingerprint.
- Ask your first question.
Keep reading: how open banking works in Switzerland, the best Swiss personal finance apps in 2026 and Swiss AI finance agents.
Last reviewed by the Finch editorial team on .
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