As a user (for both my son and myself), having a generic entry in transaction history list for an internal transfer adds confusion and doesn't seem to add any value or information. It is especially confusing because my son was trying to balance the transactions against the total in the account (a good thing!) but the presence of what I call an "internal transaction" within overall savings to a specific savings goal prevented things from adding up correctly.

See my text transcript below with a Greenlight support person for more information.

Thanks!

-Nathan

Transcript of text conversation with product support:

***** From me:

Thanks Daniel! I would like to dig a little deeper to make sure I understand what the Greenlight app UI is showing in this transaction history view, both for me and also so I can explain it to my son :)

If you look at the screenshot above, can you explain what the circled transaction means? I am viewing the "Savings" account as shown by the top arrow. So to see a transaction that says "From Jack's General Savings" doesn't make sense to me. A transaction from savings to savings? Doesn't that effectively do nothing? Other than adding confusion when it shows up in the transaction and makes it look like the account balance should be increasing.

And compare/contrast it to the transaction right below the circled one. It shows "From Jack's Spend Anywhere" which I believe is a different account. To me that presence in the transaction list makes sense. It represents moving money into this account from a different account, and represents a change that should increase the balance of this account (savings).

Thanks!

***** From support

The transaction from savings to savings was that Jack created a Savings goal that is separate to his General savings which why the circled item on your screenshot shows as transfer from General savings.

He created a customized savings goal labeled "Emergency Funds"

******* From me

OK. To me it is confusing to have "internal transfers" show up here. If it included a note or indicator of internal transfer, that would help. Or if it listed the goals and said something like "From Jack's General Savings - EMERGENCY FUND" that would help. The all caps aren't necessary, just included to help emphasize the part that I think could/should be added to clarify.

I'm a software engineer, so these things stand out to me :) But as a user, having a generic entry in transaction history list for an internal transfer adds confusion and doesn't seem to add any value or information.