---
title: "Reconnecting a bank"
description: "Reauthenticate a bank whose connection has expired or errored so data syncs again, without losing history."
section: "Connecting banks"
canonical: "https://banksync.io/docs/connecting-banks/reconnecting-a-bank"
---

When a bank connection stops working, BankSync flags it as needing attention and you fix it by reconnecting. Reconnecting reopens your provider's secure window so you can re-enter your login or re-confirm consent, which refreshes the connection and resumes syncing without losing any of the history already pulled in.

> **Reconnecting never erases your history:** 'Re-authentication refreshes the connection in place. Your already-synced transactions, balances, holdings, and the accounts you previously selected all stay exactly as they are. Reconnecting only restores fresh access so new data can flow again.'

> **Before you start:** 'You need Editor access to the workspace (viewers see a "View only" notice and cannot reconnect), and your online banking login plus any two-factor method your bank uses (such as an SMS or email code). If the bank is owned by a client portal, only the client can reconnect it from their own Banks tab.'

[![Reconnecting an expired bank in the BankSync app: the Banks page with a Chase card showing Reconnection needed, clicking Reconnect, reauthorizing through Plaid's secure window, and the card returning to healthy and syncing.](https://cdn.banksync.io/videos/reconnect-a-bank.poster.204bccccc185660a.png)](https://cdn.banksync.io/videos/reconnect-a-bank.fa0e69267315e642.mp4)

[Watch: Reconnecting an expired bank in the BankSync app: the Banks page with a Chase card showing Reconnection needed, clicking Reconnect, reauthorizing through Plaid's secure window, and the card returning to healthy and syncing.](https://cdn.banksync.io/videos/reconnect-a-bank.fa0e69267315e642.mp4)

## Spot a bank that needs attention

A healthy bank shows its connection date (for example "Connected: 1/14/2026"). A bank that needs re-authentication is clearly flagged on its card on the Banks page.

**Find the flagged bank**

1. **Open the Banks page** — Select Banks from the navigation. Every connected institution appears as a card.
2. **Look for the amber 'Reconnection needed' label** — A bank that needs attention shows an amber warning triangle with the text "Reconnection needed"
   in its card body, and a "Reconnect" button appears in the bottom-left of the card.

BankSync classifies why a connection broke and surfaces the appropriate action. The common states are:

| State on the connection          | What it means                                                                                                                                                          | What to do                                                |
| -------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| Requires re-authentication       | Credentials or consent need refreshing (expired consent, changed password, revoked access, or a broken provider session). This is the most common, user-fixable state. | Reconnect (re-enter your login or re-confirm consent)     |
| Awaiting your action             | The provider paused mid-flow and needs a response, such as a multi-factor challenge or a consent confirmation.                                                         | Reconnect and complete the prompt the provider shows      |
| Provider temporarily unavailable | The bank or provider is degraded or in an outage. This is not your fault and the scheduler backs off automatically.                                                    | Wait and retry later; reconnect only if the flag persists |

> **What triggers a reconnect:** 'Connections drop into a "requires re-authentication" state for everyday reasons: you changed your online banking password, your bank tightened security, an Open Banking / CDR consent reached its expiry, a provider login session expired after a period of inactivity, or a brokerage feed went stale or degraded. BankSync\\'s banner explains it as: "This can happen when banks update security requirements or after a period of inactivity."'

![A bank card for Chase showing an amber Reconnection needed row and a Reconnect button in the card footer.](https://cdn.banksync.io/screenshots/banks/reconnect-needed.02e9ee7e2828ee21.png "A bank that needs re-authentication shows an amber Reconnection needed state on its card.")

## Reconnect the bank

You can start the reconnect straight from the card, or open the bank to see the full re-authentication banner first. Both run the same flow: BankSync reopens your provider's secure window in update mode so you can refresh access.

**Re-authenticate the connection**

1. **Click 'Reconnect' on the card** — On the Banks page, click the "Reconnect" button on the flagged bank's card. Alternatively, click
   the card to open it.
2. **(If you opened the bank) review the banner and click 'Reconnect Now'** — The bank's edit panel shows an amber banner titled "Bank Connection Requires Re-authentication"
   with the message "Your bank requires you to verify your login credentials." Click the "Reconnect
   Now" button. You can also use the "Reconnect / Add Accounts" button at the bottom of the
   accounts list.
3. **Sign in or re-confirm consent in the provider window** — The provider's own secure window opens. Re-enter your online banking credentials and complete
   any verification step (such as an SMS or email code), or re-confirm your data-sharing consent.
   You enter everything in the provider's window, not in BankSync.
4. **Keep your existing account selection** — Because reconnecting runs in update mode, your previously shared accounts are preserved. If the
   provider shows the account picker, leave your existing accounts selected (you can also tick
   additional accounts here if you want to add more).
5. **Finish and return to BankSync** — When the provider window completes, it closes and returns you to BankSync. The connection is
   refreshed and a fresh sync begins.

> **Reconnecting from an existing-connection screen:** 'If you start a brand-new connection to a bank you already have, BankSync shows the "Existing Connections" screen. A connection that needs attention is marked "Requires re-authentication" there, with a "Reconnect" button. Connections that are healthy show "Add Accounts" instead. Picking "Reconnect" runs the same re-authentication flow described above.'

## Per-provider notes

The reconnect button is the same everywhere, but the window it opens differs by provider.

- **Plaid (US and Canada)** — When Plaid reports the connection needs a login, the bank shows "Reconnection needed". Reconnect
  reopens Plaid's window in update mode so you re-enter your credentials and any MFA. Your
  existing account selection is preserved, and the account picker is available if you want to add
  accounts at the same time.
- **Fiskil (Australia, CDR)** — A CDR consent has a fixed lifetime and lapses on expiry. Reconnect re-runs the CDR consent flow
  at your bank, granting a fresh consent. Because it is a re-consent, the bank asks you to select
  accounts again: tick every account you still want to share so it carries over.
- **SnapTrade (brokerages)** — A brokerage connection can go stale or degraded provider-side, where the last cached snapshot
  keeps being served but stops updating. Reconnect re-authorizes the brokerage session so live
  positions and balances refresh again.
- **Mid-flow prompts** — Some banks pause mid-flow for a multi-factor or consent confirmation ("Awaiting your action").
  Reconnect resumes that flow so you can complete the prompt and restore access.

> **Brokerage feeds can look healthy while stale:** A degraded brokerage connection may not show a hard error, yet its data stops refreshing. If a brokerage account's balances or holdings look frozen even though no error is flagged, reconnecting it forces a fresh authorization and a new pull. Reconnecting roughly every other day for the same brokerage is a sign the provider-side connection is degraded, which the team can escalate.

## Confirm it worked

You have reconnected successfully when:

- The amber "Reconnection needed" label is gone from the bank's card on the Banks page.
- The card again shows the normal connected state instead of the re-authentication banner.
- The accounts you had selected are still attached to the bank, with their existing history intact.
- A fresh sync runs and new data starts appearing in any feeds reading from that bank.

> **Force an immediate sync:** 'Reconnecting kicks off a refresh, but if you want new data right away you can trigger a sync from the feed that reads this bank. See "Managing feeds" for how to run a sync on demand and check the run log.'

## Troubleshooting

> **If reconnecting doesn't stick:** 'Provider window won\\'t open: confirm pop-ups aren\\'t blocked, then click Reconnect again. Still flagged after reconnecting: verify you can sign in directly on your bank\\'s own website, then reconnect and complete every verification step the provider asks for. Accounts missing after reconnect: open the bank and use "Reconnect / Add Accounts" to reopen the account picker and re-select them. Flag returns within a day or two (brokerage): the provider-side connection is likely degraded, not a credential problem; reconnect restores it temporarily and the team can escalate to the provider. Portal-owned bank: you\\'ll see "Managed by the client" and a "Copy portal link" button. Only the client can reconnect, so send them the portal link so they can reconnect from their Banks tab. Provider unavailable: if the bank shows a temporary provider issue, wait and let the scheduler retry rather than reconnecting repeatedly.'

[Manage your feeds](/docs/bank-feeds/managing-feeds)

## Related guides

- [Managing your open banking consents (UK and Europe)](/docs/connecting-banks/managing-psd2-consents): renewal for time-limited PSD2 and UK Open Banking consents.
- [Connect a bank](/docs/connecting-banks/connect-a-bank): how connections are first established for every provider.
- [Managing feeds](/docs/bank-feeds/managing-feeds): run syncs on demand and check the run log after reconnecting.
- [Removing a bank](/docs/connecting-banks/removing-a-bank): disconnect an institution you no longer want to keep reconnecting.
- [Client portals](/docs/client-portals/setup): how reconnection works for client-managed banks.