Digit grabs $2.5M to save you money without you noticing

Saving money is so hard that banks have even created automatic to force you to transfer money into your savings account every month.

Digit, a free service working to come out of beta next quarter, says it can go one better: It uses your spending history and habits to help you save money without you even noticing. The startup has raised $2.5 million in seed funding, it announced today.

By looking at your checking account’s spending patterns, Digit figures out when and how much to pull out of your bank account into your Digit account. And it does so only when you can afford it, so don’t worry if one day you spend a bit too much at the bar or splurge on a fancy purse — Digit will know not to touch your account that day.

It’s a bit like personal finance management apps like Mint.com that tell you about your spending habits, but it takes care of putting the money away too.

Along with the weekly updates on your savings that Digit sends you via text message, you can also ask it to transfer money back to your checking account whenever you need it by sending a message to Digit’s number. Using text messaging means Digit takes advantage of one of young people’s existing smartphone habits.

The team is, however, thinking of possibly building an app to make the signup process and account dashboard more convenient on mobile, cofounder and CEO Ethan Bloch told VentureBeat via email.

As for making money, Digit isn’t charging a dime to its users. Instead, it keeps the interest users earn while storing their money at Digit’s partner commercial banks, such as Wells Fargo. Users’ accounts are FDIC insured for up to $250,000.

Baseline Ventures led Digit’s seed round, with Freestyle Capital, Upside Partnership, Google Ventures, Operative Capital, Garry Tan, Alexis Ohanian, Aaron Harris, Rick Berry, Nate Bosshard, Eric Ries, Joshua Greenough, Randy Reddig, Eoghan McCabe, and Ted Rheingold also chipping in.

Digit was founded in 2013 by Bloch, Michael Murray, Todd Larsen, and Chris Wilson, and is based in San Francisco.