diff --git a/client/components/admin/BankSyncAdminCard.tsx b/client/components/admin/BankSyncAdminCard.tsx
index 65dbee2..53f3182 100644
--- a/client/components/admin/BankSyncAdminCard.tsx
+++ b/client/components/admin/BankSyncAdminCard.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ interface BankSyncConfig {
   seed_days?: number;
   worker?: BankSyncWorker;
   encryption_key_source?: string;
+  key_fingerprint?: string | null;
 }
 
 function timeAgo(iso: string | null | undefined): string | null {
@@ -293,6 +294,17 @@ export default function BankSyncAdminCard() {
           Regular database backups preserve all user connections.
         </p>
 
+        {config?.key_fingerprint && (
+          <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+            Active key fingerprint{' '}
+            <code className="font-mono text-foreground">{config.key_fingerprint}</code>
+            {' '}— a one-way check of the current key (never the key itself). Keep your{' '}
+            <code className="font-mono">TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY</code> in a password manager; this fingerprint lets you
+            confirm a running instance matches the key you saved, and spot an accidental key change (which would make
+            existing secrets unrecoverable).
+          </p>
+        )}
+
         <div className="flex justify-end">
           <Button onClick={handleSave} disabled={saving || !changed}>
             {saving ? 'Saving…' : 'Save'}
diff --git a/routes/admin.js b/routes/admin.js
index 70e3a1f..6160841 100644
--- a/routes/admin.js
+++ b/routes/admin.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ const router  = express.Router();
 const { getDb, rollbackMigration } = require('../db/database');
 const { getBankSyncConfig, setBankSyncEnabled, setSyncIntervalHours, setSyncDays, setDebugLogging } = require('../services/bankSyncConfigService');
 const { getStatus: getBankSyncWorkerStatus } = require('../services/bankSyncWorker');
-const { isEnvKeyActive } = require('../services/encryptionService');
+const { isEnvKeyActive, keyFingerprint } = require('../services/encryptionService');
 const { hashPassword } = require('../services/authService');
 const { logAudit } = require('../services/auditService');
 const {
@@ -440,7 +440,7 @@ router.put('/auth-mode', (req, res) => {
 
 // GET /api/admin/bank-sync-config
 router.get('/bank-sync-config', (req, res) => {
-  res.json({ ...getBankSyncConfig(), worker: getBankSyncWorkerStatus(), encryption_key_source: isEnvKeyActive() ? 'env' : 'db' });
+  res.json({ ...getBankSyncConfig(), worker: getBankSyncWorkerStatus(), encryption_key_source: isEnvKeyActive() ? 'env' : 'db', key_fingerprint: keyFingerprint() });
 });
 
 // PUT /api/admin/bank-sync-config
diff --git a/services/encryptionService.js b/services/encryptionService.js
index 770ef3b..fe4250b 100644
--- a/services/encryptionService.js
+++ b/services/encryptionService.js
@@ -46,6 +46,27 @@ function isEnvKeyActive() {
   return !!process.env.TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY?.trim();
 }
 
+// A non-reversible fingerprint of the ACTIVE key (env if set, else the stored DB
+// key). Lets an operator verify which key is live and that a saved backup
+// matches — without ever exposing the key. Domain-separated so it shares nothing
+// with the cipher key derivation, and it never force-creates a key (returns null
+// when none exists yet). A 16-hex prefix of SHA-256 over a 48-byte random key is
+// not reversible or guessable.
+function keyFingerprint() {
+  let ikm = getEnvIkm();
+  if (!ikm) {
+    const { getSetting } = require('../db/database');
+    const stored = getSetting('_auto_encryption_key');
+    if (!stored) return null;
+    ikm = Buffer.from(stored, 'utf8');
+  }
+  return crypto.createHash('sha256')
+    .update('bill-tracker-key-fingerprint-v1')
+    .update(ikm)
+    .digest('hex')
+    .slice(0, 16);
+}
+
 // No-op kept for call-site compatibility.
 function assertEncryptionReady() {}
 
@@ -158,4 +179,4 @@ function reEncryptWithEnvKey(db) {
   }
 }
 
-module.exports = { assertEncryptionReady, encryptSecret, decryptSecret, isEnvKeyActive, reEncryptWithEnvKey };
+module.exports = { assertEncryptionReady, encryptSecret, decryptSecret, isEnvKeyActive, keyFingerprint, reEncryptWithEnvKey };
diff --git a/tests/encryptionService.test.js b/tests/encryptionService.test.js
index 326c974..2991bad 100644
--- a/tests/encryptionService.test.js
+++ b/tests/encryptionService.test.js
@@ -97,3 +97,31 @@ test('reEncryptWithEnvKey migrates db-key secrets to env-key, decrypts, and is i
   enc.reEncryptWithEnvKey(db);
   assert.equal(getSetting('notify_smtp_password'), migrated, 'second run is a no-op for e2: values');
 });
+
+test('keyFingerprint: stable per key, differs by key, and never reveals the key', () => {
+  const rawEnv = 'env-fingerprint-key-material-1234567890';
+
+  // DB-key mode fingerprint (env unset)
+  delete process.env.TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY;
+  const dbFp1 = enc.keyFingerprint();
+  const dbFp2 = enc.keyFingerprint();
+  assert.equal(dbFp1, dbFp2, 'db-key fingerprint is stable across calls');
+  assert.match(dbFp1, /^[0-9a-f]{16}$/, 'fingerprint is a 16-hex prefix');
+
+  // Env-key mode fingerprint
+  process.env.TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY = rawEnv;
+  const envFp = enc.keyFingerprint();
+  assert.match(envFp, /^[0-9a-f]{16}$/);
+  assert.notEqual(envFp, dbFp1, 'env-key fingerprint differs from db-key fingerprint');
+
+  // A different env key yields a different fingerprint (change detection)
+  process.env.TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY = rawEnv + '-changed';
+  assert.notEqual(enc.keyFingerprint(), envFp, 'changing the key changes the fingerprint');
+
+  // The fingerprint must not be reversible/contain the key
+  process.env.TOKEN_ENCRYPTION_KEY = rawEnv;
+  const fp = enc.keyFingerprint();
+  assert.ok(!rawEnv.includes(fp) && !fp.includes(rawEnv), 'fingerprint does not embed the key');
+  // It is NOT a plain sha256 of the key (domain-separated), so it can't be recomputed without the label
+  assert.notEqual(fp, crypto.createHash('sha256').update(Buffer.from(rawEnv, 'utf8')).digest('hex').slice(0, 16));
+});