diff --git a/backend/src/receipt-import/receipt-import.service.ts b/backend/src/receipt-import/receipt-import.service.ts
index 993a430e..c19eb569 100644
--- a/backend/src/receipt-import/receipt-import.service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/receipt-import/receipt-import.service.ts
@@ -260,7 +260,28 @@ export class ReceiptImportService {
           .filter((v): v is string => typeof v === 'string' && v.trim().length > 0)
           .join(' ');
 
+        const trace: string[] = [];
+        const traceEnabled = this.shouldTraceDecision(signalText || item.rawName);
+        const pushTrace = (msg: string) => {
+          if (traceEnabled) trace.push(msg);
+        };
+
+        pushTrace(`start raw="${item.rawName}" signal="${signalText || item.rawName}"`);
+        pushTrace(
+          `match matchedProductId=${item.matchedProductId ?? 'null'} suggestedProductId=${item.suggestedProductId ?? 'null'}`,
+        );
+        if (item.categorySuggestion) {
+          pushTrace(
+            `incoming category="${item.categorySuggestion.path}" confidence=${item.categorySuggestion.confidence} fallback=${item.categorySuggestion.usedFallback}`,
+          );
+        }
+
         const byRule = this.ruleBasedCategorySuggestion(signalText || item.rawName, categories);
+        if (byRule) {
+          pushTrace(`rule hit -> "${byRule.path}" (${byRule.confidence})`);
+        } else {
+          pushTrace('rule miss');
+        }
         let nextSuggestion = item.categorySuggestion ?? null;
 
         const isTrustedSuggestion =
@@ -272,6 +293,7 @@ export class ReceiptImportService {
             nextSuggestion != null && nextSuggestion.categoryId === byRule.categoryId;
           if (!sameAsCurrent && (!isTrustedSuggestion || nextSuggestion == null)) {
             nextSuggestion = byRule;
+            pushTrace(`rule applied -> "${byRule.path}"`);
           }
 
           // Om regler säger en annan kategori än ett redan "trusted" förslag,
@@ -281,30 +303,66 @@ export class ReceiptImportService {
               `Rule-override: "${item.rawName}" ändras från "${nextSuggestion?.path}" till "${byRule.path}"`,
             );
             nextSuggestion = byRule;
+            pushTrace(`rule override trusted -> "${byRule.path}"`);
           }
         } else if (!nextSuggestion && byRule) {
           nextSuggestion = byRule;
+          pushTrace(`rule fallback applied -> "${byRule.path}"`);
         }
 
         // AI används som fallback när varken matchning eller regler satte kategori
         if (!nextSuggestion) {
+          pushTrace('ai invoked');
           nextSuggestion = await this.aiService.suggestCategory(item.rawName, categories);
+          pushTrace(`ai result -> "${nextSuggestion.path}" (${nextSuggestion.confidence})`);
+        } else {
+          pushTrace(`ai skipped, current -> "${nextSuggestion.path}"`);
         }
 
+        const beforeGuardPath = nextSuggestion?.path;
         const guardedSuggestion = nextSuggestion
           ? this.applyContradictionGuard(signalText || item.rawName, nextSuggestion, categories)
           : null;
+        if (guardedSuggestion && beforeGuardPath !== guardedSuggestion.path) {
+          pushTrace(`contradiction guard remap "${beforeGuardPath}" -> "${guardedSuggestion.path}"`);
+        }
 
+        const beforeHardPath = guardedSuggestion?.path;
         const finalSuggestion = guardedSuggestion
           ? this.applyHardCategoryOverrides(signalText || item.rawName, guardedSuggestion, categories)
           : null;
+        if (finalSuggestion && beforeHardPath !== finalSuggestion.path) {
+          pushTrace(`hard override remap "${beforeHardPath}" -> "${finalSuggestion.path}"`);
+        }
+
+        if (finalSuggestion) {
+          pushTrace(`final -> "${finalSuggestion.path}" (${finalSuggestion.confidence})`);
+        } else {
+          pushTrace('final -> no categorySuggestion');
+        }
+
+        if (traceEnabled) {
+          this.logger.log(`[ReceiptDecision] ${trace.join(' | ')}`);
+        }
 
         enriched.push(
           finalSuggestion
             ? { ...item, categorySuggestion: finalSuggestion }
             : item,
         );
-      } catch {
+      } catch (err) {
+        const traceSignalText = [
+          item.rawName,
+          item.matchedProductName,
+          item.suggestedProductName,
+        ]
+          .filter((v): v is string => typeof v === 'string' && v.trim().length > 0)
+          .join(' ');
+        if (this.shouldTraceDecision(traceSignalText || item.rawName)) {
+          this.logger.warn(
+            `[ReceiptDecision] error raw="${item.rawName}" signal="${traceSignalText || item.rawName}" err=${String(err)}`,
+          );
+        }
         // Om AI-anrop misslyckas för enskild vara — hoppa över utan att kasta
         enriched.push(item);
       }
@@ -313,6 +371,22 @@ export class ReceiptImportService {
     return enriched;
   }
 
+  private shouldTraceDecision(signalText: string): boolean {
+    const envFlag = (process.env.RECEIPT_TRACE_DECISIONS ?? '').toLowerCase();
+    if (envFlag === '1' || envFlag === 'true' || envFlag === 'yes') {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    const normalized = normalizeForRules(signalText);
+    return (
+      /\bbacon\b/.test(normalized) ||
+      /\bbacn\b/.test(normalized) ||
+      /\bbaco\b/.test(normalized) ||
+      /\bsidflask\b/.test(normalized) ||
+      /\bpancetta\b/.test(normalized)
+    );
+  }
+
   private applyHardCategoryOverrides(
     signalText: string,
     suggestion: CategorySuggestion,