diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 60d732f..9748015 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -9,6 +9,19 @@ Tells when datapoint has been created.
 `<day>` should be the day of the month or `^` for today.  Multiple `^` (e.g. 
 `^^` for yesterday) are not supported.  
 
+### Configuration File
+The username and API key to be used for the transaction
+should be stored in a configuration file, `~/.beeminder` by default.
+The format should be a shell script which puts the credentials in the variables
+`key`, and `user`.
+e.g.
+```
+# ~/.beeminder
+------
+user='some_user_name'
+key='Jqt6szDj5WJfm2YyBANU'
+```
+
 ### Viewing goal status
 ```
 > bee <goal>
@@ -21,9 +34,10 @@ Exit status | Meaning
 ----------: | :---------
 0           | Everything went properly
 1           | Goal not found
-2           | Invalid day argument
-3           | Datum is not a number
-4           | Wrong number of arguments
+2           | Configuration file not found
+3           | Invalid day argument
+4           | Datum is not a number
+5           | Wrong number of arguments
 
 Errors are checked in descending order, so if multiple errors exist, the largest
 exit status takes precedence.  
diff --git a/bee b/bee
index f112182..c53664d 100755
--- a/bee
+++ b/bee
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 #! /bin/bash
 
 base='https://www.beeminder.com/api/v1/'
-# user=''
-# key=''
 
 goal=$1
 date=$2
@@ -14,7 +12,7 @@ function check_data() {
 if [[ ! $data =~ ^-?[0-9]+(\.[0-9]+)?$ ]]
 then
     echo "data must be a number" >&2
-    exit 3
+    exit 4
 fi
 }
 
@@ -39,7 +37,7 @@ else
     if [[ $? != 0 ]]
     then
         # invalid date
-        exit 2
+        exit 3
     fi
 fi
 }
@@ -69,23 +67,35 @@ function goal_status() {
 curl -s "${base}users/${user}/goals/${goal}.json?auth_token=${key}" |sed 's/^.*\"headsum\":\"\([^"]*\)\".*$/\1\n/'
 }
 
+function get_credentials() {
+    if [[ -e ~/.beeminder ]]
+    then
+        . ~/.beeminder
+    else
+        echo "Credential file ~/.beeminder not found" >&2
+        exit 2
+    fi
+}
+
 case $# in
     3|4 )
         # submit data point
         check_data 
         process_date 
+        get_credentials
         check_goal 
         submit 
         exit 0    
     ;;
     1 )
         # get goal status
+        get_credentials
         check_goal
         goal_status
     ;;
     * )
         # wrong number of arguments
         echo "Usage: $(basename $0) <goal> <day> <datum> [comment]" >&2
-        exit 4
+        exit 5
     ;;
 esac