Moneydance+ and AMEX - Need to Configure/Setup Daily
I have recently been using Moneydance+ to download my American Express transactions (I used to use the OFX method). All previous OFX has been removed and cleaned up (using the Moneydance+ toolbox). When I configure the connection, it works for a day. When I try to download transactions any subsequent days, the download works but says no new transactions, even though there are new transactions showing on the AMEX website. I then disconnect AMEX from Moneydance+, use the Moneydance toolbox to "Cleanup missing online banking links", then, I reconfigure AMEX for Moneydance+. New transactions then download for the day; however, I need to go through this same process the next day. The rest of my accounts work fine; I only have this issue with AMEX. Can you please advise? Thank you!
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1 Posted by dtd on 23 Oct, 2022 06:29 PM
just a user - I don't know if this is your problem since you say the rest of your accounts work fine. I assume you are aware that MD+ can take 1-3 days to download transactions versus being almost immediate in OFX? (and different depending on the account)
Is it possible that this Amex through Plaid contact is closer to the 2-3 days range (especially on weekends) and if you just let it go, the transactions will eventually show up? Have you waited 2-4 days or are you always disconnecting and reconnecting? Is it possible that you are convincing yourself that doing so gets those transactions when they would actually eventually (maybe the day you reconnect) show up on their own?
Just a thought. There are many ways for it to go wrong, so this is just a thought that you give it 2-3 days for those transactions to show up versus constantly re-configuring. If after 2-4 days (especially if over a weekend) you don't get them, then you should come back and say so and folks will help you diagnose further.
2 Posted by Bryan on 24 Oct, 2022 11:17 AM
I understand what you are saying with Plaid sometimes being behind OFX. The steps listed below are performed at the same time on the same day, so, I know the "Plaid delay" is not the issue.
Also, I have tried "reconnecting" every time before going through the process above.
3 Posted by kwilson on 24 Oct, 2022 02:48 PM
I have this exact same problem and was just about to contact support for guidance. I can tell you it is not just a matter of needing to give it time. I've let it go weeks and never get an update for Amex transactions unless I completely disconnect the account and set it up from scratch. When I do that everything updates exactly one time and never again. And within a day or two I'm being prompted to revalidate the account. And when I do revalidate I still get no new transactions that I know are present.
4 Posted by jsblau on 12 Nov, 2022 05:18 PM
I have had the same experience as well. I contacted Plaid support, and they admitted that they only download transactions from Amex every 4-5 days. But I also had the issue where I need to revalidate my Amex account every couple of days.
I switched back to OFX downloads from Amex, which is working fine.
5 Posted by Bryan on 17 Nov, 2022 03:08 PM
This comment was split into a new private discussion: Moneydance+ and AMEX - Need to Configure/Setup Daily
Is anyone from Moneydance watching this thread? While I appreciate all the suggestions and feedback from fellow users, there is clearly a problem with Moneydance (I don't think it is Plaid).
Just to recap, I can download transactions from AMEX via Moneydance+ for only 1 day. Starting day 2, I never receive any new transactions, ever, until I disable and re-enable Moneydance+ for AMEX. I am 100% sure new transactions are on AMEX, and, 100% sure the transactions are in Plaid as they come in as soon as I reconfigure Moneydance+.
I am also receiving the following error and am not sure how to fix it.
There was an error communicating with your financial institution. The details of this error are below.
Bank Name: Moneydance+
The error code reported by the server was: 0
Error type: ITEM_ERROR
Error code: ITEM_NOT_FOUND
Item ID: <removed for security reasons>
Request ID: <removed for security reasons>
Message: The Item you requested cannot be found. This Item does not exist, has been previously removed via /item/remove, or has had access removed by the user.
I have been a very long-time user of Moneydance; however, am now looking for alternatives given the lack of response on this request.
6 Posted by Ken Wilson on 17 Nov, 2022 06:59 PM
I had the exact same problem. Finally decided not worth fighting it and switched back to OFX and transactions are flowing daily now, as I expect them to. The Plaid connection seems to work for my banks and investments so keeping it for now.
Ken
7 Posted by kwilson on 17 Nov, 2022 11:47 PM
I had the exact same problem. Finally decided not worth fighting it and switched back to OFX and transactions are flowing daily now, as I expect them to. The Plaid connection seems to work for my banks and investments so am keeping it for now.
Ken
8 Posted by jsblau on 18 Nov, 2022 12:44 PM
Bryan: yes, I had exactly this experience, multiple times, and I agree that Moneydance should look into this.
I opened a private discussion and the Moneydance staff did get back to me. Here's the instructions they gave me to fix the error. You use the Toolbox extension. Download it if you don't have it using the Extensions menu. Run the Toolbox and use the Toolbox Options menu at the top left: select Update Mode. Then click the Online Banking (OFX) Tools button. Under Update Functions select Cleanup Missing Online Banking Links. Click Proceed: it will delete the missing connection(s).
I had similar problems with a Citi credit card. Ultimately I switched my credit cards back to OFX downloading. Plaid is working for me now only for banks.
9 Posted by webyan on 18 Nov, 2022 04:38 PM
Just joining the conversation. I am also having the problem with AMEX where I need to re-link it with Plaid almost every time I try to download transactions. I get an alert window asking me if I want to re-link. I just reply "yes" and it takes me through the linking process again and then works for a day or two. I will try the Toolbox instructions and see if that helps. I use Moneydance+ for several other bank, investment and credit card accounts but only AMEX seems to require the constant refresh of the linking.
10 Posted by dtd on 19 Nov, 2022 04:43 AM
just a user
I use OFX exclusively if it works. It is better than MD+, and I honestly don't understand the "flee to MD+" concept if OFX is still working.
I do now have 13 accounts of 30 in MD+ due to Schwab and Chase, primarily.
Amex is problematic - I deliberately moved a couple of my Amex credit cards as a test to MD+, wow - not the best. It DOES work for me, but I get a lot of "refresh the connection messages".
My default is - all Amex credit cards are OFX, my Amex savings is MD+ (since it never supported OFX)
Result for me? Credit cards are spot on with OFX. The savings account (which never worked before with OFX) now works, but I get about 2/week requests for refresh - for me, it is a pain, but about 30 seconds to do the job.
Just my experience.
11 Posted by dtd on 21 Nov, 2022 12:43 AM
just a user - I've been playing with this issue, and may at least have a direction for some to pursue. If you are getting the ITEM-NOT_FOUND error, then record/copy the Item ID from that message. Open the Toolbox Extension, go to online banking tools, and click the item that ends with "very useful start here" (view online banking configuration) - don't redact, only you will see this.
Then click "find" option-f, then "paste" option-v (you did copy the item id already, right?)
you should be taken to that "item_not_found" item. For me, it was 'no name'. Given that, I moved to the next step (if you have a name with it, I'd be more careful)
BACKUP YOUR DATASET! There be wolves here, but Stuart is great at making it work right. Go to toolbox options at the top left, click on advanced mode. Go back to Online banking tools and click Force Disconnect an MD+ connection (Use With Care)
Be careful here in choosing items, but you should see a list of connections, and you can probably see the one you found earlier - for me it was easy as it said "no name" followed by the itemid. I then removed that item (with all the IAGREE stuff and so on)
FOR ME, that got rid of the Item Not Found error, and I haven't had to renew the Amex link since. Can't say much about transactions, as they've always worked for me, but this MAY help someone get past a couple of the errors, and then concentrate on whatever may still not be working.
I do not work for IK, nor do I vouch for what I've written, as I can only say I did it myself as I tested. Your mileage may vary - SO DO A BACKUP before you begin.
If you do NOT have an occasional ITEM_NOT_FOUND error, then the issue may be somewhere else.
Oh, and the advice "go back to OFX" is a good one - I only do Amex Savings with MD+ as OFX still works for Amex credit cards.
12 Posted by Stuart Beesley ... on 21 Nov, 2022 06:17 AM
PS. You need the latest signed toolbox for these instructions above. Currently only available from my site.
https://github.com/yogi1967/MoneydancePythonScripts/raw/master/sign...
13 Posted by Bryan on 21 Nov, 2022 12:44 PM
I sincerely appreciate all the help and suggestions from everyone. I switched back to OFX for AMEX awhile back; however, am working with Moneydance support on the issues with AMEX and Moneydance+. While OFX is working fine for me, most all of my other financial institutions have discontinued OFX support, so, I assume AMEX will do so sometime in the future as well. I'm just trying to prepare ;-)
As for the "Item Not Found" error, I will try the suggestion above using the updated toolbox.
Thanks so much again!
14 Posted by Bryan on 21 Nov, 2022 12:58 PM
@dtd and @Stuart Beesley thank you both for the suggestion and help. This resolved my ITEM NOT FOUND issue.
I will update this thread if we make progress with AMEX and Moneydance+.
15 Posted by Russell Haddock on 10 Feb, 2023 06:51 PM
Any updates on this? I started having the same problem with Amex recently.
16 Posted by Bryan on 10 Feb, 2023 07:26 PM
Russell,
No progress nor updates from my end. I am still leveraging OFX for AMEX.
Best,
Bryan
17 Posted by Ken Wilson on 10 Feb, 2023 07:37 PM
System closed this discussion on 12 May, 2023 07:40 PM.