Categories not assigned properly after import
I'm using the latest version of MD 2011, as I downloaded it yesterday (I'm using linux).
I had imported some statements from Discover into my MD registry, so I then proceeded to change the categories of transactions. I then imported more months of statements from Discover and it rarely got any category matching correct, and most of the time it picked my default category for the new transactions. Many of the transaction names I imported were identical to previously imported names, so they should have matched exactly and the proper category should have been applied to it.
The Discover Card format I downloaded? I first tried .qfx, and then tried .ofx. They both did not apply categories properly.
I thought the category matching was improved in this release? Is there something I am missing here?
Thanks,
Chris
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1 Posted by Ben Spencer on 22 May, 2011 09:06 PM
From your description of what happened it certainly sounds like some of the categories should have been automatically set on the second import. With out seeing the data file and watching the import happen in a debugger I can't say for certain why a sufficient match was not found. Could you show me some screen shots of the transactions you were expecting to get categorized?
Ben Spencer
2 Posted by -Kevin N. on 22 May, 2011 09:44 PM
Hi Chris,
File > Preferences > Network tab, make sure there is a checkmark next to 'Automatically Merge Downloaded Transactions'
It sounds like you are downloading QFX or OFX files and manually importing them. Do you have any better results connecting to Discover through direct connect?
HTH -Kevin N.
3 Posted by james f on 22 May, 2011 10:40 PM
I've been using Moneydance since 2002 and have always Manually Merged my downloaded transactions. I manually merge by date -> description -> category -> amount. Never once does my category field change from what I had in there before the merge.
As you can tell, I use the Merge option, not the Confirm option.
4 Posted by Chris Murphy on 24 May, 2011 12:48 AM
Thanks for the responses. I am attaching a screen-shot. So I wouldn't have to show all my transactions, I used the filter box to list only subway transactions. You can see that all previous transactions from Jan. through Sept. 2010 were assigned to "Personal: Restaurant" (because I did that).
The imports I made from Oct. through Dec. used my default category (which at this point is "ATM Withdrawal") instead of choosing Restaurant, even though the description was identical.
Yes, I am manually importing these. I did not try Discover direct connect since doesn't that require a fee by most banks? Plus, why wouldn't manually importing these work?
"Subway" is just one example, by the way. There are a few transactions that are correct, but most categories do not fill correctly to the same previous transactions.
Thanks,
Chris
5 Posted by -Kevin N. on 24 May, 2011 01:17 AM
Hi Chris,
Look to File > Preferences > Network tab. At the bottom of the tab is the setting to 'Only match downloaded transactions when they are at most "X" days apart. The highest number for "X" is 90. Since the txns that you are downloading / importing are from 2010, it may be possible that this is a time frame issue. These txns may to too far in the past for Moneydance to match them.
This setting instructs Moneydance to 'Learn' your prior category entries so that it can automatically enter them for downloaded / imported txns. Without checking this option, Moneydance will offer the default Category.
Discover does not charge a fee for direct connect... yet.
HTH -Kevin N.
6 Posted by Chris Murphy on 25 May, 2011 03:56 AM
Well, I created a whole new MD file from scratch. I set the checkmark to "Automatically merge downloaded transactions" and the "X" for days apart to 90.
I created a Discover Card account, then imported my Discover statement from March, manually set some categories, then imported the April statement, and it filled in all of April's transaction categories with my default category.
Does anyone else see this type of issue?
-Chris
7 Posted by Ben Spencer on 25 May, 2011 05:01 PM
Looking at the screenshot in your earlier post I see that none of the prior subway transactions have been confirmed. If I recall correctly there was a change in MD2011 such that it only uses confirmed transactions as the source list for applying categories on import. If you confirm the transactions in your register before proceeding with the next download/import they categories should get auto applied.
Ben Spencer
Moneydance Support
8 Posted by Chris Murphy on 26 May, 2011 12:32 AM
Ben,
That got it working! I 'cleared' the transactions I had manually assigned the proper categories too, and then importing other statements worked properly as far as categorizing goes.
So it didn't have anything to do with the dates (my imports back to 10/2010 worked). One thing I wasn't clear on, however: How is "clearing" different from "confirming"? I noticed I could "confirm" multiple transactions when highlighted, but "clearing" produces the green check mark (meaning that I reviewed it, I guess).
Did you intend to say that the "confirming" was required to get category matching working, or rather the "clearing"?
I guess I could read the manual too!
-Chris
9 Posted by Angie Rauscher on 26 May, 2011 05:33 PM
Chris,
Confirming transactions "tells" Moneydance that these transactions have been processed, and that you have applied the desired category and other information to them. Clearing transactions is similar to balancing your checkbook- it means these transactions have been received by your bank, and that you have cross-referenced them with your records. You can find more instructions on clearing/reconciling accounts in the Moneydance 2011 help documentation, which is located here. Thanks for using Moneydance, and please let me know if I can be of further assistance,
Angie Rauscher
Moneydance Support
System closed this discussion on 31 Mar, 2015 03:33 PM.