Request that check images also be automatically downloaded and attached to transactions

Quicken Community

It would be great if the images that are associated with cleared checks were also automatically downloaded and attached to the transaction in Quicken.  That would help speed up my accounting process greatly.

mshiggins

Thanks for the suggestion.

NotACPA

GOD NO!!!  Unless it's an option that must be turned ON to receive it.  I don't want all of that clutter in my Q data file.

Also note, that such would require a fair amount of work by the banks ... so it's not apparent why THEY would want to do so.  Nor what the banks would charge for such a service.

Unknown

Even if it were limited to local/atm deposits, the images of the checks deposited would be very helpful.

Unknown

Yes. I agree. Great idea! Optional (on/off). Simple bank-image jpg downloaded with the Check # transaction, attached to the transaction, would be REALLY nice.  Understandably - this is new territory for banks and Quicken.  Nice enhanced feature though.  What do you say, Q?

Patrick

I agree. Being able to view check images from the Quicken register would save me lots of time manually reconciling the Payee from my Bank's online website.

NotACPA

And to all who like this idea ... why can't you just scan and attach the check before you send it?

Do you expect that your bank would provide BOTH the front and the back of the check ... thus doubling the size of the download?

Unknown

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

Unknown

[rant redacted]

As to the original op's question..."would help to speed up my accounting process".  I fail to see how having the images of cancelled checks speeds up ANYTHING in the accounting process.

Isn't that why banks have stopped mailing you cancelled checks in the first place?  Because it accomplishes nothing in the accounting process.

You write a check...it gets cashed.  You download the transaction into Quicken or manually enter it.

Every month you reconcile your account.  

Please tell me where an image of a cancelled check even comes into play here?  Every check that clears is on your statement.  In the case of manual entry, I can see where you might have skipped entering a transaction into Quicken (akin to not entering it into a paper register).  Then, and only then, would you might have to see the check.

But in the day of online banking and downloading transactions into Quicken, I can honestly say I would have ZERO use for that feature.  

NotACPA

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

So, why can't you scan the check before you send it?

And, you're neglecting that there's no provision in the OFX/QFX specification for downloading images ... and that EVERY bank that provides downloads using those specs would have to agree to the change.

Unknown

[removed]

If this feature is not useful to you, please contribute something constructive on another "idea" thread. 

[removed]

My wife uses her checkbook and writes checks that I don't catch for a month or two later. I'd like to see the check when it is posted.  She's away and I don't have the recording of the check. [removed] 

I could come up with other scenarios.  It's called an idea for some enhanced features.  We may not see it today, but maybe in the future.  If I can snap a picture and make a remote deposit today, what's the diff.?  None.  It's called convenience. Thank you.

Unknown

You know something?  I'm not here to argue. If this feature is not useful to you, please contribute something constructive on another "idea" thread. This is how life becomes better.  A suggestion today MIGHT make this easier for all in the future.  My wife uses her checkbook and writes checks that I don't catch for a month or two later. I'd like to see the check when it is posted.  She's away and I don't have the recording of the check.  OK?  I could come up with other scenarios.  It's called an idea for some enhanced features.  We may not see it today, but maybe in the future.  If I can snap a picture and make a remote deposit today, what's the diff.?  None.  It's called convenience. Thank you.

Hi Steve,
Thanks for your comments on this. Like you--and I suspect many others--the wife and perhaps other family members write a bunch of checks, and I do the QW.  Our bank (BofA) added a feature that could have been helpful, but even that doesn't work with Express Web Connect, though it does with plain Web Connect. I'll post a topic on that tonight. Gotta run.  Thanks again.
Chris

smayer97

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

The difference is that the ones by the FI show info o f the clearing of them AND captures what the banks see...Very useful for all kinds of reasons, including legal ones...

And I have had cheques altered before processing...ones own scans cannot capture this.

Quicken can now download statements, not part of the OFX/QFX spec...and nothing to do with this...So it is reasonable to request this... 

BTW, not saying I have a particularly high interested in the feature but do see how it would be useful.

NotACPA

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

ones own scans cannot capture this.

Very simply addressed.  If the downloaded transaction differs from the amount that you originally recorded in Q, then go to the bank's website and manually download the image then. 

Additional, unneeded, downloads of images simply cause file bloat.

smayer97

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

Same procedure and argument can be made for account statements...yet Quicken handles those, however questionable.

There is no need to argue the request for this feature. That should be Quicken to decide if they want to include it.

Unknown

And to all who like this idea ... why can't you just scan and attach the check before you send it?

Do you expect that your bank would provide BOTH the front and the back of the check ... thus doubling the size of the download?

the whole point of this idea is to minimize my time spent on this... scanning the checks my self would be more work than just using the banks website... your solution is worse than the current workaround. [removed]

NotACPA

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

if your main complaint is storage you need to step out of the 80s

My objection is NOT about storage ... it's about file bloat and it's documented impact on one's usage of Quicken.  AND the questionable usefulness of the image download since those images can ONLY be viewed from within Q, using Q's Viewer.

Same procedure and argument can be made for account statements...yet Quicken handles those, however questionable.

Would you care to describe how Q downloads STATEMENTS ... as opposed to downloading the transaction n those statements or attaching statements that you've downloaded outside of Q?

Unknown

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

I would buy quicken only if it has the feature proposal here which actually i was searching for!  I do not know why banks do not offer this. Yes you can download image one at a time but that is ridiculously  tedious. 

jacobs

Black and white (gray) 8-bit images at maybe 100 dpi tops the size of a check, fronts and backs, are tiny in Kb.  The bank already scans them now. They have the images. They provide the images with bank statements. Make them downloadable.  Maybe even Deposit Slips too on/for your account - also scanned nowadays.  And of course... an option to enable, or not. But an option nonetheless.

You said the key thing, Eric: it is the banks who would have to offer this. It's not a feature Quicken can add, because there is no standard in banking for formatting and downloading check images (as there are for downloading transaction data).  It seems highly unlikely that thousands of banks will come together to create and implement such a standard and process, especially as check volume continues to decline year after year as people pay more of their bills online.

And transmitting those images, which it doesn't seem like a lot of data for a single user, would require a LOT of extra bandwidth usage by banks if they were downloading millions of checks images.

Snowman

This is a bad idea.  One, it would introduce an unnecessary complication into Quicken which it does not need, Two, the bloat this would add to Quicken and the Quicken file are unacceptable, Three there would have to coordination between EACH AND EVERY bank and Quicken as to what standard to us...  No Thanks.

Suggestion:  WHY not just sign on to your banks web site and look up and copy if needed the copy of the check that you might need?

RCinNJ

This is a bad idea.  One, it would introduce an unnecessary complication into Quicken which it does not need, Two, the bloat this would add to Quicken and the Quicken file are unacceptable, Three there would have to coordination between EACH AND EVERY bank and Quicken as to what standard to us...  No Thanks.

Suggestion:  WHY not just sign on to your banks web site and look up and copy if needed the copy of the check that you might need?

I agree. Anything that adds bloat to the files (from all the pdf's attached) with little or no additional functionality is IMHO a poor choice. 

smayer97

This is a bad idea.  One, it would introduce an unnecessary complication into Quicken which it does not need, Two, the bloat this would add to Quicken and the Quicken file are unacceptable, Three there would have to coordination between EACH AND EVERY bank and Quicken as to what standard to us...  No Thanks.

Suggestion:  WHY not just sign on to your banks web site and look up and copy if needed the copy of the check that you might need?

[removed]

And the more I think about it, though I do not like the idea of the bloat nor the risk of having such important docs trapped within Quicken, this could be useful strictly as a fetching service, saving the trouble of having to go through the multiple steps to track down and download those images manually. Then one could simply save the attachment outside Quicken.  That could be useful.

(If you find this reply helpful, please be sure to click "Like", so others will know, thanks.)

Snowman

This is a bad idea.  One, it would introduce an unnecessary complication into Quicken which it does not need, Two, the bloat this would add to Quicken and the Quicken file are unacceptable, Three there would have to coordination between EACH AND EVERY bank and Quicken as to what standard to us...  No Thanks.

Suggestion:  WHY not just sign on to your banks web site and look up and copy if needed the copy of the check that you might need?

[removed off-topic]
What if at some future point Quicken decides not to support it OR what if it stops working WHO KNOWS when it will be fixed.

Quicken_Tyka

Hello All,

 This Idea seems to have fallen stagnant and due to the Age of the request and lack of User Votes/Comments, will be archived within the next 7 business days.

 If you would like to see this Idea kept alive and considered for possible future implementation in Quicken, be sure to Add your Vote and a comment explaining how this Idea would be beneficial for you.

More information, including steps to vote and how to submit your own Ideas for future product features/improvements, is also available here.

 Thank you,

 Quicken Community Support Team

Rocket J Squirrel

NotACPA said:

And to all who like this idea ... why can't you just scan and attach the check before you send it?

Do you expect that your bank would provide BOTH the front and the back of the check ... thus doubling the size of the download?

Yes. For me, the point of the check image is to have both sides, showing the payee cashed the check. Bank of America provides both images on its site.

But I'm not going to vote for this idea. It is only rarely that I need a check image.

Geriler

I would absolutely welcome this idea, but appreciate the observations that it should be available as an option and not automatically apply to all downloads. Everyone's situation is different and here is mine:

Over the past few years, I became the primary caregiver for my mother - it also fell to me to take care of her finances.

I had used Quicken for Windows for years but had no experience with Macs and had my hands full with my mother’s care.

I was doing well to get things paid - mostly from her bank’s BillPay. Downloading to Quicken just wasn’t on my radar on a regular basis.

She passed away and now I am trying to catch up. The downloaded transactions have minimal information, so I am trying to fill in the blanks, which means looking at each check and deposit slip image on the bank website.

It would be so helpful if I could opt to download transactions with any available images. As some have mentioned - the images are already on the bank website - seems like it would be fairly straightforward.

jacobs

Geriler said:

It would be so helpful if I could opt to download transactions with any available images. As some have mentioned - the images are already on the bank website - seems like it would be fairly straightforward.

Your usage case makes perfect sense. The issue is that is actually is not straightforward to add this functionality.

There is a standard that all banks and Quicken use for downloading transaction data. There is no such standard for downloading check images. So Quicken would need to try to develop this with each individual bank and there are thousands of them, each doing it somewhat differently. That seems to be a nearly impossible task. Additionally, this would add a lot more data transfer to banks' servers, and it's questionable whether banks would provide this service for free. 

Geriler

Thank you for the reply! That makes sense and helps me understand it more, even though I was hoping for another answer. =)