Avoiding duplication of entries using Quicken for Mac 2018 from one Mac device to another

Julie139

I have a client who spends half the year in Germany. He makes entries into his Quicken while there. He has decided he wants me to be able to download account information from his bank into Quicken 2018 for Mac on the MacBook he leaves in his office in the US. Then, when he returns to the states, he wants to enter the data from his MacBook to the one I use. I understand you can move/migrate data from one device to another. I want to make sure, though, that entries that have either been manually entered or downloaded from his bank will not duplicate entries on the second device. Does that make sense? Are there any experts out there that have experienced this?

John_in_NC

What you are attempting to do is not as simple as it sounds and it may not be a workable situation.

The problem you are going to run in to is that you can't just move transactions from one file to another in the manner it sounds like you wish to do. You can export the file from the computer that was in German into a Quicken Transfer File format (QXF), and import that into the file that stayed home, However, you will get a duplication of all accounts and transactions.

If you manually enter and download from a bank, yes, Quicken will attempt to match the transactions so you don't get the duplicates. But, since you are not downloading, but importing a transfer file, no matching will occur.

There is Quicken mobile that in theory would allow your client to enter transactions. But, I have found mobile less than reliable. Moreover, I don't know if the Quicken servers will balk at seeing IP addresses from abroad. Perhaps somebody who travels internationally and uses Mobile can chime in on that.

Julie139

John in NC said:

What you are attempting to do is not as simple as it sounds and it may not be a workable situation.

The problem you are going to run in to is that you can't just move transactions from one file to another in the manner it sounds like you wish to do. You can export the file from the computer that was in German into a Quicken Transfer File format (QXF), and import that into the file that stayed home, However, you will get a duplication of all accounts and transactions.

If you manually enter and download from a bank, yes, Quicken will attempt to match the transactions so you don't get the duplicates. But, since you are not downloading, but importing a transfer file, no matching will occur.

There is Quicken mobile that in theory would allow your client to enter transactions. But, I have found mobile less than reliable. Moreover, I don't know if the Quicken servers will balk at seeing IP addresses from abroad. Perhaps somebody who travels internationally and uses Mobile can chime in on that.

Thanks for your
response, John. So, if I manage the monthly bank downloads on the computer in
the US, then do an export/import of those files to the computer from Germany, anything
he's entered manually will be duplicated.  Do I understand
correctly? 



This is what I'm trying to avoid.  Even
though he is well intentioned and plans to download his bank and Visa
transactions every month to his Quicken, he forgets.  When he returns from Germany we are missing 6
or 7 months of data, which then has to be manually entered from statements and
receipts.  It's a laborious, time
consuming task. I think there must be a better way.

 I'd like to manage the
downloads in the US, and since the primary account that we're dealing with is
his Visa I believe it would be possible to export his Visa records to a drive
or Dropbox and then import them into his Quicken when he returns from Germany
without running into duplication if he simply doesn't enter anything in that
account while he's out of the country.  Does
that sound like it would be a feasible fix to our predicament?  Or do you have another suggestions?

 Thanks!

John_in_NC

John in NC said:

What you are attempting to do is not as simple as it sounds and it may not be a workable situation.

The problem you are going to run in to is that you can't just move transactions from one file to another in the manner it sounds like you wish to do. You can export the file from the computer that was in German into a Quicken Transfer File format (QXF), and import that into the file that stayed home, However, you will get a duplication of all accounts and transactions.

If you manually enter and download from a bank, yes, Quicken will attempt to match the transactions so you don't get the duplicates. But, since you are not downloading, but importing a transfer file, no matching will occur.

There is Quicken mobile that in theory would allow your client to enter transactions. But, I have found mobile less than reliable. Moreover, I don't know if the Quicken servers will balk at seeing IP addresses from abroad. Perhaps somebody who travels internationally and uses Mobile can chime in on that.

You are understanding me correctly. You are merging files and not importing transactions. Hence why you will get duplicates.

Alternatively, I would find out if the banks he deals with provide a manual "Web Connect" (QFX file, note this is NOT the QXF file I mentioned above-completely different thing). If so, great: you download the transaction file manually from the website and import them into a Quicken file on the US machine. That will keep you up to date. Now, SAVE those QFX files, so when he returns, you simply import them into his file from Germany. 

In other words, the file you are using is somewhat temporary so you can keep up. But, you will have the transactions in a format you can easily import into his file upon return.

It certainly is a manual process, but if you are only doing it once a month, it shouldn't be bad. Also, once you link the QFX files to the correct account(s), you can drag in multiple at once and they will all go into the correct accounts. You don't have to import one at a time.

smayer97

John in NC said:

What you are attempting to do is not as simple as it sounds and it may not be a workable situation.

The problem you are going to run in to is that you can't just move transactions from one file to another in the manner it sounds like you wish to do. You can export the file from the computer that was in German into a Quicken Transfer File format (QXF), and import that into the file that stayed home, However, you will get a duplication of all accounts and transactions.

If you manually enter and download from a bank, yes, Quicken will attempt to match the transactions so you don't get the duplicates. But, since you are not downloading, but importing a transfer file, no matching will occur.

There is Quicken mobile that in theory would allow your client to enter transactions. But, I have found mobile less than reliable. Moreover, I don't know if the Quicken servers will balk at seeing IP addresses from abroad. Perhaps somebody who travels internationally and uses Mobile can chime in on that.

Of course, doing that, if you are reconciling the accounts in one data file, you will have to repeat the process in the other.

Though the following feature would not solve all problems it would help if it was available. You can add your VOTE to Add Ability to Select Content of QXF File for Export.

First, click on the underlined link above to go there, then click VOTE at the top of THAT page, so your will vote count for THIS feature and increase its visibility to the developers by seeking to have the features you need or desire end up in the latest version.

This idea will eventually be added to the List of Requests for Data and File Management Features. Click on the underlined link, then click FOLLOW at the top of the page so you can be notified of any new related IDEAS to which you could add your vote when they are added. Your VOTES matter!

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