Daily Downloads with Direct Connect

lesliermm

My bank does NOT charge for direct connect unless you exceed 20 downloads a month. Quicken is connecting to the Quicken cloud daily even though I only connect one time a week. I do not use mobile sync. I do not have mobile banking on my iPhone, iPad or any other device.
Quicken says it is Union Bank's fault and Union Bank says it is the Quicken software requesting the information daily at the same time everyday from a Windows platform. I use a Mac computer and have for 15 years so it's not me.

Since there is a daily connection to the cloud I am being charged a monthly fee because of the excess usage.

Is there a fix for this?
I have tried calling Quicken and have gotten no where.

Chris_QPW

I'm glad to hear that the problem is resolved.

Frankx

Hi @lesliermm,

Do you have any accounts with that bank that connect via "express web connect"?  If so, that could be the potential cause of the problem.

Let me know.

Frankx

NotACPA

Please verify that ALL of your accounts at your bank are "Direct Connect".

Express Web Connect method of downloading connects to your bank accounts every night and this could easily explain your "excess connections'.

lesliermm

Yes, all 3 of my accounts are direct connect. There is a checking, a savings and overdraft for the checking.

Frankx

What about credit card accounts - do you have downloading capabilities for any of those?

Frankx

lesliermm

Yes I do. My credit cards are mostly direct connect. With my American Express & American Savings Bank the only option is Quicken Connect.

lesliermm

Are you saying that even though Union Bank is Direct Connect if there are any other accounts with Quicken Connect, Quicken will log into my Union Bank account daily? The Quicken agent wanted me to change my Union Bank type of download to Quicken connect to stop the issue which I would not do and it sounds like she ( Maria) did not know what she was doing. A tier 2 tech is supposed to call me today.

Frankx

Not actually.  I was asking the question about credit cards with Union Bank, on the hunch that the credit card(s) might connect via Express Web Connect.  Because accounts that use Express Web Connect, are the most likely cause of multiple logons that you are not initiating because that method has Quicken servers scraping data on a daily basis.

Direct Connect only connects when you tell it to - either manually or according to your settings in Quicken, and I believe you indicated that you only connect with this bank manually.  Is that correct?

Frankx

lesliermm

Yes, I only connect manually and usually 1x a week or MAYBE twice some weeks but Union Bank shows a Windows download every morning. But when I open my Quicken the balances are the same and nothing changes until I request the update.

lesliermm

I spent 1.5 hours on the phone today with tier 2 Quicken support with no resolution. Quicken is insistent it is the fault of Union Bank and that Union Bank logs into my account everyday. Union Bank is insistent that it is a Quicken software issue that shows a Windows login every morning when I am asleep.
Why would Union Bank login everyday to my account with no instructions from software?
Classic case of finger pointing with client in the middle paying the bill :( .

Chris_QPW

Is your data file/account(s) setup to sync with the Quicken Cloud account?

If so, the Quicken Cloud account would certainly connect once a day to get transactions.

lesliermm

My Union Bank Acct is set to only connect on demand since it is direct connect. Nothing is scheduled on a regular basis that I have setup.

Chris_QPW

Let me rephrase that.  Are you using Quicken Mobile or Quicken Web?

If you are it doesn't matter if the accounts are setup for Direct Connect or Quicken Connect, the "Quicken cloud servers" are going to log in each days any get your transactions.

lesliermm

No...not for any of my accounts

Chris_QPW

Well I have one more theory, but I have not yet checked it out.  I should know for sure in about a day.  The theory is that QCS which is (Quicken Cloud Service) which is the "connection method" that Quicken Mac has been using for many years, and Quicken Windows is just now switching to, is being used even if Direct Connect is used.  And as such it might be caching the username/passwords and logging in.

I have an account where I can check the last login date and time (Direct Connect), and I'm going to turn deselect it in my daily transaction up (what Quicken Windows calls One Step Update).  And I will check it after later to see if there is a login, which would have to be from the Quicken servers.

lesliermm

Ok great..interesting theory.
There has to be some change in the software as I was not having an issue and then it started to do the daily auto login in October/November 2019. I know it is not me as I have used Mac for 15+ years and it shows a Windows login. I used Quicken for Mac 2007 before I had to switch to the Mac subscription version I am using now.
Thank you for checking!

lhossus

Some other possibilities:

1) Have you ever set up another Quicken Data File that connects to Union Bank? Perhaps for testing, trouble shooting, experimenting? If Quicken Connect was used, it may still be doing its daily downloads. See item 2) in this list.

2) One could go to Quicken Preferences > Connected Services and click on See All Cloud Accounts... This window shows Cloud Account, File Name and Last Sync. You might be able to identify a suspect Cloud Account. Do you see more than one Cloud Account?

3) One could change the log-in password on the Union Bank account (there is just one, right?). Any Quicken activity should fail. Then Quicken can be updated with the new password as necessary. Any unexpected activity should be exposed, or at least cease being counted by Union Bank.

PS: Do you have more than one Quicken ID?

Chris_QPW

Good suggestion.  On #3 I would suggest changing the username too if possible, which will prevent your account from being locked for failed attempts.

lesliermm

I can try and change but have to be careful not to cause a lockout, correct.
I only have 1 Quicken ID.
But once I give it my new password won't the same issue begin to happen?
I only have 1 cloud Acct listed when checked.

Chris_QPW

Here is the problem.  You know that something is logging in, that implies it has your username and password at your financial institution.  If you change just the password there it will continue to try to log in using the username and the old password, and of course that will fail.  Depending on what your financial institution does for failed logins they might lock your account.

If you change both the username and the password, then an attempt to login with the old username will not be connected with your account and as such will not lead to failed logins on your account.

Of course if you change your username and password for the financial institution, you will have to change them in Quicken Mac so that it can log in.

Side note, as of now, I have not seen a login on the test I'm doing for my Direct Connect account, but I going to monitor it until tomorrow morning, just to make sure.

lesliermm

That makes complete sense. So I changed my username but something happened when I tried to change my password and I was SO careful. I am now locked out so I will get that fixed hopefully Monday and let you know.
Good to hear there have not been any logins on your direct connect. But also confusing as to why mine would be. So at present I won't be having any random logins...LOL..it's a lockout!

Chris_QPW

I checked again today and nothing logged into my account, so my theory that the connection method QCS might be doing this for Direct Connect is wrong.

lesliermm

Interesting. Thank you for experimenting. So that makes you think it is NOT the Quicken software doing it?
Monday I will contact the bank to reset my password. User name is changed. Then in a couple of days I can call the bank and see if there has been any Windows logins. It is Windows which would still leads me to believe it is the cloud service since I only have a Mac.

Chris_QPW

lesliermm said:

So that makes you think it is NOT the Quicken software doing it?

The "Quicken Software" is almost certainly doing it, but just not this part of it, as in QCS/coupled with Direct Connect.

The most likely would be if you ever used Quicken Connect in the past or maybe if you even synced your accounts with the Quicken Cloud.

One might think that if you had an account setup for Quicken Connect and then disconnected it, changed to Direct Connect, or deleted it that the Quicken/Intuit server would be informed and stop trying to sync to the financial institution.  But my experience that more times than not the server doesn't "get the message" and continues for at least some time trying to sync with the financial institution.

I suppose there are some logs somewhere that might be able to track down what is happening, but just finding a person that can look at such a log would be very difficult.

But just by changing the username that should end whatever is doing it.

Of course the real big test will be if you change the username both at the financial institution and in Quicken Mac and actually stops.  If it doesn't stop there that has mean that there is some thing in the Quicken Mac process flow that is "giving it out" to a server.

But I do suspect it will stop. 

lesliermm

Password changed so I will change my credentials today in Quicken and let you know. Thank you for all the suggestions!

lesliermm

Update: Direct Connect requires a PIN not password and username. I have now changed my pin, username and password to cover all bases. I will check in a couple of days if any logins have occurred.

lesliermm

Checked with the bank today and there have been no logins since 8/27/20. Not sure what actually fixed the issue but it looks like changing the pin or it could have been also change the username & password. Thank you to the forum for all the suggestions that could not be answered by either Tech Support.

Chris_QPW

I'm glad to hear that the problem is resolved.

Harborcon

Since having a gazillion malware items cleaned from my PC laptop, Quicken will not link to my financial institutions for the one-step update. Bank says the error message I get is a Quicken message (OL-297 A). 2 hours online with Quicken yesterday enabled all the new transactions to appear in the registers every day, but no bank or credit card accounts will link on line.

Chris_QPW

@Harborcon since your problem has nothing to do with the one discussed in this thread I suggest that you start your own thread on the problem.

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