new version for bank sync?

will t

I've been using quicken deluxe since 1992. Purchased Q2020 February of last year. It's asking to be purchased again if I want to link bank and credit cards. Is this a yearly thing now??? Not worth $30+ dollars every year. If I don't purchase, will I be able to manually download and sync accounts from the banks and CCs websites?

Frankx

Hi @will t,

The answer is - yes, Quicken is (and has been for a few years now) a subscription product/service.  Typically, users sign up for a 1 year subscription, which comes up for renewal at its end.

If you don't re-subscribe, as a "Deluxe" user you will be able to use the application, but it would switch to manual entry only - meaning that you will not be able to download and sync your accounts with banks and other financial institutions.  That ability, is part of what you would be paying for under the subscription, plus it will include program updates which include product enhancements.

Oh, one more thing - if you don't extend your subscription and you continue to use Quicken in the manual mode - there will appear on every screen a "reminder" to renew your subscription which covers about 20% of the total screen.

Hope this helps.  Post back if you have any followups, or questions.

Frankx

Boatnmaniac

will t said:

I currently have deluxe, can i renew as a starter user? I only really want to download transactions from my CC and online savings accounts. Don't need planning, budgeting etc

Yes, you can downgrade to Starter.  Just note that you will not be able to track investments with Starter but if you don't need it for that then Starter might be just what you need.

Boatnmaniac

will t said:

thanks for the tip, found q2021 for $31 from staples, download, but is says for new customers only??? It's really not the money, I can afford $47, it's the point. Why should i have to pay for software every year, I'm still using MS Office 2010, because it does everything I need. When ever I purchase software I always buy the lifetime user offering. Hell I did that with my Tivo box. $350 for lifetime or $15 a month. I did lifetime, 6 years later still using my Tivo.

I looked again at the Newegg.com offering again and didn't see anything about it being for new customers only.  If you do buy it there you might want to inquire about it first.

Also, with subscription the year marked on the product does not matter.  The year is mostly for marketing.  When you buy a subscription product (2018+) you will always be updated to the very latest version for no additional cost, regardless of what the year marking on the product is.  There is a tendency to get the best prices for the earlier years because retailers want to offload their old inventory that they are having trouble selling.  Oh, and Newegg also offers this price for download, too.

BTW, I think most people resist change, especially as they age in their golden years (like me).  Whenever I get disappointed with something changing I just try to listen in my head to Bob Dylan singing, "The times they are a-changin," and then try to roll with the flow.  For me it is better to do that than to fight and get heartburn over it because no matter how hard I push back on it I will not be able to turn back the clock.

Boatnmaniac

Quicken has been a subscription service beginning with Quicken 2018.  The default is an annual subscription but some longer subscriptions are available.  You can save some money sometimes buying a Quicken 2018+ program (make sure it is subscription and comes with the activation code) at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.  You can use that activation code with your Quicken.com online account to keep your subscription current.

If you do let your subscription expire you will still be able to use the program for manual entry of transactions but you will no longer have any online services (i.e., Mobile, Web, downloads from banks and credit cards, etc.)...with one exception...Quicken Starter will become read only.

You can read more about Quicken's Discontinuation Policy here:  Discontinuation Policy .

Frankx

Hi @will t,

The answer is - yes, Quicken is (and has been for a few years now) a subscription product/service.  Typically, users sign up for a 1 year subscription, which comes up for renewal at its end.

If you don't re-subscribe, as a "Deluxe" user you will be able to use the application, but it would switch to manual entry only - meaning that you will not be able to download and sync your accounts with banks and other financial institutions.  That ability, is part of what you would be paying for under the subscription, plus it will include program updates which include product enhancements.

Oh, one more thing - if you don't extend your subscription and you continue to use Quicken in the manual mode - there will appear on every screen a "reminder" to renew your subscription which covers about 20% of the total screen.

Hope this helps.  Post back if you have any followups, or questions.

Frankx

will t

I currently have deluxe, can i renew as a starter user? I only really want to download transactions from my CC and online savings accounts. Don't need planning, budgeting etc

will t

directly thru q2020, starter tis $36, deluxe is 47

will t

I do have re-occuring payments and deposits in the bill and income reminder section. Would they continue with starter version?

Boatnmaniac

will t said:

I currently have deluxe, can i renew as a starter user? I only really want to download transactions from my CC and online savings accounts. Don't need planning, budgeting etc

Yes, you can downgrade to Starter.  Just note that you will not be able to track investments with Starter but if you don't need it for that then Starter might be just what you need.

Frankx

Hi again @will t

Yes, you can choose whatever level you want upon your renewal, however Quicken Starter has much less functionality than Deluxe.

And if you are on the Starter version and decide to drop the subscription, you will no longer be able to use the application at all for new manual entries - it basically turns into a history book that shows the past but that's all.

Frankx

Boatnmaniac

will t said:

I do have re-occuring payments and deposits in the bill and income reminder section. Would they continue with starter version?

I do not have Starter so you are asking about a level of features detail that I am not 100% sure of but I believe Bill and Income reminders are a feature that Starter supports.  However, if your income reminders include paycheck deductions for retirement accounts or other investment accounts you will need to change them from transfers to the retirement/investment account to a category transaction instead.

If you have specific questions about the features of each Quicken product version you might want to call Quicken Support and they should be able to answer each of your questions very quickly and accurately.

Chris_QPW

Personally I always recommend that users don't use the Starter version unless in fact that is exactly what they are "just Starting".  It has way too much restrictions and things that bite long time users that we don't know about until they come up.

I have a Starter version of Quicken because of getting it free for using TurboTax to refer to so I have found and reported in other threads on some of the limitations, but just the other day was surprised by what one person found.  And they wondered why it wasn't stated on the marketing website comparison.  The answer of course is there are way too many differences to them to list them in such a document/marketing.

To me buying the Starter edition is being penny wise, dollar foolish, especially if you shop around to get a better price on Deluxe edition from a retailer like Stables or Office Depot.

Frankx

@Chris_QPW

I agree with you completely, especially since if the OP's info is correct - we are talking about an $11.00 difference per year.  Hardly worth not at least having the comfort of knowing you can still manipulate your data going forward, IMHO.

Frankx

Boatnmaniac

will t said:

directly thru q2020, starter tis $36, deluxe is 47

If you are interested in saving even more money and still keep Deluxe, Newegg is reputable online retailer selling Deluxe 2020 with a 12 month subscription for $31.19 on eBay.  It's a CD and shipping is free.  You won't need the CD for anything since you already have the software loaded but it comes with that all important activation code.  

If you don't trust buying things on eBay (there are some questionable sellers there), go the the Newegg.com website.  They sell it there for the same price.  I've bought stuff from Newegg.com off and on for better than 15 yrs and have never been disappointed.

will t

> @Boatnmaniac said:
> If you are interested in saving even more money and still keep Deluxe, Newegg is reputable online retailer selling Deluxe 2020 with a 12 month subscription for $31.19 on eBay.  It's a CD and shipping is free.  You won't need the CD for anything since you already have the software loaded but it comes with that all important activation code.  
> If you don't trust buying things on eBay (there are some questionable sellers there), go the the Newegg.com website.  They sell it there for the same price.  I've bought stuff from Newegg.com off and on for better than 15 yrs and have never been disappointed.

thanks for the tip, found q2021 for $31 from staples, download, but is says for new customers only??? It's really not the money, I can afford $47, it's the point. Why should i have to pay for software every year, I'm still using MS Office 2010, because it does everything I need. When ever I purchase software I always buy the lifetime user offering. Hell I did that with my Tivo box. $350 for lifetime or $15 a month. I did lifetime, 6 years later still using my Tivo.

NotACPA

"Why should i have to pay for software every year,"

Because that's Q's business model ... which helps to insure that they have enough income to stay in business.

Intuit sold Q because they weren't getting a sufficient return for what Intuit was paying for new development, bug fixes, support, etc.

You have a very simple choice, as long as you're going to stick with Starter Edition.  Pay the annual fee, or your data file becomes read-only.

With the higher level products, your file doesn't become read-only ... but it loses all ability to download (quotes,updates, transactions, etc) when your subscription expires.

Frankx

Hi guys,

Bottom line - the cat is out of the bag and there's no going back.  The only question - that every individual has to decide for themselves is - is it worth x number of dollars annually for me to use Quicken to maintain my financial accounts and affairs, or not?

Everyone needs to make their decision based on their own facts and circumstances.

I only pointed out the "cost difference" between Starter and Deluxe to emphasize my view that - assuming you want to continue to use the software, eleven additional dollars a year is worth having data that you can still access and potentially continue to use, instead of having what is effectively a brick.

Have a great night!

Frankx

Boatnmaniac

will t said:

thanks for the tip, found q2021 for $31 from staples, download, but is says for new customers only??? It's really not the money, I can afford $47, it's the point. Why should i have to pay for software every year, I'm still using MS Office 2010, because it does everything I need. When ever I purchase software I always buy the lifetime user offering. Hell I did that with my Tivo box. $350 for lifetime or $15 a month. I did lifetime, 6 years later still using my Tivo.

I looked again at the Newegg.com offering again and didn't see anything about it being for new customers only.  If you do buy it there you might want to inquire about it first.

Also, with subscription the year marked on the product does not matter.  The year is mostly for marketing.  When you buy a subscription product (2018+) you will always be updated to the very latest version for no additional cost, regardless of what the year marking on the product is.  There is a tendency to get the best prices for the earlier years because retailers want to offload their old inventory that they are having trouble selling.  Oh, and Newegg also offers this price for download, too.

BTW, I think most people resist change, especially as they age in their golden years (like me).  Whenever I get disappointed with something changing I just try to listen in my head to Bob Dylan singing, "The times they are a-changin," and then try to roll with the flow.  For me it is better to do that than to fight and get heartburn over it because no matter how hard I push back on it I will not be able to turn back the clock.