Cannot connect to USAA

MarkShane

I'm using Quicken Deluxe v 6.3.3 for the Mac.
All of a sudden a few days ago during a routine account update i started getting HTTP-403 error from USAA Federal Savings Bank. Quicken says it cannot connect to USAA. I tried a number of things, but nothing seems to resolve the problem. All other accounts and banks connect and download just fine. What do I do?

rrbeck01

I am having same issue (just noticed it today).
Periodically, either Quicken or USAA make server-side changes that cause errors in the Quicken download process.  During updates today (all day), I received the OL-295-A Error with the following message: "Your financial institution has rejected this transaction.  For more information, contact your financial institution. Your transaction was rejected because your financial institution's server is not accepting requests at this time"  I can log on to my USAA acount without issue on the USAA site


I recently updated the Quicken for Windows Home, Business, Rental Property software Ver R35.31...but all other accounts are functioning normally. 

Quicken Paloma

Hello @MarkShane, 

Thank you for reaching out to Quicken Community. I apologize you are having this issue. To better assist you I need more information. For instance, what connection method are you using? Is this also occurring in a backup? Also, could you elaborate on the troubleshooting steps you have attempted?

To check the connection method being used first select the account in question then Settings >Downloads. 

Once more information is obtained we can move forward in diagnosing the issue at hand. 

-Quicken Paloma 

MarkShane

Hello,
I was using Direct Connect. I have not experienced the issue in a backup. I attempted to reset the connection on one of my multiple USAA accounts. This attempt failed, as previously described, in the message that Quicken is unable to connect to USAA. I have had zero issues logging in to my USAA account via normal browser access. Therefore, I have no reason to think the USAA servers are down. Perhaps USAA changed something or Quicken changed something, in the access procedure?
Mark

Quicken Francisco

Hello @MarkShane

Thank you for the update. That is odd I'm wondering where exactly the issue is. I believe it might help to try on a test file to see if we have a similar issue. This will give us a better idea of where exactly the issue is. I'll leave steps down below and you can find it on the third step of the article. Additionally, you'll want to make sure you're selecting direct connect during the setup. You can do so by clicking advanced options on the sign-on screen and selecting Direct connect. 

  https://www.quicken.com/support/advanced-data-file-troubleshooting-correct-problems-quicken-windows

Once you get the chance let us know what you're able to find out. From there we'll see what our next steps will be.

Thanks,

Quicken Francisco

garysmith

I am also getting an OL-295A code, told to contact USAA. USAA says it is a Quicken issue. I also have no problem getting logged into my accounts on USAA. What do I need to do to get my One-Step Update, using Direct Connect for USAA, to get downloads? Worked just fine 5 days ago. Not at all since. Windows 10, fully updated and current Quicken.

Quicken Francisco

@garysmith

Thank you for letting us know you're having issues as well. With the issue, you're having have you taken a look at the OL 295 article just yet to see if any other troubleshooting steps help? If not I would recommend taking a look to see if it may help. I'll leave the article down below.

https://www.quicken.com/support/error-when-using-online-services-ol-297

Once you've had the chance let us know if the steps helped. If not we can take a look further.

Thanks,
Quicken Francisco

rrbeck01

I am having same issue (just noticed it today).
Periodically, either Quicken or USAA make server-side changes that cause errors in the Quicken download process.  During updates today (all day), I received the OL-295-A Error with the following message: "Your financial institution has rejected this transaction.  For more information, contact your financial institution. Your transaction was rejected because your financial institution's server is not accepting requests at this time"  I can log on to my USAA acount without issue on the USAA site


I recently updated the Quicken for Windows Home, Business, Rental Property software Ver R35.31...but all other accounts are functioning normally. 

MarkShane

@rrbeck01 I tend to agree. I made no further troubleshooting attempts for a few days. Then today all of a sudden everything worked. Obviously none of this trouble was of my own making.

rrbeck01

In troubleshooting the issue with USAA, I was able to figure out my use of a VPN was the cause of the error in connection to USAA servers. Turning off the VPN solved the issue.

> @rrbeck01 said:
> I am having same issue (just noticed it today).
> Periodically, either Quicken or USAA make server-side changes that cause errors in the Quicken download process.  During updates today (all day), I received the OL-295-A Error with the following message: "Your financial institution has rejected this transaction.  For more information, contact your financial institution. Your transaction was rejected because your financial institution's server is not accepting requests at this time"  I can log on to my USAA acount without issue on the USAA site
>
>
> I recently updated the Quicken for Windows Home, Business, Rental Property software Ver R35.31...but all other accounts are functioning normally. 

garysmith

As another member posted in a different thread, I still get the OL-295A error with USAA wen my request for Q to download my transactions is done while I am using a VPN. If I turn off the VPN the download is successful. Is the problem with Quicken? I would suspect it is. But maybe it is passing my IP address with VPN to USAA and not the Q VPN? I travel extensively, and my IP changes routinely, VPN or not, and just got back from an 8,000 mile trip over 90+ days, with many different IP addresses that all worked just fine. VPS was used part of the time. What does VPN have to do with this problem?

Gary

Chris_QPW

garysmith said:

As another member posted in a different thread, I still get the OL-295A error with USAA wen my request for Q to download my transactions is done while I am using a VPN. If I turn off the VPN the download is successful. Is the problem with Quicken?
Gary

No it isn't Quicken doing this.  Financial institutions have started rejecting IP addresses that they don't consider in their "supported region".  VPNs use the VPN servers IP address instead of yours and they can be "foreign" as far as the financial institution is concerned.

What is billed as a privacy feature of using a VPN, is also exactly what criminals want, "not to be traced/not let the other side know their real IP address".

In truth a VPN does nothing for a secure connection like the one Quicken would use to access USAA.
Https is already providing a secure connection.  And as for "privacy" clearly if you are logging into USAA they know who you are.

VPNs are for situations where there isn't a secure connection like you are at a hotel and you are browsing http: (non-secure connection websites).  The connection from the hotel to the site isn't encrypted, and as such can be spied on.  By using a VPN you get a secure connection from the hotel to the VPN server, from there it again becomes unsecure because it is now connecting to a non secure website, so that part of the connection isn't secure.

The original use for VPN was to run a VPN server on the employer's network, therefore giving a secure connection from your computer to their network.

All of this reminds me of the struggle with anti-virus software.  Where the very fact that you are using something to try to block the bad guys, makes it hard for the good guys to get you the services you need.

EDIT
Why real foreign country IPs might not be blocked, but VPN IPs is because like I said the criminals tend to use the exact same VPN services, and as such those might be the IP address that they tend to block for that reason.  But there have been reports at times while people have been traveling overseas that they were blocked.  Interesting enough workaround there was to use a VPN, but make sure that it used IP addresses in the US.

Chris_QPW

garysmith said:

 not the Q VPN? 

Note there isn't any such thing as a Quicken VPN.  Quicken Inc doesn't run a VPN server.  There are Quicken servers.  For Express Web Connect the connection flow is:
Quicken -> Quicken Connection Services (sync to Quicken cloud data set) -> Intuit servers -> Financial institution website

For Direct Connect it is:
Quicken -> Financial institution's OFX server.

User1811

I use NordVPN all the time and up until a few days ago there wasn't any problem running Quicken OSU successfully. Now I have to turn my VPN off for my USAA account to update successfully when I run OSU. All my other accounts in Quicken update whether I have my VPN turned on or off. Only Affects USAA accounts. 

jbkdad

I didn't realize NordVPN was running. I was totally convinced the latest update broke something. It was indeed the VPN. As soon as I turned it off, Quicken updated immediately.

JBJ0005

Thanks all for the VPN advice...I turned off the Nord VPN and was able to connect without issue. Thanks!

Dave Moore

Interestingly, I'm not able to connect to my bank, USAA, unless I use my VPN. Overseas, I need to fake a US IP address in order to get the direct connect credentials, but I used to be able to download transaction data with or without a VPN. Now I need to fake a US IP address to even download the data. As was pointed out, none of this should be necessary for security purposes.

anjamiller

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