Automatic Categorization on downloads is not working

JuanE

I am a long time user and in the last six weeks my downloads are not categorizing automatically. Any known issues?

Yes, I have the box check for automatic categorizing

JuanE

I am running Quicken for Windows 10 - Version R26.54 Build 27.1.36.54

The issue of not categorizing is across all my accounts and I have not changed any settings. Automatic category is checked in the download section. Everything else is working fine.

It also used to work fine for categorizing.

Thank you

Chris_QPW

This preference:


is a bit confusing of what it really means.
This option is the "last guess".

The main automatic categorization works through the renaming rules and the memorized payees.
Since matching a memorized payee requires the payee name to be exact except for case, the renaming rule is used to "normalize" the name changing something like Safeway #43434 to just Safeway.

Then the payee is looked up in the memorized payee list, if it finds that payee it will use the category that is in that memorized payee.

If the payee isn't found in the memorized payee list that is when "Automatically categorize transactions" makes a guess at it.  But note for most people that have this preference on, it only applies to the first time because they usually also have this preference on:


With this preference on the payee/category is saved automatically which means the next time this payee comes in it will be the memorized payee that fills in the category not the "Automatically categorize transactions" feature.

And note that you can have a memorized payee with no category in it, if that was how it was saved.
I would first check the memorized payee list for the payee(s) that aren't being categorized.  Note that if you don't lock a memorized payee if you change the something in a transaction that matched a memorized payee, those values will change.  I always lock all of my memorized payees.

Frankx

Hi @JuanE,

Can you give us some additional details that my help us to help you get to the bottom of this?

which version of Quicken are you now running?  Is this new behavior across all of your accounts, or only happening for some?  Which financial institutions are showing this problem?  Did you change any of your settings recently, or otherwise change downloading method?  Have you noticed any other changes with the way Quicken is downloading data or processing it?

Any additional info will be helpful.

Thanks,
Frankx

JuanE

I am running Quicken for Windows 10 - Version R26.54 Build 27.1.36.54

The issue of not categorizing is across all my accounts and I have not changed any settings. Automatic category is checked in the download section. Everything else is working fine.

It also used to work fine for categorizing.

Thank you

Chris_QPW

This preference:


is a bit confusing of what it really means.
This option is the "last guess".

The main automatic categorization works through the renaming rules and the memorized payees.
Since matching a memorized payee requires the payee name to be exact except for case, the renaming rule is used to "normalize" the name changing something like Safeway #43434 to just Safeway.

Then the payee is looked up in the memorized payee list, if it finds that payee it will use the category that is in that memorized payee.

If the payee isn't found in the memorized payee list that is when "Automatically categorize transactions" makes a guess at it.  But note for most people that have this preference on, it only applies to the first time because they usually also have this preference on:


With this preference on the payee/category is saved automatically which means the next time this payee comes in it will be the memorized payee that fills in the category not the "Automatically categorize transactions" feature.

And note that you can have a memorized payee with no category in it, if that was how it was saved.
I would first check the memorized payee list for the payee(s) that aren't being categorized.  Note that if you don't lock a memorized payee if you change the something in a transaction that matched a memorized payee, those values will change.  I always lock all of my memorized payees.

JuanE

Thank you - super clear.