Memorized "Payee" Question

christophera212

I write a check every two weeks to an individual and want to categorize it automatically. It is always the same amount. However, it is downloaded into Quicken with the payee "Check [#]", always with a different name. Is there a way to automate based upon the transaction amount and the keyword "check" in the payee?

GeoffG

Checks cannot be memorized due to insufficient info when downloaded as you are seeing. The best way to address this is to create a Scheduled Reminder with the Payee, amount and category. When the download is presented, you can manually link the downloaded transaction to the register entry. This is semi-automated and the best you can accomplish with checks.
You will want to have the reminder entered into the register prior to the check clearing.

Chris_QPW

When checks are involved, it can get quite "quirky".

One could in fact use a renaming rule and a memorized payee, but there is a reason no to do this.
If one used a renaming rule to change any downloaded transaction with Check in it to say "John Doe" then ALL of your checks will be renamed to "John Doe", which is most likely not what you want.
But let's pretend it is OK, then the only thing else would be needed is a memorized payee for "John Doe" with the right category.

So, to do this properly you need to pre-enter the transaction in the register and match the downloaded transaction to it.

Next for the quirky part.

The actual check number may or may not be downloaded in the check field, depending on the financial institution.

If the check number is downloaded transaction, then Quicken will use it in the automatic matching.  And you need to have the correct check number in the pre-entered transaction for Quicken to automatically match it.  This sort of means that you don't want to have a reminder that just automatically puts the transaction into the register because it won't have the right check number.  Instead you will want a reminder that prompts you to enter the transaction, and when entering it, enter the check number.

If the check number isn't in the downloaded transaction, then the automatic matching is done by the amount.

Note in both cases if you don't get an automatic match you can still do a manual match.

GeoffG

Checks cannot be memorized due to insufficient info when downloaded as you are seeing. The best way to address this is to create a Scheduled Reminder with the Payee, amount and category. When the download is presented, you can manually link the downloaded transaction to the register entry. This is semi-automated and the best you can accomplish with checks.
You will want to have the reminder entered into the register prior to the check clearing.

Chris_QPW

When checks are involved, it can get quite "quirky".

One could in fact use a renaming rule and a memorized payee, but there is a reason no to do this.
If one used a renaming rule to change any downloaded transaction with Check in it to say "John Doe" then ALL of your checks will be renamed to "John Doe", which is most likely not what you want.
But let's pretend it is OK, then the only thing else would be needed is a memorized payee for "John Doe" with the right category.

So, to do this properly you need to pre-enter the transaction in the register and match the downloaded transaction to it.

Next for the quirky part.

The actual check number may or may not be downloaded in the check field, depending on the financial institution.

If the check number is downloaded transaction, then Quicken will use it in the automatic matching.  And you need to have the correct check number in the pre-entered transaction for Quicken to automatically match it.  This sort of means that you don't want to have a reminder that just automatically puts the transaction into the register because it won't have the right check number.  Instead you will want a reminder that prompts you to enter the transaction, and when entering it, enter the check number.

If the check number isn't in the downloaded transaction, then the automatic matching is done by the amount.

Note in both cases if you don't get an automatic match you can still do a manual match.

christophera212

Thank you, both. Very helpful.