My One-Step Update CreditCard transactions look so different vs when I import them via QFX?

radiogavin

I'm just getting back to Quicken after 10 years away. Since one-step update for Chase Credit Cards only goes back a few months, I took the time to convert all of my 2022 PDF statements to QFX files, and imported them. The imported statements worked great: They list Amazon as the Payee, and then put the specifics in the Memo field (like order number. Or Home Depot as the Payee, and list the store number and location (city/state) in the memo field. But when I use one-step update, all I get is Amazon or Home Depot in the payee field and the memo field is blank. Is this normal? Or is there a way to tell Quicken how to parse this better using OneStep Update?

splasher

It could be because the exports are created by two different pieces of software.  The .QFX file downloads were generated from PDF statements and the OSU updates were generated by the aggregation service (Intuit) used by Quicken to collect the information and make it available for download.

It would be like asking two authors to write books about baseball and expecting them to be the same while one wrote about Babe Ruth and the other about Roger Maris.

UKR

The real problem, as far as I can determine, is that Chase does not download any Memo Text, for any of their credit cards.
However, for Amazon transactions they download a combination of vendor name and an encrypted invoice number, e.g., Amzn Mktp US*TX1234567 which, IMHO, is rather useless. How are we supposed to decrypt that number to match it to a true Invoice number?
For Amazon transactions I wish they would download the true Amazon Invoice Number in the Memo field. It's available because they print it on the paper statements.

splasher

It could be because the exports are created by two different pieces of software.  The .QFX file downloads were generated from PDF statements and the OSU updates were generated by the aggregation service (Intuit) used by Quicken to collect the information and make it available for download.

It would be like asking two authors to write books about baseball and expecting them to be the same while one wrote about Babe Ruth and the other about Roger Maris.

UKR

The real problem, as far as I can determine, is that Chase does not download any Memo Text, for any of their credit cards.
However, for Amazon transactions they download a combination of vendor name and an encrypted invoice number, e.g., Amzn Mktp US*TX1234567 which, IMHO, is rather useless. How are we supposed to decrypt that number to match it to a true Invoice number?
For Amazon transactions I wish they would download the true Amazon Invoice Number in the Memo field. It's available because they print it on the paper statements.

radiogavin

Splasher (and UKR): Ugh. You are probably correct. When I log into my Chase account, all I can see is the Payee on the main transaction page. When you click on "more details" THEN you can see the rest of the information -- information that they include on their PDF statements! If Chase is just including the top-most info in their One Step Updates, I guess that's a Chase problem. It will be a drag to have to use the Chase website to go back and fill in Amazon Order numbers (etc.) in the Quicken memos. The flipside/silver lining: I just figured out that (at least for Amazon orders), you can click on the order number shown by Chase in the "more details" page and it will take you to your full order on the Amazon website. That may actually be a quicker way to figure out whether you bought dog food or flashlights. I used to have to run an Amazon report (so it's all on one page) to cross-reference all the order numbers with Quicken. Now, it's still a lot of copy/paste into the memo field, but it's probably easier/faster to to categorize everything... Cheers!

Chris_QPW

splasher said:

It could be because the exports are created by two different pieces of software.  The .QFX file downloads were generated from PDF statements and the OSU updates were generated by the aggregation service (Intuit) used by 

I would say this is close, but not really as close as it might be to the right answer.
I think the real answer is that Chase is using different software for each and as such hasn't programmed them exactly the same.

I seriously doubt .QFX files come from the PDF statements.  First off PDF files are notoriously hard to "read", but mostly because there isn't any reason for it.  This is the financial institution after all, they can just query their database to generate whatever they want,

And the transactions for Express Web Connect + aren't generated by Intuit.  One of the main advantages of Direct Connect/OFX/QFX and Express Web Connect +/FDX over Express Web Connect is that these are standardized protocols of how to transfer the information, whereas Express Web Connect is "an agreement" between Intuit and the financial, and the process/format can be different from one financial institution to another.

With something like Express Web Connect the process would be something like get the data in some format (maybe even reading web pages, most likely not) and then translate that format into one that Intuit is using, and then send it along.

With Web Connect/QFX and Direct Connect/OFX/QFX clearly Intuit isn't involved, and it comes directly from the financial institution.

Now with Express Web Connect +/FDX the transfer from the financial institution to Intuit is going to be in a "known format".  So, the memo field will always be in the same place, for all financial institutions.  There isn't any need for a "translation" to an "Intuit format".  Now there is still how does Intuit transfer that information to Quicken Inc's servers.  Given that Quicken Inc had to spend quite a bit of time to support this, I suspect Intuit isn't "translating" it for them.  Quicken servers are probably getting the data in FDX format.  But whatever the case is, it is important to realize that there isn't any reason for Intuit to "change memos".