How to delete memo/notes from list of payees in checkbook register (Q Mac)

wjfeeh

When entering a transaction in my checkbook register, multiple options appear of the same payee, with different notes. I want to get rid os all the options with notes

Jon

Bring up the Payees & Rules window (it's on the Window menu, or you can press Command-Shift-E). Click on the Rules tab and find the payee. You can delete whichever entries you don't want.

jacobs

The different notes you're describing are different QuickFill rules you've had Quicken create as you've entered/edited transactions.

To deal with ones which already exist, go to Window > Payees & Rules > QuickFill Rules. Here, you can delete existing QuickFill rules one at a time, or select lots (or even all) of them, and delete them.

To prevent Quicken from creating QuickFill rules by default, go to Preferences > Register and uncheck the checkbox for QuickeFill rules. Or if you want the rules for categories, but not separate rules for amounts and memos, change the dropdown menu for "When saving new QuickFill rules, save…" frok "All fields" to "Category only". (You can still override these settings on any given transaction, should you want to, with the little blue pop-up above the Category field.)

wjfeeh

Thanks, but I have done that – does not work. For example, for one specific payee when I start it enter the transaction, many options appear with different amounts and notes. But, under Quickfill Transactions, only 1 Quickfill Rule shows up. When I click on the “1”, only the Payee, Category and Amount appear.

jacobs

Hmmm, that sounds odd. Would you be able to capture a screenshot of the dropdown menu when you start to enter the transaction, and what you see in the QuickFill Rules window. (Block out any personal data.)

wjfeeh

As requested. Thanks for helping.

jacobs

@wjfeeh Thanks for sharing those screenshots.

The first minor issue I see is that you have two Payees for PECO: Peco{55} and PECO{55563-00600}. Since the former was only used once, I'd guess it was an error, and to simplify, I would merge PECO{55} into PECO{55563-00600}. You do this in the Window > Payees & Rules window by selecting both, clicking Merge Payees, and selecting PECO{55563-00600} as the "Into" Payee. That will eliminate the first option you're seeing as you start typing.

The next issue I see is that you have used two different categories for past payments to PECO: Utilities:Gas & Electric, and Utilities:Gas&El-ARDM. Is that intentional? No problem if it is; I was just seeing that it gives Quicken more "helpful" options to offer you in the drop-down menu.

Under "Best Matches" when you start typing a Payee, Quicken will present first just the plain Payee name — what I call the naked Payee. Selecting the naked Payee will fill only the Payee name, and none of the other fields.

Next, it will present the QuickFill Rule(s) version(s) of the Payee, showing the category — and optionally, if your rule is set to All Fields, the amount and memo. You say the QuickFill rule shows Payee, Cateogry and Amount, but what I'm seeing is Payee and Category, no amount (the third option in your PDF #1 screenshot).

After that, it will show a scheduled transaction, if there is one and if it's different.

I'm not sure I understand yet why you're seeing all these options of other former transactions under Best Matches, as that definitely doesn't seem right. I can't replicate it in my file. Do you see this with other Payees, or is it just this one?

I see this a Bill Pay payee, and although I wouldn't think that would matter, I don't use that feature so I can't really be sure. Perhaps one of the other Quicken Mac experts here will look at this and identify something I'm not.

Just to give you a point of comparison, here's what I see in my file when I start typing PECO:

I have hundreds of PECO transactions, and each one has a different amount and Memo text — but all I see in the Best Matches list is the "naked" Payee and the QuickFill rule I have with a category, memo and no amount.

Here's another example, what I see in my file when I start typing Comcast:

The first option is the "naked" Payee. The second is the one QuickFill rule I created for this Payee. The third is a scheduled transaction I created for this Payee rather than entering it each month. The others are different Payees which include Comcast in the name. (They all pre-date Quicken Mac having QuickFilll rules, so each of those is just the "naked" Payee.)

wjfeeh

1. I merger the two Peco Accounts
2. I made all Peco Transactions the same Category.
3. PDF #1 shows the amount in column 2, unless we are looking at different PDFs.
4. This is a problem for many Payees.
5. I quit and restarted - same problem.

lhossus

(Oops: I see I missed the point that there was only one QuickFill Rule. So part of the following is not particularly relevant. - edit.)

I am wondering if the multiple QuickFill Rules, each with a different note, is caused by an unwanted setting of the "Lock this rule to prevent changes to it when editing a transaction". Go to Windows > Payees & Rules > QuickFill Rules tab. Then Edit (double-click on) each of the Peco QuickFill Rules to examine the "Lock this rule" option.

A rule with this "Lock" set will persist in the Rules list even when a new transaction comes along with a revised set of values. If each new Rule created by a new transaction has the "Lock" set, then over time there will be an accumulation like what is seen in the samples.

All that considered, unless other considerations also apply:

To clear this problem, it seems easiest to simply delete all QuickFill Rules for payee "Peco" and let Quicken build a new rule or rules as appropriate. Or delete selected Rules and make sure the "Lock" option is not set on the remaining rules.

wjfeeh

Thank you for the response. But, there are no Quickfill Rules.

lhossus

The 3rd of the three screenshots you posted back on March 28 indicates there is a QuickFill Rule. Have you deleted that Rule? And ensured no new Rule is created?

But in any case, this problem seems like it needs expert eyes on the problem, something that is difficult to achieve in this forum. Back and forth question and answer is just too tedious. You may want to contact Quicken Support (In-Program: Help > Contact Support).

Advice: if you do contact Quicken Support, be sure to have a good backup., just in case.

Even better, someone else with the same problem might help contribute to the discovery process.

wjfeeh

Will do. Thank you.