matching scheduled bills to downloaded transactions

Suellen Price

When the downloaded amount does not match my scheduled bill, it creates a split transaction instead of accepting the downloaded amount.

For instance, I have a scheduled bill for my water company. I use the "estimate" amount option for $100, and categorize it as Water. I add that to my checking account. When I download the transaction from my bank, I match the transaction to the bill. But if the downloaded amount is $110, it shows the categories as $100 water and $10 uncategorized. How can i accept the downloaded transaction, match it to the scheduled bill but change the amount to the downloaded amount and assign all of it to the one category?

Boatnmaniac

The estimate is used primarily for budgetary planning. When you are ready to enter estimated amount Bill Reminders (which is what I am assuming you are referring to as "scheduled bills") you should change the dollar amount to match the amount you are actually billed. Then the matching process will work correctly and you should get no split transactions.

If you do not wish to do that, then make sure to automatic entry of transactions into the register is disabled which will require you then to manually review and accept the downloaded transactions. This will give you the opportunity to change the Bill Reminder transaction dollar amount, which is already in the register, to match the downloaded transaction dollar amount before you accept the match and the entry into the register.

My preference is to do what I mentioned in the 1st paragraph. IMHO, it is better to be proactive than to be reactive and the 1st paragraph is proactive while the 2nd paragraph is reactive. But it is a personal choice matter.