Can you change back to Direct Connect if you made the change to Express Web Connect for Wells Fargo

thewitt65

I was prompted in Quicken to change my connection to Wells Fargo connection type due to a "alleged" mandatory change per Wells Fargo. I changed my connection type form Direct Connect to Express Web Connect+ which now does not allow me to pay bills through Wells Fargo since Express Web Connect+ is a one-way connection (download only, I found out afterwards). I spoke with Quicken and they said the change needed to happen and paying through Wells Fargo should be fine and need to get with Wells Fargo for a solution. Of course, I speak with Wells Fargo and they tell me I need direct Connect to pay bills online through them. So I deactivated all my WF accounts and reactivated under Direct Connect and enabled Bill Pay through WF. Now cannot download transactions or upload bill to be paid. Switch back to Express Web Connect+ and I am able to download transactions. With Express Web Connect+ I can only activate Bill Pay through the Quicken bill pay services. Of course, searching this community I see a post that if you are already using Direct Connect no changes are needed and I will not be prompted to change….which I was prompted to make the connection change. Any ideas if it is possible to change back to direct connect and have the ability to download transactions and upload bill payments? Did not work for me when I tried to change back

Tom Young

This is a pure guess on my part since I don't use Wells Fargo, but I'd guess that the direct answer to your question is "No", at least not if you're simply a retail customer.

The fidir file shows this for Wells Fargo

03000 03000 03000 Wells Fargo Bank https://www.wellsfargo.com/ 1-800-956-4442 https://connect.secure.wellsfargo.com/auth/login/present ACTIVE BANKING,CREDIT,ACCOUNTINFO,PAYMENT&DIRECT BANKING,CREDIT&WEB-CONNECT BANKING,CREDIT,ACCOUNTINFO&EXP-WEB-CONNECT NOT_QBP NA

So here it shows that Direct Connect can be used with Wells Fargo, but I wonder if this is only available to a certain group of customers, like perhaps customers identified as "Business" customers?

It's the Financial Institution that specifies how it allows Quicken to obtain information from their system, so it would be Wells Fargo that made the decision to adopt EWC+. With Direct Connect the Financial Institution (FI) must pay Quicken an annual fee and must also maintain servers on their system to compile transactions into the proper format and allow customers, through Quicken, to directly connect to those servers. Shedding DC in favor of EWC+ saves them money, a powerful incentive to make that move.

Perhaps, again just a guess, WFB decided to save some money and move their "retail" customers to EWC+, but still allow "business" customers to use DC? These sort of changeovers don't always work perfectly which might explain how you're able to still use DC for paying bills directly out of Quicken, but not receive downloads.

thewitt65

Hey Tom. Thanks for the reply. That sounds like a viable reason if they (WF) is looking to save money.

Chris_QPW

Have you tried this?

Tools → Add Account → Wells → select Advanced Options → Continue → select Direct Connect, continue with the prompts, and make sure to link to the proper Quicken accounts when asked.

Note that this might indeed be short lived, I think I remember seeing that announcement and there was a cutoff date for it (but I don't remember what it was).

Wells Fargo is one of the principal financial institutions pushing FDX, which is the protocol that Express Web Connect + uses between Intuit (Quicken Inc's aggregator) and the financial institution:

https://financialdataexchange.org/FDX/About/About-FDX.aspx?WebsiteKey=deae9d6d-1a7a-457b-a678-8a5517f8a474&hkey=dffb9a93-fc7d-4f65-840c-f2cfbe7fe8a6&a315d1c24e44=4#

EDIT: Correction this announcement says that if you have Direct Connect, you can keep using it, with no time limit stated for it being discontinued.

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/7943301/changes-to-wells-fargo-account-services-quicken-classic-for-windows-and-mac

thewitt65

Thanks for the reply Chris:

I did change back to Direct Connect. When I completed that reversal and activated the direct connect, when I performed the One Step Update it would connect for a split second and then close. It would not upload my bills to be paid or download the outstanding transactions. Changed back to EWC+ and I was able to download again. Not sure if the first change did something that will not allow me to revert back to the direct connect.

I did see the post you included….after I performed the first change and was investigating why direct connect no longer worked for me even after I reverted back. I do not remember seeing that line about Direct Connect was not part of the pop up I received in Quicken when I performed the change. I have been traveling for business and when I got back in last night I received the pop up again this time with the Direct Connect messaged bolded. Maybe others are having the same issues I am experiencing.

I am going to try a few things today to see if I can revert back to direct connect again. Will probably need to reach out to Quicken support again next week to see if they have a fix now.

Thank again,

Tom

Faithfl9r

Thank you for the post, I am experiencing the exact same issue. Spoke with Quicken and Wells Fargo, both pointed me to the other institution. I have deactivated the account several times in hope I could reconnect through DC. I do plan on calling Quicken next week week to see if there is a solution to get back on DC because I "send" all monthly payments from Quicken. Please post a solution if you find one…

thewitt65

Hi Faithfl9r. I will let you know what I find out. I have not had the time to give Quicken support another call. I did set up Bill Pay through WF Online as a work around for now, but that is double entry accounting so not my preferred method.

Let me know if you hear anything as well.

Thanks,

Tom

loren007

Same issues for me with wells and direct connect Hate this

JamesMCrowley

I am having this same issue. Spoke with both (WF and Q) support teams and finger pointing again. Tried using quicken bill pay and my mortgage arrived late. Quicken can't track down the check. As a result, I LOST OVER $700 IN MORTGAGE INTEREST FOR 2023 TAXES. Quicken response was "I am very sorry," while walking me back through the direct connection process.

So I have that back now, and it's back again to the very quick connection, green response and no data flowing.

Quicken, words don'd describe how bad you are performing right now.

JamesMCrowley

That should read, Quicken "Check Pay"

JamesMCrowley

Back on with Quicken… they say there is an issue with Wells Fargo servers… can't provide any information as to whether or not they will address with Wells Fargo. Can't any information as to resolution. Recommendation is to drop back to express web connect that has already lost 4 of my checks and cost my personally $700. THIS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.

JamesMCrowley

Spoke with Wells Fargo support before the last conversation with Quicken. They say everything is working on their end and configured correctly. The WF support person actually joined me with the last quicken conversation. Uploaded logs to quicken where they say there is something they cannot see on WF side. Unfortunately, after over an hour with quicken, the WF support person dropped. Here's a novel idea, quicken, why don't you get on the phone with your counterparts at WF and work the problem?

JamesMCrowley

When I asked for compensation for my loss of $700… took about 30 minutes to come back with approval for 2 month's worth of subscription free… really?

Let's start a new thread… Quicken alternatives….

Chris_QPW

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20407857#Comment_20407857

What make you think you can discuss other companies' products on a Quicken Inc forum?

johnnstacey

I am having the same issue. Wells made me change my user name and password which of course made me change everything in Quicken. So after numerous updates and authorizations the accounts are load correctly but DC is now EWC+ and the ability to pay bills and and my Payees are no longer.

Going back to DC yields the same issue as described earlier - error in communication with WF.

So, is this a server/connection issue or a 'feature' of the new world of online banking? Is it possible to pay bills through Quicken at all?

Chris_QPW

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20408399#Comment_20408399

I don't have a Wells Fargo account to check, but based on what has been posted in the other threads. The changing from Direct Connect to Express Web Connect + was a mistake, it was only intended as a change from Express Web Connect to Express Web Connect + for the people that were using Express Web Connect instead of Direct Connect.

And as such, there should be no difference in Direct Connect, and you "should" be able to go back to Direct Connect and have it behave exactly how it did in the past.

JamesMCrowley

Should be able to, but cannot due to some technical issue between Q and WF. Q says WF is blocking their connection. WF says everything is working. Neither seems motivated to work together.

Chris_QPW

Over in another thread for the ongoing Citi conversion that works the same way I discovered two things. First off release version R54.9 has messed up this sequence and you can't get Direct Connect working with it, you have to go back to an older version (by applying the old patch). And the second part is even with the older version of Quicken you can't get the Direct Connect log in dialog when any of your accounts are already connected to that financial institution, whether it be with Express Web Connect + or Direct Connect. See this thread for more details:

https://community.quicken.com/discussion/comment/20412031#Comment_20412031