Editing Transaction Download with Split transaction

Jaybird180

I entered a transaction into my register, using the split categories function. I also attached the receipt. A few days later, the transaction cleared and Quicken downloaded the data from my financial institution. I didn't know the vendor would split it into two transactions (the total amount is the same).

Now my register is inflated because of the "duplicate" entry. Is there a way I can import both of the download datasets into my manual entry?

If the software won't do this then I'll have to put a copy of the receipt into each transaction and delete my manual entry.

Or….is there a better way?

jacobs

You have to decide if you (a) want your Quicken data to mirror what happened in the real world — two transactions got posted — or (b) want to stick with your original manual entry with the receipt attached.

I think the first option is usually better, because I want my Quicken transactions to mirror the real-world transactions. This also makes it easier to reconcile the account later, because each transaction will be on both the statement and in Quicken. So in this case you'd need to delete your manual transaction and attach the receipt to one (or both) of the downloaded transactions.

On the other hand, sometimes I decide it's more work for me to mirror the real world. For instance, when I purchase airline tickets for myself and my wife, I print the receipt from the airline website, and it's a single charge — which I enter in Quicken. But airline tickets are posted individually for each ticket on most credit card websites, two there are two transactions. In that case, I often just stick with my original entry (after checking the math to verify that the two credit card transactions do actually equal what I've entered initially).

So it's really a matter of preference for your record-keeping; there's not absolute right or wrong.

P.S. Instead of uploading the same attachment twice, you could upload the receipt to one of the two transactions, and in the other transaction add a Memo that the receipt is attached to the other transaction.

Jaybird180

I think I'll zero out the manual transaction, but retain the receipt in the manual entry. Then add a memo to point to the 2 downloaded transactions. Thank you

UKR

If this happens more frequently with different payees and/or different accounts, you could

• create an intermediate (offline, manual) account register, e.g., "Accounts Payables (A/P)"
• move the original transaction with its attachment into the new account
  (or create future similar transactions in the new account instead of the credit card account) and categorize to the required expense category, e.g., Vacation
• when the individual purchases download in the credit card account categorize them as a transfer to the A/P account register
• having recorded everything correctly, your A/P balance should be back to 0.00 and you can easily reconcile the credit card account to the bank statement

This gives you a way to work around the issue where one register transaction must be matched to two or more actual bank transactions.
I use this method frequently with Amazon, when one order is split and delivered and charged as two or more individual shipments.
You could also use this when you purchase something and pay it in two or more installments (without having to set up a separate loan account)