How can I resolve an issue where debits from a checking account are showing up as credits in secondo

JKosher

I have just started using Quicken Classic for Windows and am having a strange interaction between two checking accounts. I have a Bank of America checking account that I can download directly and a Rockland Trust checking account that I have to go to the bank website and download a QFX file for updates to the account.

From the first time that I downloaded the two accounts there has been an interaction between the two where a payment to American Express in the Rockland Trust account is showing up ad a deposit in the Bank of America account. The deposit in Bank of America is showing as { American Express(Rockland Trust) }

If I manually delete the deposit from the Bank of America account it also magically deletes the debit from the Rockland Trust account.

I am at a loss at how to resolve this and the software isn't very useful if I can't resolve this.

Quicken Anja

Hello @JKosher,

Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to explain what you’re seeing—this definitely sounds confusing, especially when you’re just getting started with Quicken.

Based on your description, it sounds like Quicken may be interpreting your American Express payment as a transfer between the two accounts. If the transaction in Rockland Trust is categorized using square brackets like [Bank of America], Quicken will automatically treat that as a transfer and create a matching entry in the linked account.

Even if the original transaction was downloaded, Quicken can still auto-create these entries when it detects a transfer category. I recommend reviewing the category on the Rockland Trust transaction to see if it includes [Bank of America]. If it does, try changing it to a regular expense category (e.g., “Credit Card Payment” or similar) instead.

Doing so should stop Quicken from automatically linking the two transactions and remove the unintended deposit in Bank of America.

Let us know what you find!

NotACPA

Please show us graphics (JPG or PNG format) of the actual transactions.

Quicken Anja

Hello @JKosher,

Thanks for reaching out and taking the time to explain what you’re seeing—this definitely sounds confusing, especially when you’re just getting started with Quicken.

Based on your description, it sounds like Quicken may be interpreting your American Express payment as a transfer between the two accounts. If the transaction in Rockland Trust is categorized using square brackets like [Bank of America], Quicken will automatically treat that as a transfer and create a matching entry in the linked account.

Even if the original transaction was downloaded, Quicken can still auto-create these entries when it detects a transfer category. I recommend reviewing the category on the Rockland Trust transaction to see if it includes [Bank of America]. If it does, try changing it to a regular expense category (e.g., “Credit Card Payment” or similar) instead.

Doing so should stop Quicken from automatically linking the two transactions and remove the unintended deposit in Bank of America.

Let us know what you find!

JKosher

Thank you Anja, that suggestion solved the issue. Both balances are correct now without any adjustment. Is there anyway to make sure that the category is correct in the future, or will I have to make the same correction every time I pay AMEX with my Rockland Trust account?

Quicken Anja

@JKosher Thanks for the update! I'm glad to hear that resolved the issue for you.

To help prevent this from happening again in the future, here are a couple of things you can try:

1. Review Your Memorized Payee List
Go to Tools > Memorized Payee List.

From there, search for the payee in question and check what category is saved. If it's saved with a transfer category, you can edit it by right-clicking on the entry and selecting Edit, then update the category to your preferred one. This helps ensure that future transactions for that payee don’t auto-fill with a transfer category.

2. Adjust Your Transfer Detection Settings
Go to Edit > Preferences > Transfer detection.

Here you have two options:

• Uncheck “Scan downloaded transactions for possible transfers” to turn off automatic transfer categorization entirely.
• Or leave it checked and select “Confirm possible transfers before entering in the register” to get a prompt before Quicken assigns any transfer category.

These settings can help give you more control over how your transactions are categorized moving forward.

Additionally, since you mentioned earlier that you are just started using Quicken Classic for Windows, I wanted to also let you know about the option to schedule a free, one-on-one tour with our Quicken 1-2-3 Team.

During your scheduled appointment, a team member will call you directly to walk you through the program, help you get familiar with its features, answer any questions, and make sure it’s set up in a way that best fits your needs.

If this interests you, you can click here to choose a time slot and schedule your tour. You also have the option to call them directly—the phone number is listed at the same link.

Hope this helps!