Zero Dollar Split Transaction - regression after R68.31

Question

I've been a Quicken user since 1998.  For almost 30 years I have recorded 100's of Zero-dollar ($0.00) split transactions.  For example I bought an item at Costco for $50 dollars but I used a Costco $50 Costco Gift Card someone had given me as a gift.  Well, I like to record the date of the purchase, where the item was purchased and what the item was in Quicken.  It is my one source for ALL expenditures.

I would put Costco as the payee, no amount in either charge or payment and then in category I would select split and put: Household, mini-blender, $50 charge.  Then on the next line I would select: Misc, Costco Gift Card from mom, -$50.00 payment.  I would hit enter and be done with it.  Sometimes I would save the transaction as "Cleared" right then and there and sometimes I would catch it at reconciliation.

But sometime after August 7, something to probably do with R69.21 Build 27.1.69.21.  I can no longer do my transactions like this.  When I try  Quicken changes my negative "payment" (-$50.00) to $0.00 and a weird new window pops up that forces me to select a radio button beside Charge or beside Payment.

I've done THOUSANDS of these "zero-dollar split transactions" before and it has never been a problem.  And now it is….has anyone else experienced this??  Is there a setting or something?  What did they do??

Quicken Kristina · Answer

Hello @QuickUser1998, @Sceptic, & @Joey,

Thank you for letting us know you're encountering this issue! I have been trying to replicate this issue in my file, but haven't had any luck. What kind of account(s) are you seeing this happen with (Checking, Savings, Credit, Business Checking, Brokerage, etc.)? Are you using an expense category and an income category, all expense categories, all income categories, or something else? What process are you using to enter the split transaction?

If possible, please share a screenshot of the new popup window you've been seeing. If needed, please refer to this Community FAQ for instructions on how to attach a screenshot. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop screenshots to your response if you are not given the option to add attachments.

I look forward to your response!

Joey · Answer

Yes, I'm here in the forum because of this exact problem. This change breaks YEARS of using an important feature for my business process. Surely the devs can quickly unwind this change, or give us an option in Preferences to return to the old behavior for those that depend on it. Please!

Sceptic · Answer

@QuickUser1998 I do these zero dollar split transactions all the time.  I have also experienced what you described.  What I do to get around it is put the 50.00 charge in first and then enter it into the account register.  Then I go back into the transaction and do a split.  I enter in the offsetting split transaction and then hit the "Adjust" button to make the Transaction Total go to Zero.  Then I hit Enter, to resave the transaction as a zero dollar split transaction.