Recurring ZZZZZ suffix added to categories on downloaded Capital One/Discover transactions

Question

I'm using Quicken Classic Premier for Windows and have been experiencing a recurring problem where downloaded transactions are assigned categories with an erroneous :ZZZZZ suffix.

For example:

* Food & Dining:Restaurants:ZZZZZ
* Shopping:ZZZZZ
* Auto & Transport:Service & Parts:ZZZZZ

The ZZZZZ category does not actually exist in my Category List, including hidden categories.

I've encountered this intermittently for years, but it has recently become much more frequent.

Here's the interesting pattern:

On November 2, both newly downloaded transactions from my Discover credit card had the ZZZZZ suffix.

On November 3, both newly downloaded transactions from my Capital One Spark Visa had the same problem.

That's four out of four transactions across two separate accounts, using Express Web Connect+.

Troubleshooting already performed:

* Ran Validate & Repair on October 29.
* Found two unusual, unused categories named ACCT_1ba and ACCT_1be, which I deleted on October 30.
* Confirmed that neither category has returned.
* Confirmed that searching the Category List for ZZZ produces no results.
* The ZZZZZ problem continues on newly downloaded transactions after that cleanup.

I normally correct these categories manually before accepting the transactions, so I don't have a complete historical count.

So far, the recent occurrences I've documented involve Discover and Capital One Spark Visa. I haven't established whether other financial institutions are affected.

Has anyone else experienced this exact ZZZZZ suffix, particularly with Capital One or Discover downloads? Is this a known Quicken categorization bug, and has anyone found a permanent solution?

I would prefer to avoid repeated validation or other potentially disruptive repairs without evidence that they address the underlying problem.

Sceptic · Answer

@Brad95X since you've already run Validate & Repair and confirmed that no actual ZZZZZ category exists in your Category List, I wonder if this may be the result of some underlying data file corruption. The fact that the suffix is appearing across multiple financial institutions (Discover and Capital One) suggests it is less likely to be an issue with a specific download source and more likely something within the Quicken data file itself.

One troubleshooting step that may be worth considering is creating a Quicken Copy.

A Quicken Copy rebuilds many of the internal structures within a data file while preserving the account and transaction data. Because of this, it can sometimes correct data file corruption or inconsistencies that Validate & Repair either does not detect or cannot fix. It is frequently used as both a repair tool and a diagnostic step when unusual behavior persists across multiple accounts or financial institutions.

The main benefit is that it creates a freshly rebuilt version of the data file that may eliminate hidden corruption. If the issue no longer occurs in the copied file, that provides evidence that the original file was the source of the problem rather than the download process or financial institution.

Before proceeding, create a manual backup of your current data file.

To create the copy:

* Select File → Copy or Backup File.
* Choose Create a copy or template and click Next.
* Leave the date range unchanged so all transactions are copied.
* Specify a new file name and location for the copied file.
* Complete the copy process and open the new file when prompted.

Be aware that the Quicken Copy process deactivates online services for all accounts. After opening the copied file, you will need to reactivate downloads by using Add Account and then carefully link the financial institution accounts to the existing accounts in the copied file.

While there is no guarantee a Quicken Copy will eliminate the :ZZZZZ suffix behavior, the combination of the previously discovered phantom categories ( ACCT_1ba ,  ACCT_1be ) and the recurring category assignment anomalies makes it a reasonable next step if the problem continues. If the issue disappears in the copied file, that would further support the possibility that the original file contained some level of internal corruption.

Walter@@ · Answer

I have it on my Chase-Amazon account-I do not have retail purchase categories set up.