Can I rename or merge a subcategory to the parent category, which is also a subcategory? (Q Mac)

Dorothy H
Dorothy H Member ✭✭✭
edited January 2022 in Registers & Transactions (Mac)
In cleaning up my registers, I accidentally assigned some txns to a subcategory instead of merging them into an already established subcategory. Is there a way to fix?

For example, all Starbucks entries are now categorized as Food & Dining: Coffee Shops: Coffee Shops. I would like them to be simply Food & Dining: Coffee Shops.

I made the same mistake with all Food & Dining entries. Restaurant entries are now categorized as Food & Dining: Restaurants: Restaurants. Would prefer it to be simply Food & Dining: Restaurants.

When I select both subcategories (eg., Food & Dining: Coffee Shops: Coffee Shops and Food & Dining: Coffee Shops), the merge option is grayed out. Any ideas how to accomplish?
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Best Answer

  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    Yes, you can do what you want -- but there's a trick. ;)

    The trick is that you can only merge categories and subcategories at the same level of hierarchy. You can't merge a main category and a sub-category, or a sub-category and a sub-sub-category.

    So here's how I'd solve your problem. You have:
       Food & Dining
          Coffee Shops
             Coffee Shops

    Rename the lowest subcategory to something different:
       Food & Dining
          Coffee Shops
             To Merge

    Then move this sub-sub-category up in the Categories window so it's at the same level as the sub-category you want to merge it with:
       Food & Dining
          Coffee Shops
          To Merge

    And now you can click on "Coffee Shops" and "To Merge" and merge them into Coffee Shops.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993

Answers

  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    Answer ✓
    Yes, you can do what you want -- but there's a trick. ;)

    The trick is that you can only merge categories and subcategories at the same level of hierarchy. You can't merge a main category and a sub-category, or a sub-category and a sub-sub-category.

    So here's how I'd solve your problem. You have:
       Food & Dining
          Coffee Shops
             Coffee Shops

    Rename the lowest subcategory to something different:
       Food & Dining
          Coffee Shops
             To Merge

    Then move this sub-sub-category up in the Categories window so it's at the same level as the sub-category you want to merge it with:
       Food & Dining
          Coffee Shops
          To Merge

    And now you can click on "Coffee Shops" and "To Merge" and merge them into Coffee Shops.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
  • Dorothy H
    Dorothy H Member ✭✭✭
    Thank you! That did it.
  • brianr13@me.com
    brianr13@me.com Quicken Mac 2017 Member
    how can I delete a category
  • garysmith87
    garysmith87 Quicken Mac Subscription Member ✭✭✭✭
    In Quicken Mac:

    Window > Categories ... highlight the category or sub-category you want to delete.  Click on the - (minus) sign at the bottom of the window.  

    Alternatively, right click on the category and select Delete Category.

    Alternatively, highlight the category and select DELETE from the keyboard.

  • jacobs
    jacobs Quicken Mac Subscription SuperUser, Mac Beta Beta
    brianr13@me.com said:
    how can I delete a category
    If you delete a category that's never been used, then deleting it from the Categories window by clicking it and pressing the – button will do it, as explained above. But if it's a category which you've used for transactions in the past, heed the warning which will pop up when you try to delete it: it warns you that removing the category will remove it from all transactions which use that category. All those transactions will become Uncategorized. 

    For that reason, I think it's generally a better idea to merge the category you want to remove into another existing category, so you aren't left with uncategorized transactions.
    Quicken Mac Subscription • Quicken user since 1993
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