Cheqbook is most useful when you link your checking or credit card accounts so it can automatically download and categorize transactions for you every night.
However, for a variety of reasons you may need to upload transactions manually. These include:
- Newly linked banks typically cannot get more than a year's worth of previous transactions, and you may want to go further back.
- Your bank may not be listed and you've chosen to periodically upload files yourself - which is still easier than keying every transaction.
- A bank link may have been lost for an extended period and when you reconnected a date range of transactions was no longer available.
Fortunately most bank's websites can provide a transaction file which you can then upload into Cheqbook to replace these missing transactions.
(Note that we call this process uploading, as you'll be uploading a file you have into Cheqbook. The automated process where Cheqbook connects to your linked bank accounts and automatically gathers your transactions we refer to as downloading).
In most cases the following steps to will walk you through this process. It gets much easier the more experience you have with it.
Before you continue, if you're importing a CSV file because that's all your bank offers, they require a lot more effort. There's a specific FAQ for CSV files you can find here:
https://help.cheqbook.com/hc/en-us/articles/115002114754
Importing Steps:
Step One - Carefully note the exact date ranges and bank accounts you need.
Step Two - go to your financial institution's website:
- Log into your online banking site & look for something like:
- Download Transactions
- Account Downloads
- Account Tools
- Download Account Activity - Look for one of the following formats that work best: Microsoft Money, Quicken, or Active Statement.
The files we use end with .ofx, .qfx, .csv, or .qif. We do not accept .qxf files. - Following your bank's method save all the transactions for the time period you want to add. You may want to save this file to your desktop in order to make it easier to find.
IMPORTANT #1 - Make sure to avoid date ranges that include transactions you have already have.
Step Three - go to Cheqbook's website:
- Login to Cheqbook
-
Click the company where you want to add transactions (if you have more than one).
Then:
-
If you are adding transactions to an existing linked account,
- Click "Manage" in the linked accounts sidebar on the "Accounts" page.
- Click "Manage" next to the account you want to use.
- Click "Upload" then skip go to step Four
Or:
- If you want to upload transactions for a new account,
- Click "Create Manual Upload Account" from the Cheqbook dashboard.
- Enter an account name for this account.
Step Four:
- Click "Choose File"
- In the popup window, select the .ofx, .qfx, .csv or .qif you downloaded from you bank and click "Open"
- Click "Upload File"
- The file you have uploaded will be processed and transactions will be added to your account. Uploaded transactions will be initially categorized (yellow) in the way transactions from linked accounts are. They will be marked as "Uncategorized" (red) if Cheqbook does not recognize the Payee.
- Repeat this process for any additional files you have.
IMPORTANT #2 - If you're uploading only because your bank link is temporarily not functioning, you MUST reconcile your accounts immediately. Otherwise when the bank account link is re-established it will duplicate your transactions. Reconciling is the easiest way to prevent this because Cheqbook will not accept new automatic bank transactions on or before the date your account is reconciled.
This process seems complex at first, but many of us have done it hundreds of times testing and using the software. So, if you have any problems with this let us know and we'll be happy to help you!
Helpful Hint for Newly Linked Accounts - If you're trying to fill in the gap before the date we were able to get from the bank by download, there is an additional step to consider. On the date before the first date we could get transactions from the bank we enter a transaction with the balance as of that day. It has a blue icon, and will be the only transaction with a blue icon until you start categorizing. If you need to upload transactions before that date, follow these suggestions above, but then you have to return to this balance transaction and edit it as follows:
1. Change the date to the day before the new range you uploaded.
2. Change the balance to the balance immediately before the date range you uploaded.
After these changes the transaction will sport a green icon, because a human (you) changed it. This is normal, and will insure your running balance is now correct.
Comments
3 comments
I'm trying to upload the transactions to an unlinked account because Cheqbook doesn't have the financial institute listed. I can't find "New Linked Account" from the "Accounts" page. Also, when I create a new credit card account, is it a cash account or liability account? Not sure which category to select. Thanks!
Angelus, sorry we missed your question when it was posted, I just ran across it today so much later. We don't regularly respond to questions here, it's more of a comments and further suggestions forum. If you ever need immediate assistance please always submit a support ticket and we'll respond! As for this question, credit cards are liability accounts.
I can't get transactions for more than 6 months using the transactions export& that's the only other way I can see on our checking account site to get transactions uploaded to this site. Leaves 8 months with no transactions from a linked account.
Barbara Perrin
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