Writing a script to import bank's csv file

[Tommy Trussell]

On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 7:13 PM, prl <prl at ozemail.com.au> wrote:

>
> I record credit card/store card account repayments as transfers from my
> Gnucash savings/debit card/cheque account to the appropriate Gnucash credit
> card/store card account. This directly reflects what I actually do to the
> real-world accounts. Is there another way to do it?
>
> I generally set up the transfer as a future payment, a few days before the
> due date, in my bank's e-Banking when I reconcile the credit card statement
> (which I usually do the day I receive it). I record the transaction in
> Gnucash using the reconciliation process's transaction popup, and I use the
> transaction's actual payment date (usually 1-2 weeks in the future).
>
> I use the Notes field in the transfer to record my bank's transaction
> number for the payment.
>
> Peter
>

To make things easy on yourself, create a SEPARATE account for each credit
card and bank account you use. If it's a credit card, you will create the
account as a liability, and if it's a debit card you will use a
bank/checking account. (Checks, debit card transactions, deposits, ATM
withdrawals and bank drafts usually all appear on the same bank statement
for an "ordinary" bank account.)

When you make a purchase, enter it as shown in the previous example (with
or without the splits).

Here's a common split I use -- If I go to a "big box" store I buy some
groceries, some paint, maybe some paper for my office, then I enter a
single transaction but add "splits" for each category of purchase, all
adding to the one payment transaction. Likewise, if I pay for one
transaction in several ways -- for example if I use a gift (stored value)
card AND a debit card -- then the transaction splits can draw from both
(asset) accounts AS WELL AS one or more expense accounts. (I hope I didn't
lose you there.)

Then when you get the bank statement, you would see a single transaction
for your trip to BigBoxStore (because you merely swiped one card, as far as
the bank is concerned). When you reconcile your records with the bank's,
you look for the single transaction on that one date and mark it as
reconciled.

Once you have reconciled all the transactions in a Credit Card type account
(under liabilities) to your credit card statement, GnuCash will helpfully
offer to create the payment transaction (where you write a check or have
the bank draft the payment from your checking account).

I believe the entire process of handling credit cards is spelled out in
clearer detail in the GnuCash documentation.

SO to reiterate in a different way, bank cards work in opposite ways --
using a debit card decreases your assets (the amount you have in the bank),
and using a credit card increases your liabilities (the amount you owe to a
bank). SO from a "proper" accounting perspective, credit card and debit
card transactions "should" appear in different columns when you compare
them side-by-side.

As I mentioned before, however, by default GnuCash swaps the debits and
credit columns in a credit card account so the columns are on the same
sides for debit cards and credit cards.

I hope I haven't muddled this too much. You can read the documentation from
within the application or on the web site from links at GnuCash.org.


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