how to combine scheduled transactions and online banking data?

[Wes Metz]

I do not have much experience with downloading bank transactions but I know
how downloading credit card transactions works, and I do have
numerous scheduled, credit card transactions.

First, downloading and confirming transactions, and reconciliation are two
different processes.

When I download transactions, using OFX, the gnucash interface suggests how
each transaction will be processed in gnucash and allows me to intervene if
necessary. In most cases, the interface identifies transactions that are
already entered into gnucash (either manually or by schedule) and indicates
that the transaction will be confirmed. If not, I change that in the
interface. It also suggests the expense category for the transaction. If it
is missing or incorrect, I change it (this is a learning process for
gnucash so that future transactions will be handled the same way). After
verifying the data to be downloaded, I execute it. After the download is
complete, the transaction status in the "R" column, for previously entered
transactions, changes from 'n' (not confirmed) to 'c' (confirmed).

Afterwards, I reconcile the account. When reconciliation is complete, the
"R" column status changes to 'y' (reconciled).

Hope this helps.

On Fri, May 13, 2016 at 3:44 AM, Valentin <gnucash at inktrap.org> wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> I would like to know how I could combine scheduled transactions and my
> online banking data. I already posted my problem on stackoverflow [0], but
> for completeness' sake, here it is again:
>
> I don't know how to combine scheduled transactions and banking data in
> practice. What I have done already:
>
>     - I am fairly new to accounting, but have read Accounting for
>       Computer Scientists [1], so I know the basics.
>
>     - I already used gnucash for a while and entered all my expenses and
>       income. Now I want to automate things (starting from scratch).
>
>     - I have some scheduled transactions, f.e. rent and the rent is
>       substracted from my checking account each month. So I would like
>       to create the transaction via gnucash's scheduled transactions
>       functionality and confirm that the payment happened via the
>       checking account data. That means I could plan ahead via scheduled
>       transactions and can verify some transactions of my banking
>       account. That is known as reconciliation. [2]
>
> My problem is: I don't know how to combine the two. Can I match
> scheduled transactions to be confirmed by imported data? How should the
> account structure be for this?
>
> A scheduled transaction, like rent
>
>     - decreases my checking account
>     - increases my rent account
>
> and is unconfirmed. During reconciliation I would like to import my
> banking data, but this would also decrease my checking account and
> increase my rent account; the scheduled transaction has already been
> created.
>
> I think I don't get some part of the reconciliation or import process.
>
> [0] <
> https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/63840/gnucash-how-to-combine-scheduled-transactions-and-online-banking-data
> >
> [1] <
> http://martin.kleppmann.com/2011/03/07/accounting-for-computer-scientists.html
> >
> [2] <
> https://www.gnucash.org/docs/v2.6/C/gnucash-guide/txns-reconcile1.html>
>
> to the relevant part of the docs.
>
> Best wishes and thanks for reading,
> Valentin
> _______________________________________________
> gnucash-user mailing list
> gnucash-user at gnucash.org
> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user
> -----
> Please remember to CC this list on all your replies.
> You can do this by using Reply-To-List or Reply-All.
>