Importing bank transactions, gnuCash 2.6

[David T.]

Dave,

Personally, I’d use QIF because it is a pretty simple, text-based format that is well-known and -documented (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicken_Interchange_Format <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quicken_Interchange_Format>). I would also use a combination import process in which I would do some editing beforehand, and some alteration afterward. I would avoid the “During” mode because I find it cumbersome.

I will assume that the bank will export QIF, so each transaction in your QIF export should have the data elements you indicated for each transaction (D for date, N for number or type, P for payee/description, T for amount [note, can be positive or negative]). 

Before editing, I would scan the file and figure out what kinds of accounts your client will need, and I’d type those up in a separate file for reference. 

Next, working on a copy of the exported file, for each transaction whose other account you know or can deduce, I would add a line for the transfer account (e.g. “Expenses:Groceries” or “Expenses:Dining” or “Liabilities:Amex”). The QIF spec notes that this element uses the ‘L’ tag, so you would enter ‘LExpenses:Groceries’ on a new line in the transaction block. Continue this process until you have filled in as much as you can.

Having completed this preprocessing, I would import the file as quickly as possible, and check the results. You will likely find errors in your typing, and I think it is easier to edit the QIF and reimport , than correct more than a few import errors.

Once you’ve imported the QIF, you will have a number of entries for which you skipped adding the other account. Gnucash, being a double-entry snob, will automatically assign such transactions to IMBALANCE-*** (where *** is your currency). Open this imbalance account, set the register view to Auto-Split or Transaction Journal, and begin working your way through the transactions, changing Imbalance-USD to your preferred other account. As you change the account and press enter on these transactions, they will disappear from the current register (since they are no longer assigned to it), and you can keep track of what still remains. When the account is empty, you know you’ve worked through the complete file. 

It’s not automatic, but it is a little easier to see what's going on.

David

> On Apr 20, 2017, at 4:31 PM, dave boland <dboland9 at fastmail.fm> wrote:
> 
> Dave,
>  
> Thanks for the reply.  Very helpful.  The other alternative would be to print the list, and enter each one individually.
>  
> Either way, the same problem may come up - recalling what the transaction was for (groceries, home improvement, etc.).  For that, the user has a pile of receipts that they will have to go through.  Does this change anything?
>  
> Dave,
>  
> On Thu, Apr 20, 2017, at 06:37 AM, David T. wrote:
>> Dave, 
>>  
>> Gnucash supports numerous import formats--QIF, OFX, csv, and others. If you use a search engine like Google and enter a search term like "gnucash import", you will find many leads. 
>>  
>> That said, your data source will not allow very helpful importing, since it lacks any information that could be used for the second side of every transaction. 
>>  
>> The only way around this is for you to provide that information. You can do it before, during, or after the import itself. 
>>  
>> Before, you would go through your source file (whichever format you choose), and add the second account. Adding them this way would allow you to use text editor tools. 
>>  
>> During, you would open each transaction in the list before you finish the import and assign the second account. Slower, but more reliable. 
>>  
>> After, you would open the IMBALANCE-USD  account and add the second account there until all the transactions disappear from the register. 
>>  
>> HTH, 
>> David 
>> 
>>  
>> On Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 14:24, dave boland
>> <dboland9 at fastmail.fm <mailto:dboland9 at fastmail.fm>> wrote:
>> I need a plan to import about a year's worth of bank transactions into
>> gnuCash.  The user's bank can do many different file formats, so the
>> first question is which one is best?  Keep in mind that the data is
>> simply:
>>  
>> Transaction  Transaction  Check 
>> Date        Type*        No.    Description**  Credit  Debit  Balance
>> -----------  -----------  ------ -------------  -----  ------- -------
>>  
>> * Deposit, Withdrawal, Check, Purchase, Fee
>> ** Only for purchases using the bank card, or ATM address
>>  
>> There is no receiving account (Expenses:Grocery for example).
>>  
>> What is the procedure to import the transactions?  I get that
>> File/Import is used, but I'm more interested in how the transactions are
>> matched to the receiving account.  Will this also 'R' the transaction?
>>  
>> I went through Help, but found nothing (Hint Hint).  Googling didn't get
>> me the help I want either.
>>  
>> Thanks,
>> Dave
>> --
>>   dave boland
>>   dboland9 at fastmail.fm <mailto:dboland9 at fastmail.fm>
>>  
>> --
>> http://www.fastmail.com  <http://www.fastmail.com/>- Or how I learned to stop worrying and
>>                           love email again
>>  
>> _______________________________________________
>> gnucash-user mailing list
>> gnucash-user at gnucash.org <mailto:gnucash-user at gnucash.org>
>> https://lists.gnucash.org/mailman/listinfo/gnucash-user <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.
> 
> -- 
> dave boland
> dboland9 at fastmail.fm <mailto:dboland9 at fastmail.fm>
> -- 
> http://www.fastmail.com <http://www.fastmail.com/> - The way an email service should be