[GNC] Import CSV transactions into GC

[David Carlson]

CSV imports are less likely to catch all duplicates, especially if there is
little or no history of training.  Hopefully, though, amount and payee will
match closely enough to usually offer matches in the comparison step of the
import.

In 2021 Discover card offered QFX exports which include a unique
transaction identifier number in each transaction which allows GnuCash to
immediately discard transactions that are duplicates of previously imported
transactions.  I do not use that card enough to know if it still does offer
QFX. I prefer that format when it is available.

On Wed, Oct 5, 2022 at 9:18 PM David Cousens <davidcousens49 at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Carl
>
> If you had previously imported the September transactions, then the Import
> Matcher should recognize all of them as duplicates and not import them. In
> this
> case the A checkbox and U+C checkbox should both be unchecked and the 'C'
> checkbox set to indicate that the transactions match existing transactions
> and
> won't be imported, but the existing transactions will be marked as cleared
> (not
> reconciled).
>
> If the CSV file contained some data which differed from that which was in
> the
> in the QFX files, the U+C checkbox may be checked instead of the  C
> checkbox
> which indicates that the transaction matches an existing transaction and
> won't
> be imported again but the data which is different will be updated form the
> CSV
> import file.  The A checkbox should not be checked if the transactions
> already
> exist in your data file, only if they are new transactions.
>
> It is deliberately designed so as to not allow importing duplicate
> transactions
> as transactions can only be deleted individually from the account register.
>
> If you are experimenting with the import, a good idea is to create a dummy
> test
> set of books and experiment with importing into that firstrather than your
> main
> set of books. The dummy doesn't have to have your full account tree, just
> the
> accounts you will use during the import process. Once you have the import
> working as you want then import to your main set of books. It also helps to
> create a dummy CSV file which only has a few typical transactions in it to
> get
> the setup right. Avoids having to delete large numbers of transaction
> while you
> are experimenting if you don't get it right first time round.
>
> David Cousens
>
> On Wed, 2022-10-05 at 21:01 -0400, Carl S. wrote:
> > Discover Card (a credit card) as of last week stopped providing the
> > download of Discover card transactions in QDF....much to my displeasure.
> >
> > They do provide a download of transactions in CSV format.
> >
> > I'm trying to figure out how to do a reliable importation of my credit
> > card transactions into GC in my Discover Card acct in GC.  This all
> > assumes I'll have to work with the downloaded CSV files now.
> >
> > For experimentation reasons I'm working on importing in csv format the
> > transactions for the entire month of September just to see how the
> > actual process is done.  Previously, I had already imported the Discover
> > card transactions in QDF for September (before Discover Card ended the
> > QDF download).  Next I'm importing the CSV transactions to see how they
> > are recognized and matched by GC.
> >
> > I've been somewhat successful in using  the
> > File----Import-----Transactions from CSV and getting to the Match
> > Transactions screen which presents the transactions to be imported.  I
> > understand what the Reconcile (auto match) transactions are but many of
> > the transactions when imported to the account end up as duplicates since
> > previously they had been added in QDF.
> >
> > So, I'm confused and want to make the importation process as easy as
> > possible.  The A  U+C  C options make matters worse....for me.
> >
> > Also, I've tried, or rather, have attempted to get working, various
> > csv2ODF converters.  For me too many error messages was enough to stay
> > away from them.
> >
> > Any help is much appreciated...
> >
> > Car Smith
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-- 
David Carlson