[GNC] Import CSV transactions into GC

Stephen M. Butler Stephen.M.Butler51 at gmail.com
Fri Oct 7 15:12:43 EDT 2022


I have seen off-setting errors that retained the correct balance but at 
last two (sometimes more) transactions (expenses) were incorrect.



On 10/7/22 11:55, Carl S. wrote:
> We might be misunderstanding each other.
>
> Are you saying you enter each transaction into the account manually?
>
> Yes, it's clear that when you perform an account reconciliation, and 
> if the balances agree, then there'll be no problems.
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* R Losey [mailto:rlosey at gmail.com]
> *Subject:* [GNC] Import CSV transactions into GC
> *Date:* Friday, October 7, 2022 at 1:58 PM
> *To:* Carl S.
> *Cc:* David Carlson; gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>
>> Well, yes, but if I have the same balance that the statement shows, I 
>> can assume that the transactions are all there and correct, and then 
>> it it easy to just mark them all reconciled instead of doing 
>> them manually.
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 7, 2022 at 9:51 AM Carl S. <SE at shch262.com> wrote:
>>
>>     Well, reconciliation is easy and quick enough but manual entry of
>>     transactions is a huge waste of time- I have over 400 per month
>>     just for my credit card.
>>
>>     At this point I've adapted to importing CSV format and it works
>>     quite well.....now that I understand it. I've also successfully
>>     imported PDF converted to CSV format once certain data or columns
>>     (in Libreoffice Calc) were modified or deleted.
>>
>>     So with an element of happiness I ask....."QFX....QFX.....what's
>>     that?"
>>
>>     Carl Smith
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>     *From:* R Losey [mailto:rlosey at gmail.com <mailto:rlosey at gmail.com>]
>>     *Subject:* [GNC] Import CSV transactions into GC
>>     *Date:* Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 12:43 PM
>>     *To:* David Carlson
>>     *Cc:* Carl S.; gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>
>>>     While the convenience of importing transactions is nice, I've
>>>     been doing manual reconciliation and entry -- it's fast enough,
>>>     providing that I haven't missed a transaction.
>>>
>>>     On Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 8:11 AM David Carlson
>>>     <david.carlson.417 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>         OK.  I just checked and now they only offer PDF,
>>>         Spreadsheet(whatever that
>>>         means) and CSV download formats for my account.  I guess they
>>>         don't need
>>>         our business.
>>>
>>>         On Thu, Oct 6, 2022 at 7:51 AM Carl S. <SE at shch262.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>         > Whooops.....you're right  QFX and not QDF
>>>         > ------------------------------
>>>         > *From:* David Carlson [mailto:david.carlson.417 at gmail.com
>>>         > <david.carlson.417 at gmail.com>]
>>>         > *Subject:* [GNC] Import CSV transactions into GC
>>>         > *Date:* Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 12:17 AM
>>>         > *To:* Carl S.
>>>         > *Cc:* gnucash-user at gnucash.org
>>>         >
>>>         > What is QDF format?  That would not be the same as QFX.
>>>         >
>>>         > On Wed, Oct 5, 2022 at 10:57 PM Carl S. <SE at shch262.com> 
>>> wrote:
>>>         >
>>>         >> David,
>>>         >>
>>>         >> Thanks for the recommendations.  I've been working on this
>>>         way too long
>>>         >> but think that I figured out some of the difficulties.
>>>         'Just reconciled
>>>         >> a credit card statement and got all of the old mess behind
>>>         so that I can
>>>         >> begin anew by downloading csv transactions every few days
>>>         or so.
>>>         >>
>>>         >> I think I figured out why and how I got duplicates-  in
>>>         the Match
>>>         >> Transactions window there were several transactions that
>>>         had the A box
>>>         >> checked and in the Additional Comments column area there
>>>         were the words,
>>>         >> New, transfer $25.75 to (auto) "E:Food" My guess is that
>>>         GC was
>>>         >> telling me, "you already have this transaction in the
>>>         register and
>>>         >> here's the amount and the account name".  So the solution
>>>         was to tell GC
>>>         >> to NOT import the transaction by unchecking the A box
>>>         which would turn
>>>         >> the line color red.  You're correct also that if the C box
>>>         is checked
>>>         >> that particular transaction wont be imported.
>>>         >>
>>>         >> Thank you for the help...
>>>         >>
>>>         >> Carl Smith
>>>         >>
>>>         >> On 10/5/22 22:17, David Cousens 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
>>>         >> >> _______________________________________________
>>>         >> >> gnucash-user mailing list
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>>>         >>
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>>>         >
>>>         >
>>>         > --
>>>         > David Carlson
>>>         >
>>>         >
>>>         >
>>>
>>>         --         David Carlson
>>>         _______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>     --     _________________________________
>>>     Richard Losey
>>>     rlosey at gmail.com
>>>     Micah 6:8
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> _________________________________
>> Richard Losey
>> rlosey at gmail.com
>> Micah 6:8
>
>
>
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-- 
Stephen M Butler, PMP, PSM
Stephen.M.Butler51 at gmail.com
kg7je at arrl.net
253-350-0166
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