Transaction limit for QIF file import??

Hi, when importing transactions in QIF, there seems to be a transaction limit of around 15-20. Beyond this, I get an error message 'file is not in the correct format'. Is there any way to work around this limit? I'd like to be able to import months of transactions at the same time, rather than weekly or even every few days depending on how many times I make transactions…

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GerryWinter

What bank are you downloading from and into which Reckon account?

macfarjs

Hi @GerryWinter I'm downloading to Personal Plus v31 Release R1, from HSBC bank.

GerryWinter

sorry i meant credit card, saving or chq in Reckon

I have just downloads 149 in 1 go,

Call me to chat

macfarjs

Thanks Gerry for your time & call to go through this… it seems that it is an issue specifically with my bank, as you didn't have the same issue with a different bank QIF download. I had since checked smaller transaction downloads, and the import seems to be skipping some transactions (most recently I downloaded 9 transactions, and the import did not come up with an error, although only 6 were imported). It may be the wording / text of the QIF file that is preventing full import. For the time being I will try combine QIF imports with manual verification, or even modifying text of the QIF file in text editor before importing to Reckon, and hopefully Reckon can come up with a solution.

macfarjs

For anyone else who has this issue, I imported the QIF file to excel, and then used the TRIM function on the descriptions, and then re-save as text and change the file extension to .qif (also open in text editor and do a find/replace for any " marks and delete), and that seems to import into Reckon OK.

Datarec

Hi @macfarjs

To further assist others who may experience the same or similar issue:

Are you shortening the Memo or descriptions a specific length?
Are those " (quotation marks) in the Memo line only or others?

Below is some info on the QIF format.

Quicken Interchange Format - Wikipedia

macfarjs

Hi @Datarec,

I have pasted in a few examples of my qif export below. You can see the 1st snapshot is the unmodified export qif from my bank, opened in text editor, there is only the date, amount, and payee. The 2nd is after I modified in excel using the TRIM function only on the Payee line (there is no memo line or anything else here, only Payee). The third is an example of the quotation marks, tbh I'm not sure why these show up but they appear in a few lines of the modified file that I export from excel and name back as a qif; this may affect the import as it can import the transaction but leaves out the Payee line. So I do a find an replace in text editor for these apostrophe marks.

GerryWinter

Which bank are you using?

macfarjs

@GerryWinter I'm using HSBC

GerryWinter

Can I have a look at how they do their exports, give me a call to discuss. 0418907140

Datarec

Hi @macfarjs

Perhaps that TRIM process you are using on the Payee lines results in the modified text being enclosed by quotation marks.

After modifying the file and then exporting from Excel, what format are you exporting it as?

a) Tab Delimited TXT

b) Comma Separate Volume (CSV)

c) __________________

macfarjs

Hi @Datarec, I exported from excel as a *.csv; and then double checked in the text editor before modifying the extension to .qif and importing to Reckon. So yeah I agree that it's probably the export somehow, although it is not consistent.

@GerryWinter thanks for your time yesterday; as we discussed on the call I did try with a different account at the same bank (HSBC) and there was no problem at all, the import was fine and all payee descriptions came through without issue. So it may be related to the text characters in the transaction account qif file (it uses the "%" character which may confuse the import)

Datarec

Hi @macfarjs

The QIF file is not a CSV file, it is just a plain-text file.

Saving it as a CSV format likely added those double-quotes.

There should be an option to save as TXT.

GerryWinter

it is without doubt a banking only problem.