Pending Transactions don't match up in Bank download

SRC54

I tend to put in my transactions each evening while the splits are fresh on my mind and I still have the receipt.  These are mainly on my First US Bank checking.  The next morning I find that Simplifi has duplicated these.  Along side mine I find downloaded pending transactions with same date, same amount and same payee.  It just ignores mine, and they are set as pending as well.  I just delete the downloaded ones.  So far, I haven't noticed problems downloading cleared transactions.  Simplifi seems to match those up correctly with my pending transactions.  Are we not supposed to enter pending transactions?

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thank you for posting this to the Community, although I apologize that you're seeing this behavior in Simplifi. 

As far as I'm aware, you should be able to manually enter transactions that are still pending with the bank, and the downloaded transaction should match to it, whether pending or not. Have you ever waited to see what happens when the transaction actually clears in Simplifi, by chance?

It's possible that you may need to start manually linking the downloaded transaction with the manually entered transaction to teach Simplifi how to match. I'm not sure if what you're seeing is an issue with how we're interfacing with your bank, or if it's in the program itself, but it would definitely be worth a shot.

This Support Article contains some more information on duplicate transactions, as well as how to manually link a manual transaction to a bank downloaded one: http://help.simplifimoney.com/en/articles/4901071-how-to-resolve-duplicate-transactions

I would try giving this a shot for a little bit to see if things improve, but please be sure to let me know if you continue to see the issue -- screenshots would also be very helpful.

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

Thanks.  That helps a lot.  I was able to fix two transactions.  I will keep doing that to see if it learns.  One thing I also noticed today in both Quicken and Simplifi is that the downloaded transactions use the download date instead of my date.  That is also the case when I merged the transactions.  It overwrote my date with today's date.  That wasn't happening until today.  I have already contacted support on that issue.

SRC54

@Coach Natalie I have used the feature to match dowloaded transactions with ones I've entered, and it is great.  But I still get quirks.  Yesterday I matched downloaded pending transaction with the one I entered.  Today, it downloaded it again and unmatched it.  I rematched it.  Tomorrow it should be cleared.  I'll see what happens.

Also, I waited yesterday to enter more pending transactions and let them download instead.  I had two and one was at a grocery store, which I then entered the splits.  Today it redownloaded it and deleted my splits.  I did the splits again.  I will see how it handles it tomorrow when it downloads the cleared transaction.

I have always found apps that download pending transactions to be flaky and it appears that Simplifi is too.

Coach Natalie

Hello @Mike T,

Thanks for posting back with an update!

Yes, please let me know how it goes. As far as I'm aware, Simplifi also shouldn't be deleting your splits on pending transactions once the transaction clears, so I am discussing this behavior a bit further with my Team to see what direction we should take.

To clarify, does this occur with a specific bank/account, or are you seeing it across all of your accounts and all of your banks? 

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

I know it happens with First US Bank (Alabama) and I am pretty sure it happened this morning with Chase Bank (Credit Card) too.  Thanks @Coach Natalie .

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thanks for confirming!

I've confirmed with my Team that downloaded pending transactions should automatically match to manually entered ones, so you'll definitely want to keep an eye on this. One more thing that I'd like to confirm -- are the transactions in question recurring, by chance? If so, is the pending transaction that downloads being automatically linked to the associated Recurring Reminder?

We are also doing some testing with splits to see what happens when the transaction clears -- if you see this issue pop back up for you, would you mind grabbing a screenshot of the transaction with the split while it's pending, as well as a screenshot of the same transaction after it clears showing that your split was deleted, so I can share this information with my Team?

Thank you!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

OK, I just took some, and will take more tomorrow if I notice anything.

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Well, I didn't lose any splits today, but two pending transactions that I entered yesterday and were downloaded and matched yesterday today downloaded as separate transactions.  I merged them with yesterday's.

These are debit card transactions made on the 15th.  Today they downloaded again with date of 16th.  Tomorrow they should download as cleared.  I wonder what will happen to them tomorrow.

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Yay on the splits! 

Try to grab some screenshots of your transactions each day so we can see a progression of what's occurring with them. Seeing the Transaction Details would also be great, as we'll need to know the "Appears on your statement as..." info for each of them. Also, please try to grab a screenshot of each of the transactions (manual and downloaded) before you merge them. 

Please let me know if you have any questions, thanks a bunch!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

I've sent you a message with some screen shots.  I will have more later. Thanks @Coach Natalie

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thanks for letting me know!

I received a DM from you with screenshots, but they don't seem to pertain to this issue. Am I missing some? 

Please let me know, thank you!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

No, I didn't have anything new on this issue; maybe tomorrow.  

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Well, I have pretty much nailed this down.  Here is the progression of how this works with my First US Bank account.

1). I make a purchase at a store.  It will take 2 days for the transaction to clear.
2) I can enter the pending transaction with splits manually or let it download.  If I enter it manually, it downloads later that day; either way it matches just fine.  End of Day 1.
3) Day 2, the transaction downloads again but with today's date, not yesterday's.  It ignores the matched transaction from yesterday and downloads it again, changing yesterday's matched transaction to a manually entered transaction.
4) So I merge the two transactions and it ends up with today's date. 
5) On Day 3, it will download the transaction as cleared and matches it fine IF I don't change the date back to Day 1, when the transaction was actually made.  If I change the date, I'll have to merge the transactions for a second time.  So for now on day 2, I just leave the date alone.

Once I have it cleared, I can change the date to the correct one and there will be no further problems.  Here you see how this happened with a CVS transaction.  Tomorrow the Publix transaction will be duplicated just the same.  Publix will be redownloaded and the one that says matched right now will be back to manual.

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thanks for posting back with additional details!

Using the CVS example that you provided above, would you first mind adding the 'Entry Method' column to your register and sending me the exact same screenshot as above, but with that column added, please? 

Next, please also provide me with screenshots of the Transaction Details of each of the CVS transactions. You can view the Transaction Details by clicking the three dots at the end of the transaction and then clicking "Edit transaction". In particular, we need to see the "Appears on your statement as...." info, however, if you take a screenshot of the entire window that pops up, that would be perfect. 

Last, what is the name of the account that those CVS transactions reside in, as it appears in Simplifi?

Thank you! 

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

OK, I already have the entry method shown on the first screen.  This account is called 1st Checking; it's from First US Bank, Alabama. @Coach Natalie

By the way I sent you some other stuff my message yesterday just in case you didn't see it.  Thanks.

Coach Natalie

I'm sorry at @SRC54, I meant the 'Status' column -- my mistake! And thank you for these screenshots.

SRC54

@Coach Natalie Both are pending.  Here is a shot.

SRC54

@Coach Natalie It would be less maddening for me if I could turn off pending downloads and just do cleared ones until this gets fixed.  This same bug is also in Quicken (started same time with Quicken Connect) and at least I only have to fix it one time instead of multiple times since Quicken only downloads cleared transactions.  It matches them right and I merely have to change the date once.

A suggestion for a Simplifi feature. I DO like the feature of downloading pending transactions if it worked right.  

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thank you for providing all of the requested information!

I have gone ahead and gotten this escalated and will be sure to post back as soon as I receive an update.

-Coach Natalie

SIMPL-11356

SRC54

@Coach Natalie. Happy New Year!  Just an update on this.  Nothing has changed.  But I have enough experience with Simplifi now to certify the following.  1) If I manually put in the pending transaction first, Simplifi will correctly match it the first day, download it again the next day so that I have to merge them. And on the third day, it will usually clear them without duplicating 2) If Simplifi downloads the transaction first and then I edit it and split it, it will change the date the next day and on the 3rd day, it will clear them but clear out the splits.  This is worse as I have to figure it out again.  

Simplifi is simply the worst financial app I have ever seen at matching transactions.  I sure hope they figure out how to fix this.  I am amazed that few seem to complain about this.  Perhaps they don't split transactions but I like to know how much I spend is for taxes, pets, household supplies, personal items, food or beverages.

Coach Natalie

Thank you for the update @SRC54 -- I have added this information to the Ticket!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

Since the latest update, things have gotten problematic with my pending transactions.  I had started waiting to enter transactions until they download.  Then I do the splits.  For the past two weeks, I am losing my splits when the pending transactions download a second day (it normally takes 2 days for transactions to clear and my main bank downloads them one day with the original date and downloads them again the next day with that day's date. I used to just merge them, but down it matches them but deletes the splits or transfer and makes it uncategorized.  So I have to fix them.  It was better when I could merge them.

Also, I run into a problem if I pay my credit card thru the credit card website.  It downloads the payment and I then make it a transfer from my checking account.  Problem with this is that it shows on both sides that it is cleared (it gives me no option), but it is not cleared with the checking account. Next day, my checking account downloads the pending transaction.  Now I have two transactions and I cannot merge a pending transaction with a cleared transaction.  Nor can I unclear the one.  I supposed I could wait until it clears in checking account before merging them.  I don't know.  

Seems needlessly complicated.  I think that when Simplifi creates the other side of the transaction, it should mark that new one as Pending since I can change it myself.

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

I'm sorry to hear that you're still seeing these issues in Simplifi!

Since we've already gotten this behavior reported to our Product Team, I went ahead and merged your new post with the original post. I have also added the newly provided information to the Ticket and have requested an update.

With that being said, I'll be sure to let you know if the Team needs any further info from you and/or when an update becomes available.

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

Thanks.  Same thing today.  I lose some splits because it deletes one transaction.  But two transactions are duplicated but it won't let me merge them.

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
I also tried just deleting the pending transaction and keeping the one I entered with the splits.  When it cleared, it correctly matched.  I am not sure what happened to merging transactions.  That was working great until the latest update.  I haven't tried it on the phone app.

Coach Natalie

I let the Team know @SRC54!

-Coach Natalie

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

I just wanted to touch base with you to see if this behavior is still occurring, or if the behavior has perhaps improved at all. Also, are you now able to merge a manual transaction with a bank downloaded transaction with the new register design?

Please let us know, thank you! 

-Coach Natalie

Coach Natalie

Hello again @SRC54,

Were you able to take a look at this, by chance? Please let us know, thank you!

-Coach Natalie

SRC54

@Coach Natalie
Hi,

Sorry, I haven't been around as much lately.  It does seem to work better and I can merge almost all the time now.  I do find that if I enter the transaction manually before it downloads, it does better.  If I download first, then split the transaction, it is more likely to download again and delete the split and since I didn't enter the transaction manually, there is nothing to merge.  I have to re-split the transaction.

That is my main frustration.  What I do now is this:

1) Transaction downloads before I entered it.
2) I enter a separate manual transaction with my splits.
3) Then I merge the two.

I think what causes this is that my bank "updates" the date. Since it takes two days to clear, which makes no sense for debit cards with pin, the next day Simplifi thinks the same transaction with a different date is a different transaction instead of looking at the amount.  It seems to prioritize the date.

Coach Natalie

Hello @SRC54,

Thanks for posting back!

Although it sounds like the behavior has improved since you've found ways to work around it, it seems that the issue is definitely still occurring. With that said, I did go ahead and bump the ticket, so hopefully we see some movement on it soon. 

To help out the Product Team a bit, would you mind uploading your logs via the 'Send Feedback' option? You may do so by following these steps:

1. Log into the Simplifi Web App.
2. Select Profile from the left-hand navigation bar.
3. With the Profile menu open, hold down the Option key for Mac or the Alt key for Windows, and then click Send Feedback. 
4. Leave all boxes checked, add a brief description of the issue, and then click Send. 

Please let me know once done!

-Coach Natalie