Wells Fargo connection doesn't stick

Loucas Morgan
Loucas Morgan Member
edited September 2022 in Adding and Updating Accounts
Wells Fargo connection barely lasts a few minutes. Upon connecting Wells Fargo, I receive a notification within the hour that it requires reconnecting. I see that previous tickets have been closed on this issue. What was the actual resolution? I appreciate the ability to link my accounts but this issue with WF is a nuisance. 
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  • Coach Natalie
    Coach Natalie Administrator, Moderator admin
    Hello @Loucas Morgan,

    Thank you for reporting this issue to the Community, although I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing difficulties connecting to Wells Fargo in Simplifi. 

    Would you mind clarifying what specifically occurs, please? Is this occurring on an existing account, or has the issue occurred on the account since first adding it to Simplifi? If the former, how long has the issue been occurring? Also, are you receiving a specific error message or error code?

    When viewing your connection attempts from our end, it looks like you're receiving a 185 error, which indicates that MFA is not being properly completed. Are you prompted to perform MFA for Wells Fargo in Simplifi?

    Please also take a look at the information and steps available here for a 185 error and let us know how it goes. 

    -Coach Natalie
  • Good morning Natalie,

    Thank you for a prompt response. What happens specifically is that I receive a notification from Simplifi saying, Bill Presentment: Biller needs attention

    From there, I go to the accounts view in settings from where I click the ellipsis to the right of Wells Fargo and select Reset Connection

    This has been an issue since I first joined Simplifi and added the account. There is no specific error message or code besides what I stated earlier about Bill Presentment: Biller needs attention

    Regarding MFA, yes I am prompted. I am provided with the option of receiving a a phone call, text, or email. I opt for text and proceed to submit the codes received, usually two codes, and then I am successfully linked (for however long it decides to last).

    I’ll review the thread regarding Error 185, and follow up thereafter.

    Thanks again!
  • DannyB
    DannyB Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2022
    @Loucas Morgan I bank with Wells Fargo.  It might be a problem with how you're connecting with WF.  You can see your connected apps on your WF account page.  Log onto WF go to your Profile  & Security page.  Under Security click on Connected apps. Look for Intuit and/or PLAID.  The coaches can tell you which aggregator service Simplifi uses for WF.  If you don't see these two apps then you'll need to figure out how to connect Simplifi so you don't need to enter MFA codes.
    Danny
    Simplifi user since 01/22
    Budget: a mathematical confirmation of your suspicions.” ~A.A. Latimer
  • @DannyB, thank you chiming in. I went to the page you mentioned and it showed Plaid but nothing else. My hope was I could perhaps add Simplifi and apps like Prism Money to the list in my account as approvable connections. 

    Unfortunately, there’s still no resolution. 
  • DannyB
    DannyB Superuser ✭✭✭✭✭
    I don't think you can pre approve your apps through your WF account and I think it has something to do with how and what kind of connection your Bank allows.  I think it is done when you go through the connection process from whatever app you are seeking to connect from and which aggregator service they use.  
    Danny
    Simplifi user since 01/22
    Budget: a mathematical confirmation of your suspicions.” ~A.A. Latimer
  • Coach Natalie
    Coach Natalie Administrator, Moderator admin
    edited August 2022
    Hello @Loucas Morgan,

    Thanks for posting back with additional details!

    It sounds like you're referring to two different services here. First, you can connect your accounts in Simplifi for automatic transaction and balance download, which is where the 185 error comes in. The other service is called Bill Connect and it's where you connect your Recurring Bills to the Biller to receive updated due dates and amounts when they become available.

    The latter service (Bill Connect) is where the "Bill Presentment: Biller needs attention." message would come from. Resetting your Wells Fargo account connections will not impact this message/issue, as this option is not used for the Bill Connect service. More details on using Bill Connect can be found here, and more details on adding a connected bank account in Simplifi can be found here

    With that said, do you have a Recurring Bill that's linked to Wells Fargo via Bill Connect in Simplifi, in addition to a Wells Fargo bank account(s) that's connected to the bank for automatic transaction download? If so, I'd suggest focusing on one issue at a time by first disconnecting the Biller. You may do so by navigating to Settings>Recurring, locating the Recurring Bill in question, clicking the three dots at the end of it, and then selecting "Disconnect biller".

    Once the Biller is disconnected, navigate to Settings>Accounts and locate Wells Fargo Bank. Is your Wells Fargo account(s) in an error state? If so, you should be prompted to resolve the error, so you'll want to go through the flow to do so while making sure to complete any MFA requests, etc. 

    Once the bank account(s) is connected and no longer receiving the 185 error, you can then navigate back to Settings>Recurring and reconnect the Recurring Bill to Wells Fargo as a Biller by following the steps listed in the Bill Connect article that was provided above.

    Please let us know how it goes!

    -Coach Natalie
  • @Coach Natalie, thank you for clarifying the difference between the two. At the time of my initial post the concern was the account transaction and automatic balance download. When I checked my accounts, Wells Fargo was disconnected. 

    Regarding bill connect, I reestablished the connection. I’ll circle back later today/tomorrow regarding any further disconnection. 
  • Loucas Morgan
    Loucas Morgan Member
    edited August 2022

    I logged in to Simplifi to find Wells Fargo disconnected at both levels. 

    I followed your instructions to disconnect the biller. 

    In Settings-Accounts, there was an error with Wells Fargo. I will go ahead and reconnect the institution. 

    Once I’m successfully connected, I’ll follow the instructions of the article and reconnect the recurring bill. I’ll confirm progress, or lack there of, with you tomorrow. 

    Thanks again. 

    [edited image to reduce size]
  • When I logged into Simplifi today, Wells Fargo was disconnected at both levels: Automatic Balance & Transaction Download, as well as Bill Connect. 

    For the existing threads on this issue that are now closed, what have those others who found resolution done differently? 

    Thank you
  • Coach Natalie
    Coach Natalie Administrator, Moderator admin
    Hello @Loucas Morgan,

    Thanks for posting back, although I'm sorry to hear that the trouble persists.

    When viewing both connections from our end, it looks like you're experiencing issues with completing MFA. I am seeing the same persistent 185 error for the bank connectivity, and I am seeing that the Biller account is in a 'Locked' state with a message stating "Wells Fargo is reporting that you must provide a security code."

    Are you being prompted for MFA in Simplifi for either or both of these connections? If so, have you tried changing the way that you receive the code, such as switching to email instead of text, etc? Has there been any recent changes with Wells Fargo in regard to MFA?

    Also, do you by chance have high MFA security settings set with Wells Fargo or something along those lines that may need adjusting? You can also try completely disabling MFA with Wells Fargo for a couple of days to better determine how MFA is impacting your ability to connect in Simplifi. If it works, you can then try adding an MFA option back to see if the connection is maintained after doing so.

    Please let us know how it goes!

    -Coach Natalie
  • Yes, I am being prompted for MFA for both connections. I will opt to receive a code via a different method, email, or phone call, and let you know of the outcome. I am not aware of any recent changes with MFA and Wells Fargo. I spoke with them today and they said the issue has to be on Simplifi's end because all that they do is provide the username and password and MFA. 

    I don't know about MFA settings in Wells Fargo. I'll see if I can find anything upon logging into my account. From there I'll see if I can reduce or eliminate MFA. 

    Thanks again! 
  • This is resolved. Thank you all.

    It was a matter of turning off MFA. 
  • Yikes! Turn off MFA for a bank? This happened with YNAB too. I think it is WF side. I just deal with it but I only have a rarely used CC.
  • It’s an auto loan account, so I’m not worried too much about it. I agree it’s on WF’s side that once you connect and use MFA it shouldn’t ask you to do it again and again
This discussion has been closed.