Bank G/L account, Edit Account: Online Bank Details Tab - Branch Code field: Formatting control and incorrect error message and allied matters.

In Reckon Accounts Plus 2019 in the second week of January 2020 I sought for the first time to invoke the procedure to upload bank transaction data via a QIF file.

jason

In the process of setting up the GL account for the target bank account via "Edit Account" the Online Bank Details tab provides a drop down list for "Financial Institution". The bank I wished to use was listed and selected.

That the tab is called "Online Bank Details" for both the upload of offline QIF files and live data feed merits clarification and led me to extensively search Help to no avail i.e. was I using the correct screen? - The tab name is misleading.

The next field seeks "Branch Code". The field will not accept the three digit branch code (as used in NZ). I eventually worked out if I inserted the Bank Code AND the Branch Code with no spaces the upload would work. However, I entered a "-" between the two coding elements as I would usually when writing the codes. When I went to import the QIF files the system produced an error report which said I should contact the financial institution. To cut a long story short there was no issue with the supplied QIF file. The issue was eventually identified by Reckon's support team as the errant "-" I had inserted between the two groups of three numerals.

Two issues - which incurred several hours unnecessary time including of Reckon's Technical Support personnel;

(i) When a field is described as "Branch Code" that is all that should be required to be entered especially as the bank (and presumably its pertinent code) has been selected in the preceding field.

(ii) The error message generated by the software was patently wrong, seemingly because there are no, or inadequate formatting controls on the field and no Help pertinent to the field.

I noted there is no explanation of the "Include Balance Record" i.e. how and when it should be selected, and what the outcome would be.

The ACPCA Number field. In NZ and perhaps elsewhere this field seems to have no relevance and there is again no explanation of how or when this field needs to be used. It seems during a remote control session by Technical Support, or by some other means, the string "111111" now appears in the field - presumably its a default value.

Lastly, the bank from which the QIF file has been received makes available QIF files in two formats. One with the year expressed as "YY" and the other as "YYYY". There does not seem to be any guidance as to which of these should be selected for import, or whether the user can select either for importing bank transactions into Reckon Accounts Plus.

Although minor it seems these issues could be easily fixed.

Regards

Ray