Import bank statement - "Reference" field no longer recognized

1

I have been importing bank statement using csv files for a few years now with these 4 simple headers:

  • Reference
  • Date
  • Description
  • Amount

This definitely used to work upto version 24.4.17.1441.
After I updated to version 24.5.6.1516, the “Reference” field does not get populated, instead its value gets prefixed to the “Description” field. I believe this to be a bug introduced in last few releases.

Attached a test business & test csv file to import to that business.

Steps to replicate:

  1. Import the business.
  2. Go to the “Bank and Cash Accounts” tab and use the “Import bank statement” button at the bottom.
  3. Select the available “Bank account” and choose the attached csv file.
  4. Click “Next”, then click “Import”, then go to the “Payments” tab.
  5. You should see that the “Reference” column is empty and instead the “Description” column has prefixed values (screenshot below)
    Screenshot 2024-05-07 at 9.46.14 AM
    Screenshot 2024-05-07 at 9.46.14 AM1498×718 68.5 KB

Sample csv (unable to upload here as .csv are now allowed, please save this content in a test.csv file):

Reference,Date,Description,Amount
HDFC-1-1,02/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 1,64625
HDFC-1-2,03/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 2,-7.15
HDFC-1-3,05/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 3,1
HDFC-1-4,05/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 4,10800
HDFC-1-5,06/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 5,32399
HDFC-1-6,08/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 6,5760.76
HDFC-1-7,08/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 7,8100
HDFC-1-8,08/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 8,-6733
HDFC-1-9,08/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 9,-2600
HDFC-1-10,08/04/2024,DESCRIPTION 10,-5800

Attachments:
Test.manager (108 KB)

2

This is by design.

I think if anything, reference number should import into different field, e.g. bank reference, external reference or something like that.

Some banks have obnoxiously long references while Manager expects references to be short because they are shown at other places. For example in invoices when payments matched to the invoice are being shown.

3

If this is intended, then we need to solve for these issues:

  1. The value under “Reference” field should not get merged into the “Description” field value.
  2. How to add a value to the “Reference” field? If we cannot upload it, then how to add it in bulk? Doing a bulk update after uploading makes this a 2 step process which hinders productivity.
  3. How to import into a different field - “Bank Reference” using the csv upload?
4

What are you using bank reference for?

5

Its for keeping track and reconciliation. Solves these purposes:

  1. Since I upload these csv files on regular intervals, I don’t know which rows have been uploaded before. The bank reference helps in identifying the ones which have already been uploaded.
  2. Whenever there is a discrepancy with a seller / customer on a particular payment status, sharing the bank reference number helps solve them.
6

Sound sensible. User could then select to show or not show it via form defaults.

1 Like
7

One of our banks, but also some Fintech’s do not include the description in the statements but only gives date, reference number, debit and credit and amount. Their reference number is gibberish as you describe but the only thing we can use and reference.

I agree with @Patch and @shobhit and like this implemented:

8

I have a similar problem, will you please look into it,

xml
xml610×509 15.2 KB

9

In time maybe “Fee”, and “Quantity” could be treated similarly, or at least the interface structure could be designed to support later enhancements.

10

Need some clarity on the original issue raised here. Importing bank statements is getting cumbersome now that reference column of the csv is not honored and there is no work around for it. Simplicity and ease-of-use are the most important differentiators of manager, but this change definitely makes things complex and difficult. Please suggest a workaround or revert the changes.

11

For cvs I recommend

  1. construct spreadsheet template file which concatanated the feilds you want in description

  2. importing your bank CVS into the template file

  3. copy output required to another sheet

  4. Save that sheet as a CVS

  5. import into Manager your edited cvs

1 Like
12

I am already doing this. The problem is that the manager is no longer honoring the “Reference” column of the csv file.

13

Almost but not there yet.
Add the external reference to the description field.

Note Manager can NOT put it in the internal reference field as that must now be unique within your Manager businesses

14

It seems that the decision to not allow import of the internal reference field is final.
In that case, can we have another external reference / bank reference field to solve this please?

Overloading the description field is not the correct solution, it creates other problems.

15

This is what in an earlier post @Lubos wrote about it.

16

Great. If adding the external reference field is decided, then will wait for it to go live.

Had restarted the discussion because the comment from lubos did not seem like a final decision on first read.

17

It is not, the topic is not even in ideas yet and do not think it will get any priority, so better to use the workaround than nothing.

18

I am using Reference column for our cheque no. and invoice no when receiving payments, Reference no column was very important for us,

19

The reference column is still there for manual entry including batch actions. This is about the import of bank statements where the reference number is an external reference the banks make up and as explained in second post in this topic:

1 Like