KB 850751 - Setup information for Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator

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SUMMARY

This article contains information about setting up the Electronic Reconcile Configurator.


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General Setup for Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator

The process of setting up the Format Configurator in Electronic Reconcile is very lengthy and the following detailed steps will help to make this setup easier. Before setting up the Format Configurator, you must have a printed copy of the download file format specifications from your bank. Because bank formats vary greatly, you must contact your bank and request these specifications for the file format. The format specifications will contain details about each field being downloaded and values of all relevant codes for the bank. This information is necessary to be able to setup the Format Configurator as each bank is different and there is no standard format to enter.


Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator (Routines | Financial | Electronic Reconcile | Configurator):


Section 1 - Enter Format Information

Bank Format - The Bank Format field is an identifier for your format. Enter a unique name for this format, but typically this is the name of your Bank.

Description - This is a required field. Enter an additional description for the Bank Format. 

File Format - Follow the steps below for the version you are using:

 -Microsoft Dynamics GP 2010 and prior versions - The File Format field can be selected from the drop-down list as Fixed Field, Comma Delimited, or Tab Delimited. The bank determines which option from the list that you will select. Therefore, you must contact them if the format specifications do not state the format to use.

-Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 - The File Format field has a choice of BAI or User Defined. If you are using the Bank Administration Institute format, select BAI. For all other formats/banks, select User Defined. In the File Type field, you can choose Fixed Field, Comma Delimited or Tab Delimited as specified by your bank.



Uses Status Codes option is marked only if your bank uses Status Codes to additionally define Transaction Codes. This information is also determined by each bank. Therefore, if the format specifications do not state if your bank uses Status Codes, you must contact the bank. (This is not used very often.)

Record Type Identifier - The Record Type Identifier will contain Start Position and End Position fields if you are using the Fixed Field format and a Field Number field if you are using Comma Delimited or Tab Delimited file formats. This will be where the system should look in the line to determine what type of line (header, footer or detail) it is. If the bank doesn't use a record type code, then you can improvise by selecting a fixed value in the file.

-Fixed Field - Enter the starting and ending position of the field that will contain the value for the Record Type Code from Bank (The Record Type Code from Bank is entered in Section 2).

-Comma Delimited or Tab Delimited - Enter the number of the field that contains the Record Type Code from Bank (The Record Type Code from Bank is entered in Section 2).

Save the Format after Section 1 has been completed before moving on to Section 2 of the Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator window.


Section 2 - Enter Record Types


Note You will only have to define the Record Types that are relevant to Electronic Reconcile. If a section is labeled as optional on the bank specifications, you do not have to set it up in the Format Configurator. The Detail Record Type is always a required section in a bank's specifications.


Bank ID - The Bank ID will default in with the Bank Format from section 1 as soon as you tab into the Record Type field in the second column. This field cannot be changed or edited.

Record Type - The Record Type field can be selected from the drop-down list as Header, Detail, or Footer. All bank formats will require a Detail Record Type, but the header and footer Record Types may be optional. You may only setup each of the Record Types one time as multiple headers or footers are not available.

Record Type Code from Bank - The Record Type Code from Bank field is defined in your bank's specifications. This field must be a unique and constant identifier for the format to match the information in the Detail Record Type. This is the most important field in setting up the Format Configurator to correctly match the download file with the reconciliation.  (So the Record Type Identifier will tell the system which column to look in to see what type of row it is, and then to look at the value in Record Type Code from Bank field to read if it is a header, detail or footer line.)


# of fields - The number of fields indicates how many fields are to be defined in Section 3. Enter the number of fields contained on the line for the Record Type being defined. This information must be entered for each Record Type that is required in the bank's specifications.



Section 3 - Enter Field Information

When you click on a Record Type in Section 2, the corresponding number of fields will display in Section 3. 

Record Type - The Record Type field in the left-most column of Section 3 will default in when you select a Record Type in Section 2.

# - The number field will default in with the number of fields that you entered in Section 2. 

Field Type - The Field Type field is used to define each of the relevant fields for each of the Record Types. Select the Field Type from the drop-down list that includes options for Accounts, Dates, and amounts. If the exact name of your field from your bank's specifications does not appear in the list, you may have to either select an option that is similar or use the Filler/Ignore option. Again, you only need to define the relevant fields, most importantly: Account Numbers, Check Numbers, Check Dates, Check amounts, Transaction Codes, Record Type Codes, etc.

Note Just as with Record Types, you will only have to define the fields that are relevant to Electronic Reconcile. If there is a field on the bank's specifications that cannot be defined with an existing Record Type or does not have to be defined, use the Filler/Ignore option. 


Format - The Format field defines the type of output format for certain fields. Formats only have to be set for Field Types that contain dates or a currency amount, as these are the only options for Formats. There are no options for text or string. Therefore, if the field is not a date or a currency amount, just leave the Format field blank. The From and To fields are used to enter the character positions of the field. Enter the starting and ending character position for each field in each Record Type. The From and To fields must be entered if using the Fixed Field File Format, so if you are using Tab Delimited or Comma Delimited File Formats you can leave these fields as zero.

Transaction Codes (Codes Entry - Transaction Codes Entry)

While still in the Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator window, go in the Transaction Codes Entry window through the path listed above in the top Menu Bar. If you have not defined the Transaction codes, you will get the message "Record Type match not found" on the error report. 

Transaction Codes identify the type of transaction that each Detail line represents. Electronic Reconcile requires a Transaction Code in a configured Bank Format to work correctly. You must have Transaction Codes or Record Type Codes defined to use Electronic Reconcile. These codes must come from the bank and must be listed on the bank's specifications.


Transaction Type - The Transaction Type field is used to define each of the different types of transactions that appear on your bank's specifications. Select a Transaction Type from the list to match or to closely match your bank's specifications. Note that the options in the list are the only currently supported types. At this time, the two options that will match using Electronic Reconcile are Check Paid and Deposit Cleared.

Note: In Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013, options for Transfer Credit and Transfer Debit have also been added and will electronically match in Electronic Reconcile. However, you must enter the Bank Transaction Type Codes in as defined by your bank. Additional functionality in Microsoft Dynamics GP 2013 is also that you can have multiple Transaction Type Codes for each Transaction Type.


Transaction Type Code - The Transaction Type Code field is used to enter the value for each Transaction Type and this value is given to you as part of the file specifications from your bank. Enter the Transaction Type Code value that corresponds to the selected Transaction Type. This information must come from the bank and cannot be improvised if it is not available on the bank's specifications.

G/L Account - The G/L Account field is available only for the following Transaction Types: Interest Income, Other Income, Other Expense, and Service Charge. Enter the G/L Account Number of a General Ledger Posting Account for the adjustment that will be generated. Electronic Reconcile will automatically create adjustments for these transaction types if they appear in the downloaded file from your bank.

Note The Interest Income, Other Income, Other Expense, and Service Charge transaction types do not electronically match, and instead will create Adjustment entries on the reconciliation. (Click the Adjustments button on the Select Bank Transactions window). 

Account Description - The Account Description field will default in with the description of the account from General Ledger and is not editable.

Distribution Reference - The Distribution Reference field can be used to enter an additional reference for the adjustment that will be made. You can enter a Distribution Reference if you want, but it is not a required field.

Document Type - The Document Type field will default in with the Transaction Type that you selected at the top of the Transaction Code Entry window: Interest Income, Other Income, Other Expense, or Service Charge. This field cannot be changed unless you go back and change the Transaction Type field.

Define Status Codes - The Define Status Codes button only becomes available if you have marked the Uses Status Codes option in the Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator window. Define Status Codes is only available for certain Transaction Types: Check Paid and Deposit Cleared. After selecting one of these 2 Transaction Types, you would select the Define Status Codes button to go into the Status Codes Entry window. Here you would select: Paid Check, Check Reversal, Stop Pay, or Stop Pay Reversal for the Status Type and enter the corresponding Status Code from your bank's specifications. Again this information has to come from your bank and cannot be improvised or Electronic Reconcile will not work correctly.



Special notes to remember when setting upElectronic Reconcile:

• You must have a printout of the file format specifications from your bank before setting up the Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator.

• Every bank is different. Therefore, you cannot follow one standard format for all banks.

• If you open the .TXT or .CSV file with Notepad, the system will typically not read any information after position 245. So make sure all the required fields to be mapped are in the first part of the line if your lines are more than 245 characters. The information after 245 will be read as a new line and appear on the Unprocessed Data Record error report as "Record Type match not found: Record Type = " because there isn't one. This would be acceptable if no fields after position 245 are not needed. If there are fields that are needed, you will need to contact your bank to see if they are able to reconfigure the file to be smaller and not exceed 245 characters.

• The Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator only needs to be setup once when first starting to use Electronic Reconcile, and then you just keep downloading .BAI, .TXT or .CSV files from the bank to match this Format Configurator.

• The following fields must be present in your bank format: Transaction Code, Account Number, Check/Serial Number, Transaction Amount, Record Type Code, and the Bank Cleared Date. If your format uses Status Codes, then the Transaction Status Code must also be present in the configuration.

• If you have gone through all of the Electronic Reconcile process and no transactions are marked off as cleared in your Bank Reconciliation module, most likely something is not set up correctly in the Electronic Reconcile Format Configurator. The most common error message that will be received is a "Record Type Match Not Found" error on the Unprocessed Records report that prints after trying to download.  This usually means the code on the transaction is not set up in the Codes Entry.

• If you try to re-download after you have already downloaded the .txt file from the bank, you will receive "Duplicate" error messages because the system sees the transactions as duplicates instead of just downloading new transactions. (Should clear the prior upload by the upload Id (MEARLDID field) in the ME142806 and ME142807 tables.)

• If you try to delete a Reconcile and re-enter the information after you have already downloaded the .txt file from the bank, you will receive "Duplicate" error messages because the system sees the transactions as duplicates.

• Make sure the Bank Account Number is unique for the checkbook that is set up with Electronic Reconcile. If the Bank Account Number is used on multiple checkbooks, Electronic Reconcile will not be able to find the checkbook and you will receive a message stating that the Bank Account Number is not set up.

• In the Codes Entry window of the configurator, the types that will automatically match are: Check Paid, Deposit Cleared, Transfer Debit and Transfer Credit.

• The following adjustment types create an 'adjustment' transaction in the Reconciliation Bank Adjustments (button)window: (For example, 'interest' or a 'misc fee' on your bank statement would not be in GP (so nothing to match to), so you need the system to book the adjustment/journal entry in GP for these types.)

  • Interest Income

  • Other Income

  • Other Expense

  • Service Charge

• There are no types in the configurator that will automatically match to an increase adjustment, decrease adjustment, or withdrawal in the Bank Transaction Entry window in GP. These types are for adjustments in GP for items that you wouldn't expect to see on the bank statement. You must manually mark these types as cleared in the reconcile window.

• Checks will be matched by the Check Amount and Check Number. Deposits will be matched by the Deposit Amount and Deposit Date (within a default 8 day range, but you can override that when prompted to be a different day range.) Refer to KB 851279 for more information on the criteria to automatically match.

• The Bank Cleared Date can affect the matching process. GP will only clear checks in which the Bank Cleared date is AFTER the Check Issue Date in GP. GP would not clear a check on a date prior to the date it was actually issued in GP.

• GP will ignore any leading zeroes on a check in the matching process and in fact, will strip them off the check number when importing. Leading zeroes will not affect the matching process for the check number. GP is able to match the check number, regardless of any leading zeroes.

• Use Notepad to open files, as the auto-formatting in Excel may strip leading zeroes.  The leading zeroes don't matter on a check, but they do matter on dates.  If the dates import in incorrectly, this means the date format on the configurator didn't match what is in the file, or the leading zeroes in the date are missing in the file.  If you have the configurator mapped to use MMDDYYYY, then your file should have 08152017, for example.  Or if you have MM/DD/YY, then your file should have 08/15/17.  The date format should match exactly.

• When bringing in a file, enter a confirmation number of your choice.  The checks will import in after the confirmation number is entered.

• If you bring in a daily file, you should reconcile each day before you bring in the next day's file.  The system will only automatically match the last file brought in.  So if you import in 5 daily files first, and then reconcile day 1, it will automatically match, but when you try to reconcile day 2, it will not automatically match.  You would have to reimport in the file for day 2 again if you wanted it to automatically match.

• If the date is importing in as all zeroes or 00/00/0000, then map the 'Bank cleared date' field instead of 'transaction date' in the configurator.

• If the date is importing in as scrambled, then the date format in the configurator doesn't match the date format in the bank file.  Make sure if the bank file has MMDDYYYY that you selected this same format in the configurator to match exactly.  Also make sure the user didn't open the file in Excel and the leading zeroes on the MM or DD were dropped.  If so, open file in Notepad and add the leading zeroes back to the date and import in again.  Use Notepad to open bank files, not Excel.

• For more information on how transactions are matched, see KB 851279.

This article was TechKnowledge Document ID:19396