Importing Paypal CSV file

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CovidHoax
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Importing Paypal CSV file

Post by CovidHoax »

Hi, I am trying to import a PayPal CSV file into MMEX. There is only one column for transactions in the CSV file, either positive values or negative, so I select in the 'Amount' section, in the Import Dialog, 'Positive values are deposits'. The file is imported successfully, but all the amounts have been imported as withdrawals, even though many are deposits!
Here are the first five entries in the CSV account I have tried (this is my first time using MMEX):

Date,Name,Type,Net,Balance,,,
03/12/2014,John Smith,General Payment,200.00,200.00,,,
03/12/2014,Peopleperhour.com,Express Checkout Payment,-183.42,16.58,,,
10/12/2014,John Smith,General Payment,-5.00,11.58,,,
22/12/2014,Steven Smith,Website Payment,3.66,15.24,,,
22/12/2014,Indiegogo Inc,Website Payment,-0.36,14.88,,,

(I set the five columns to: 'Date, Payee, Type, Amount, Don't Care' so that the Balance column is ignored. It's really helpful for me to keep it in the CSV file so that I can compare it to what MMEX shows in its balance column after importing the file.)

All the values in the 'Net' column (which I have set as the 'Amount' column in MMEX) appear in the Withdrawals column after importing. I can't find any mention of this 'Amount' option in the help file, nor in this forum, does anybody know what I'm doing wrong? I've tried using 'Positive values are withdrawals' to see if that made any difference - it didn't (not that I expected it to!)

Also, a few little requests for the programmers: In the import dialog window, it doesn't remember any of the settings from the last time you used it. So I have to change to my second bank account every time (I'm importing stuff from my second bank account to begin with), then I have to change the radio button of the fields template I have set up, to number 1, then I have to change the date format, to recognise the Paypal format - every single time. Can it be made to remember all the settings that you used last time?
Secondly - there appears to be no Undo function. So I accidentally imported my second bank account's CSV file into my first bank account, (see previous paragraph for why), and then I had the second bank account's transactions all mixed up with the first bank account's transactions, in date order, and the only possible way I could see to fix this was to manually delete over a hundred transactions from the second account, one by one. Is there no Undo function in MMEX? If so, I can't possibly carry on using it.
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Renato
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Re: Importing Paypal CSV file

Post by Renato »

Since I do not use the import function, I can not help there. But I would recommend to search in the forum, maybe there are hints.

MMEX creates backup copies independently.
For example: xxxxx.mmb_update_2021-09-04.bak

instead of deleting the bookings by hand, you could:
delete xxxxx.mmb
Rename xxxxx.mmb_update_2021-09-04.bak to xxxxx.mmb and opening it with MMEX.
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CovidHoax
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Re: Importing Paypal CSV file

Post by CovidHoax »

Thanks for your reply, but I have searched the forum as much as I can, but there's nothing at all about this problem. It looks like a bug to me - maybe the function to view positive values as deposits hasn't actually been programmed yet, even though the option is in the Import Dialog box.

But re the lack of Undo, this is a major problem and I won't be using MMEX because of it. It's one of the most basic things that ALL software should have, an Undo command allows you to freely experiment with software and thus learn it more quickly and easily. Without it I'm much more afraid of making mistakes. I know I can use a backup copy, but that's very long winded and takes much longer than just pressing CTRL-Z.
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Renato
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Re: Importing Paypal CSV file

Post by Renato »

which version of MMEX are you using ?
in version 1.5.7 there was a correction: https://github.com/moneymanagerex/money ... ssues/3783
Download: https://ci.appveyor.com/project/moneyma ... /artifacts
by the way, under "HELP/Report a Bug" you could request a change.
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Nikolay
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Re: Importing Paypal CSV file

Post by Nikolay »

I am using QIF fom Paypal.
It's easy to import.
abitofBaileys
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Re: Importing Paypal CSV file

Post by abitofBaileys »

To clarify the issue:
If a "type" and "amount" fields are added for the import, it will automatically select "Positive if type has 'Deposit'" and cannot change.
To select "Positive values are deposits" for the import, you need to replace the "type" field with a "don't care" one and keep the "amount" field. Then you will be able to set "Positive values are deposits".

Hope that helps anyone who finds this thread wondering the same.
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