Tenant Import Receipts

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Screen Location... Tenants menu > Import Receipts

This function creates tenant receipts extracted from a file you have downloaded from your bank saving both time and keying errors.
  • It requires that the details entered on each of your tenant's AP form, deposit book or deposit card uniquely identifies them.
  • While there is no strict format required for these details they must be unique to each tenant and the same from receipt to receipt
  • When uniqueness does not occur manual intervention will be required.

    Skip to the description of the screen elements

    Overview
    Once you have the tenant side organised so that every incoming receipt has a unique identification, (see the Glossary entry "When receiving money" for suggestions), and you have the bank transaction file downloaded the import receipts process itself consists of two steps.  
  • The first step processes the downloaded file, automatically matching the unique identifier in each receipt record to a specific tenant and displaying the results in a grid.
      4 There will sometimes new matching to be done such as when a new tenant starts or there may be other adjustments to be made.  
  • The second step optionally prints a report and automatically creates receipts for all the transaction records which have been matched to tenants.

    And that's it.  However, there will situations where follow up work is needed such as where money has been received from a landlord for work done, or unidentified money has been received, or a prospective tenant who is not yet in the system has paid money, all of which must be handled manually.

    Notes
  • Only tenant receipts can be imported.
  • Deposits being reversed by the bank due to dishonoured cheques or APs can not be imported and must be entered manually.
  • Any withdrawal will not be displayed in the grid



    Downloading the Bank Transactions
    The banking software you use to access your accounts through the Internet will have an export function.  Cooperation between banks is not a strong point in this area as every bank wants to run its own package so you made need assistance from your bank.  Most banks also offer different levels of package functionality as well.  Usually there is no extra cost when you are using the basic software to download transactions as opposed to the software level required to upload a direct credit file to pay your landlords etc. when an additional charge usually applies.

    Using the banking software, select the date range for the transactions you want to import and save the file using one of the formats offered by the banking software which matches those available in the Aspect Property Manager, see      XXXX

    We recommend the file you download is saved in the ...\PropMan\Bank directory and renamed in reverse date order to yyyy-mm-dd.xxx
    where yyyy = the four digit year
    mm = the two digit month
    dd = the two digit day
    xxx = the file suffix if one is required.

    If you are downloading a number of days in the one file name the file yyyy-mm-dd to dd.xxx where "dd to dd" shows the starting and ending dates of the range

    This file location and naming method will make it easy to locate the downloaded file when you come to import the receipts.  The reverse date means the latest file should be the last one in the directory (in name order).

    Notes
  • When using Import Receipts do not download today's transactions.  Always import only up to "yesterday's" date.  This stops you accidentally double receipting any transaction(s) made in the bank "today" before your download, otherwise the transaction(s) will be picked up again tomorrow.
  • Once the files have been processed the old files can be periodically deleted as they are of no further use.
  • The banking software and Windows often lose track of the last banking download location.


    Importing and Matching the Receipts
  • Once the bank transaction file has been saved go to Tenants menu > Import Receipts.
  • The first time you import a bank transaction file it will be necessary to:- 
      4 use the File Format list box to select the correct format of the records in the downloaded bank file, see     XXXX   
      4 use the [Import] button to locate the directory and select the file to be imported 
  • The system will remember those settings (most of the time anyway) when you do the next import.
  • The details can be lost (but not all the time) when
      4 Windows has downloaded other files from the internet
      4 an Aspect Property Manager update has been installed
      4 the import is run under a different Windows logon or on a different computer
      4 and a myriad of other obscure reasons.
      4 The moral is to know the format required for the download file, where the file is to be saved and the naming convention you use for the filename.

    As the bank file transactions are moved from the file into the computer the records are displayed in a grid.  The bank fields in the transaction record are compared to details stored in the database.  Where they match the grid line will show the tenant code and name and the text will be (black or red) bold font.

    For the first week when the records are imported there will be no tenant codes and names in the first two columns until you have matched the details to one specific tenant at which point the grid line becomes bold font. 

    In the second week most of the records will match automatically and further matching will only be needed for tenants paying fortnightly and this is their first payment and of course new tenants.  After a month all tenants paying monthly will have been matched too.

    Thereafter the only unmatched lines should be new tenants and those who do not use Automatic Payments and vary the bank field information.

    Notes
  • If you followed the Hints given for creating a new tenant the Tenant Code will be a part of the transaction record which makes matching much easier.  See also the Glossary entry "When receiving money" for other suggestions.
  • Only tenant receipts can be imported
  • Any withdrawals will not be displayed in the grid


    The Mechanics of Matching
    Once the transaction records have finished loading
  • select each line in turn
  • click [Edit] and in the right hand panel
  • select the matching tenant by the Tenant Code or Name using the list boxes, or by street address via [Find]
      4At this point you may split the receipt, see "Allocating the Money" below
  • then click [OK] or [Save]
  • as each line is matched to a tenant it will be in bold text
      4The significance of red lines is covered below
      4The significance of Dup (duplicate) lines is covered below
  • repeat this process for all the unmatched lines where an individual tenant can be identified
  • If you get this matching wrong the incorrect tenant and landlord will be credited with the money receipted.  If you are unsure do not match the record right now.

    Notes
  • The process to date has not created any receipts.  They are not created until [Create Receipts] is pressed.  It has merely shown you the transactions in the bank file and given you the opportunity to match each bank record to a tenant.
  • You may exit the matching process at any time by pressing [Close] at which point you will be able to save any matching you have done or exit without saving anything you have just matched.  This gives you the opportunity to add a new tenant or research who uncertain bank details belong to.
  • If you incorrectly match a line, edit the line again and select the correct tenant.
  • To remove a matching completely, edit the line and delete the entry in the TenantCode or Name list box and save the line.  The line text should now be non-bold.
  • Only bold text lines (red or black) will have receipts created.  So if there is a reason to retain the matching for future use but not create a receipt this time double click the line to make it non-bold text.
  • Do NOT match bond returned from the bond centre to a tenant but enter the receipt manually using Tenant > Transactions > [Bond Returned] see Bond Returned from the Bond Centre.  The reason is to get the tenant's bond records showing the returned amount is no longer at the bond centre.


    Red Lines when Matching
    When a matched grid line has red text it is an indication there is something requiring attention.  It could be:-
  • the amount received does not match the rent amount that should be paid "today"
  • the tenant has a vacate date entered, which does not necessarily mean the tenant has actually vacated or the money being received is incorrect
  • see "Allocating the Money" below for more on "red lines".


    Dup Lines when Matching
    The system allows multiple bank transaction records to be matched to a single tenant but signifies this has happened by putting "Dup" in the first grid column on each line where this occurs.  The possibilities are:-
  • the tenant has actually made two payments on the same day (or within a range of days being imported)
  • multiple people (flatmates) are paying separately and the bank fields will therefore contain different information, the Other Party will at least.
      4 When this does occur the system will only remember the last matching in the import, so next week you will have to manually match the preceding record(s).
      4 If Dup records are flagged and [Close] is pressed the same applies and the first duplicated records will require re-matching.

    Notes
    XXXX    See tips on one tenant paying ??? 


    Printing the Imported Transactions
    When you are new to importing receipts or you have some volatility in the bank details pressing [Print] will provide a report which you might find useful showing the matched and unmatched transactions.  It is the same report as the [Create Receipts] report covered later but the heading will contain ".... Batch Pre-List ...." while the create receipts report replaces"Pre-list" with a number.


    Allocating the Money
    In the matching step above allocating the money received to rent, debt, letting fee, bond, or held was neatly sidestepped.  To all intents and purposes it is no different to entering a manual receipt from the transaction grid or through the manual bulk entry option.

    The money received can be allocated as you wish but ultimately must conform to the same rules     XXXX     Are these defined in one place???   but there are some important differences:-
  • If exactly the same amount is received as the last receipt - manual or imported
      4 the allocation will be the same
      4 the transaction Text and Memo fields will also contain the same information
    Remember the Text content appears on the landlord statement
  • If the amount received is different the entire amount will default to rent but can be re-allocated by editing the transaction.
  • When the amount allocated to rent does not match the Expected Rent, whether the allocation happened automatically based on the last receipt, or was adjusted manually the line will have red text.  The Expected Rent is the rent that should have be paid "today" based on the Rent Change records not where the tenant is Paid To.  As a consequence it means a tenant could be in either arrears or paid in advance, but if the money does not match the rent that should be paid for the rent period that "today" is a part of, the line will be red.  It is an indicator that something may not be right but not necessarily that there is a problem with the tenant.
  • Checking for an over allocation of bond is not made until the receipts are being created, see the next section.

    Notes
  • If a tenant is paying a little extra each week say to pay the water bill  you can allocate the money to debt, in which case the landlord receives that each payout or it could be allocated to Held which means you have control.  When the bill arrives you can transfer money from Held to Debt to pay the bill by entering two receipts (minus Held, plus Debt).


    Creating the Receipts
    Now we have all the records that we can matched to tenants press [Create Receipts].  Print the "Import Tenants Receipts Batch" report offered as it is used for checking purposes, covered next.  Pressing [Close] on the report will display a progress bar as each bold line will have a tenant receipt created.

    Gee that was hard!

    Notes
  • When each receipt is being created it is subject to the general rules    XXXX    associated with tenant receipts and there may be messages which should be acted upon at the completion of the process.
  • During this process any bond allocation is checked to ensure bond is not overpaid.  If that happens the create process will pause and a warning message will be given that the excess will be transferred to Held.  Note the tenant details and make any adjustments when the receipt creation is complete.
  • If a matching error was made whereby the same bank details were matched to two different tenants a message will appear during this Create Receipts phase asking which tenant these details are to be matched to in the future.  How could this matching to two tenants occur?  Probably when receipts covering a range of days are being imported, or the tenant has been created twice, once for one property and a second time for another "property"      XXXX see Unit, Furniture, Court Order,        and the bank records carry identical bank details.
  • If the Create Receipts process is interrupted due to a system crash, however caused (see the Can't Start a Job Message topic), importing receipts (among other functions) again will not be possible until the "can't start a job message" is cleared. 


    The Import Tenant Receipts Batch report
    If you recall the import receipts grid can display red lines, meaning "Check this out!", perhaps some Dup lines too which may need attention, and maybe some receipts were not highlighted.  On occasions there will be other transactions which were not displayed as well.

    This is where the "Import Tenants Receipts Batch" report comes into play.  There can be up to three sections, Matched Receipts, Unmatched Receipts and Other Transactions, depending upon the content of the downloaded bank transaction file.

    Matched Receipts
    These are the receipt records which are matched to a specific tenant the bulk of which will need no attention at all.  However, any lines that were red on the grid require scrutiny.  Red grid lines meant the rent was not as expected or the tenant has a vacate date.  On the report the equivalent lines will have an entry in the two rightmost columns, "Expected Rent" and "Vacate Date".

    Any entry in the Expected Rent column will not match the amount in the Rent column and the reason should be investigated.  It could be the tenant is in arrears and is paying extra to catch up, or a rent increase has not been made.  See also the "Allocating the Money" section above.

    Where a there is an entry in the Vacate Date column that too should be investigated, but it does not necessarily mean there is something wrong.  Any overpayment from a tenant with a vacate date are automatically transferred to Tenant Held and warning messages may have occurred during the create receipts phase.

    Unmatched Receipts
    The receipts listed in this section may be:-
  • Receipts which had inadequate details.  Enter these receipts manually and get the tenant  to change their A/P details so they are adequate.
  • Receipts which can not be identified as belonging to anyone.  These should be entered into the Unidentified Items landlord account as you would have done when entering from a bank statement.
  • Receipts which match cash and cheque banking need to be treated as follows:-
      4 Users who do not use the Aspect Property Manager Banking List will need to break down the transaction amount and enter manual receipts.
      4 Users who do use the Banking List have already created receipts manually for this money.
      4 Receipts from landlords paying for work done on their property.
      4 the bank reimbursing fees which should not have been charged on the trust account.

    Other Transactions
  • This section will consist of payments made and other withdrawals such as a dishonoured receipt being reversed or bank charges.
  • The other entries in this section are primarily shown for completeness so the transactions on this report match those on the bank statement for the same date range.  
  • However, it also acts as a reminder of payments you may have made physically but not entered in the system which is a complete No-No.

    Notes
  • The imported receipts can be identified throughout the system by having Import999 in the Reference column, where 999 is the batch number in the report title.


    Tips and General Notes
  • For the first week or two while you are still matching new transactions press [Print] and check the Pre-List report for mismatched details before matching any new transactions.
  • In the early days, pay particular attention to the Tenant Arrears and / or Tenant Paid To reports looking for tenants who are slipping behind or getting too far ahead.  This could be caused by having non-unique bank details or being matched to the wrong tenant.  The Tenant Ledger (with "Print Rent Invs" not selected) reports will show up a tenant with too many or too few receipts in the period.
  • When manually entering receipts you may be able to work out in your personal computer (head) that $200 only identified with "Brown" on Tuesday and the $200 received from "Brown" on Thursday are actually two different Browns.  Unfortunately the computer won't make that distinction unless the bank details are different.  You need to get the A/P details changed on at least one of them.


    Description of the Tenants Import Receipts screen

    Refer to the Glossary for information about the Title bar, Menu bar and Navigator bar.

    File Format
  • Once again each bank tends to go their own way as far as the format of the transactions in the file being downloaded and even according to the banking software being used from the same bank.
  • From the list box select a format that is common to your banking software and those available in the Aspect Property Manager.
  • If your banking software does not match one in our list email us directly and we can introduce a new format very quickly.

    Import button
  • Press [Import] and locate the file downloaded from the bank.
  • If you used the default ....\PropMan\Bank directory and named the file as suggested in the Downloading the Bank Transactions section above it should be the last file.

    Print button
    This will print the Batch Pre-list report.

    Create Receipts button
  • Pressing [Create Receipt] starts the automatic receipt creation process.
  • Do Not press it until all matching is complete.
  • Once started the process can not be interrupted and will only finish when all receipts have been created.

    Record grid
  • Shows the content of the bank record and the tenant they are matched to.
  • Bold lines will have receipts created when [Create Receipts] is pressed.
  • Red lines indicate further attention may be required after the receipts have been created.
  • Lines marked Dup indicated two or more sets of bank details point to the same tenant.

    Tenant Code, Name and Find
  • These fields have the same use as in a manual receipt.
  • When the bank details have been assigned incorrectly editing the bank transaction record and selecting the correct tenant.
  • When the tenant moves to another property the bank fields may remain the same but will need assigning to the new tenant code.
  • Editing the record and deleting either the Code or Name content from the list box will leave the bank details completely unmatched.

    Bank fields
    More information on the three bank fields, Particulars, Analysis Code and Reference can be found in the Glossary, while the Other Party field should need no explanation.

    Date
    The processing date in the banking system and the transaction date in the Aspect Property Manager.

    Amount
    The value of the money credited to your bank account from "other party".

    Rent, Debt, Letting Fee, Bond and Held fields
  • These fields allow the imported receipt to be allocated to one or more of these categories.
  • The total of the allocations must equal the Amount.
  • The same allocation "rules" as covered in the XXXX topic will be applied automatically when [OK] is pressed.
  • The first time a receipt is imported the matching process will allocate the entire Amount to rent.
  • Select the record in the grid and press [Edit] (either button) to change the allocation split if required.
  • The next imported receipt matched to the same tenant for exactly the same Amount as the last receipt, (manual or imported), will default to the same allocation split.

    Edit / OK and Cancel buttons
  • The side panel button marked [Edit] "toggles" between [Edit] and [OK]
  • The Navigator Bar and side panel edit buttons have the same functionality.
  • The side panel [Cancel] button is only visible in edit mode and cancels any changes made to the record matching or allocation split.

    Text field
  • This field has the same use as in a manual receipt.
  • This text appears on the landlord statement.
  • When the amount received is exactly the same as the last dated receipt this field will contain the same content, if any, of that last receipt.

    Memo field
  • This has the same use as in a manual receipt.
  • When the amount received is exactly the same as the last dated receipt this field will contain the same content, if any, of that last receipt.

    Expected Rent
    When the rent assigned in the Rent field, does not match the rent in the Rent Changes records for this transaction date, the label and value will be in bold red text indicating checking may be needed.

    Vacate Date
  • Any time a tenant has a vacate date entered on their record the label and date will be shown in bold red text to draw attention.
  • The Aspect Property Manager will not allow overpayment of any rent debt letting fee or bond by an imported receipt with any excess(es) being transferred to Tenant Held.


    Related Topics
    Receipts Overview
    Tenant Receipt