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It's frustrating when a rule looks just like others that are working fine, but stops matching anyway. This usually comes down to how the rule's conditions are written, even when everything looks correct at a glance.
Check whether the rule's wording matches exactly
Two settings are worth checking first, since they're the most common reason a seemingly solid rule stops matching: whether the rule is built on description or bank text, and whether its condition is set to Contains or Is exactly.
The bank text is the exact wording your bank sends over. The description is a simplified version QuickBooks generates from it, and it's what you see by default in your transaction list. If a rule is built around one and the actual transaction data varies slightly in the other, the rule won't match, even though it looks identical to a rule that is working.
The condition type matters just as much. An Is exactly condition needs the transaction text to match character for character. Banks frequently add small variations to a transaction's wording, like a reference number or extra spacing, from one instance to the next. A Contains condition is more forgiving of these small differences, so switching from Is exactly to Contains is often enough to get an inconsistent rule matching reliably again.
To check or adjust these settings on a rule:
- Go to Accounting, then Rules.
- Select Edit on the rule that isn't matching.
- Review the condition: confirm whether it's set to Description or Bank text, and whether it's Contains, Doesn't contain, or Is exactly.
- Adjust as needed, then select Save.
Compare against the bank's original wording
To compare against the bank's original wording, you can switch your transaction list to show bank text instead of the simplified description:
- Go to Accounting, then Bank transactions.
- Select the Settings gear within the Bank transactions section.
- Select Show full bank description.
Still not matching after that?
If a rule is still inconsistent after confirming these settings match a working rule's setup, that's a good point to bring it to QuickBooks support directly so they can check your account setup with you.
Have a different bank rules question? Ask away below.
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