Custom renaming rules | Quicken Help

The Create Custom Renaming Rule dialog gives you a bit more control over what constitutes a renaming rule "match" when a payee is downloaded.

At the top of the dialog you'll find the payee name, exactly as it was downloaded by your financial institution. Just below that name is a field containing the different elements of that name.

How renaming rules work

Renaming rules help clean up payee names in your downloaded transactions. If a rule is renaming payees incorrectly or no longer applies, you can edit the rule to change what text it matches or how the payee is renamed.

Note: Renaming rules only apply to future downloaded transactions. They do not change transactions already recorded in your register.

Edit a renaming rule

Go to Tools > Renaming Rules.
Find the rule you want to update.
Click the pencil icon to open the rule for editing.
Update the Change payee to field if you want Quicken to use a different name.
Adjust the match conditions if needed:
- Edit the text that triggers the rename (such as Main Coffee)
- Switch between Payee contains and Quicken name is
Click OK to save your changes.

To remove a specific match from a rule, expand the rule and click the minus icon next to the part you want to delete.

To add another match to the same rule, click the plus icon and enter additional text that should trigger the rename.

Edit a Do-Not-Rename rule

In the Renaming Rules dialog, select the Do-Not-Rename Rules tab.
Click the pencil icon next to the rule you want to change.
Update the match type or search text.
Click OK to save.

You can also delete Do-Not-Rename rules using the minus icon if they’re no longer needed.

Edit through the Memorized Payee List

If a renaming rule was created when you merged payees in the Memorized Payee List, you can update it by:

Going to Tools > Memorized Payee List.
Locating the payee that is currently being renamed.
Selecting the payee and clicking Edit.
Changing the payee name to something else, then checking Apply to future downloaded transactions if you want the rename to continue.
Saving your changes.

This updates the global renaming rule created when you merged payees. It does not affect conditional renaming rules based on amount or account.

Example

You notice that transactions for Main Street Deli are being renamed to Main Coffeehouse because of a broad rule using Payee contains: Main.

To fix this:

Edit the rule and make the match phrase more specific, such as Main Coffee
If needed, add a Do-Not-Rename Rule for Main Street Deli to keep that name unchanged in the future

Using the renaming rule preferences

You can access the renaming rules preferences by going to Edit menu → Preferences → Downloaded Transactions.

Preference	Description
Use my existing renaming rules	When this option is selected, Quicken will use your existing renaming rules to automatically rename similar payees for future downloaded transactions. Click Renaming Rules to see a list of the rules you've created.
Automatically create rules when I rename payees	When this option is selected, Quicken will create renaming rules when you manually edit payee names in the register.
Let me review/confirm the automatically created rules	When this option is selected, Quicken will notify you whenever a new renaming rule is created.
Renaming Rules button	Select the Renaming Rules button to access a window where you can view, create, and change your payee renaming rules .

Create a custom renaming rule from a transaction

In the rectangular field, click the elements of the payee name that you want Quicken to scan for in downloaded transactions. These elements can be words, abbreviations, numbers, or symbols. A transaction must contain all of the selected elements before Quicken qualifies is as a match.
Enter the standardized name that you want to use for the payee.
Click OK.

Create a new rule

Go to Edit menu → Preferences.
Select Downloaded Transactions.
Click on Renaming Rules.
Click Add a rule.
Define the method you want Quicken to use to map similar names to be renamed to the new name.
Press OK.

Edit an existing rule

Go to Edit menu → Preferences.
Select Downloaded Transactions.
Click on Renaming Rules.
Select the rule you want to edit.
Click on Edit the name for this payee (Pencil icon) to edit the rule.
Enter the new Payee name.
To save the rule, click OK.

Add a rule to an existing rule

Go to Edit menu → Preferences.
Select Downloaded Transactions.
Click on Renaming Rules.
Select the rule you want to edit.
Click on Add a rule for this payee name (plus icon).
Define the method you want Quicken to use to map similar names to be renamed to the new name.
Press OK.