Bank feeds rules

Find this screen

Open: Settings > Cash Book / Nominal Ledger > Bank Feeds Rules.

Open: Cash Book > Create & Amend Accounts > Amend Bank Account Details, select the account and click Bank Feeds Rules.

Watch a video

Bank Feeds Rules (video)

How to

Add a bank feeds rule

When you use Bank Feeds Reconciliation to reconcile your bank account, you may find that some bank transactions that were downloaded from bank feeds do not have equivalent transactions in Sage 200.

If these transactions are regular or frequent, then instead of adding individual transactions each time that you reconcile, you can set up a bank feeds rule to automatically create these transactions for you in Sage 200. For example, if you make a regular payment for your energy bills each month, you could set up a rule that recognises your bank payment to the energy company, and then creates the matching nominal transaction for you.

You can create bank feeds rules whenever you add a new transaction in Bank Feeds Reconciliation.

Open: Period End Routines > Bank Feeds > Bank Feeds Reconciliation.

Open: Cash Book > Bank Account List, select the bank account and click Bank Feeds.

  1. Select the Bank Account that's linked to the Sage bank feeds service.
  2. From the Transactions from your bank list, select a single transaction that you want to create the rule for.

  3. Select the type of transaction to post from the Add transaction of type drop-down list.

    Bank feeds rules can be set up to create customer receipts and payments, supplier payments and receipts, and nominal payments and receipts. The type of transaction that's available will depend on the bank transaction you select.

  4. Enter the details for the transaction.

  5. Click Save & Create Rule.

    • If the new transaction amount matches the original bank transaction, the transactions are added to your Matched transactions.
    • You cannot select Save & Create Rule if:
      • You have not selected a bank transaction, or have selected multiple bank transactions.
      • You have selected a supplier or customer account that uses a different currency to the bank account.
      • Your Sage 200 company uses a different base currency to the bank account.

  6. In the Create Bank Rule screen, enter a name for the rule.

  7. Set up the rule conditions which are used to identify the bank transactions. For example, you might identify the transaction by a name in the reference, a particular bank account number, or when the value is in a certain range. Transactions will be created in Sage 200 for downloaded bank transactions that match these conditions. You can add multiple conditions.

    Transaction detail Description Example
    Reference

    This is the bank's description for the transaction, and usually identifies the account the payment was made to or from.

    		 Match transactions with a description "Southern Energy": Equals Southern Energy
    Amount

    This is the value of the transaction in the bank account currency.

    Match transactions up to a value of 100: Less than or equal to 100
    Transaction Date

    This the range of days in the month when you expect the transaction to occur.

    		 Match transactions in the first week of the month: From 1 To 7
    Cheque Number The cheque number of the transaction. Match transactions with a cheque number of 100
    Sort code

    The sort code of the bank account.

    Not all banks include the sort code with the transaction.

    When you tick this option, the number will be pre-filled for you. If the number is still blank, then your bank does not provide this information with the transaction.

    		 Match transactions for a supplier with sort code 11-22-33
    Account number

    The account number of the bank account.

    Not all banks include the account number with the transaction.

    When you tick this option, the number will be pre-filled for you. If the number is still blank, then your bank does not provide this information with the transaction.

    		 Match transactions for a customer with account number 12345678

  8. Now choose how this transaction will be posted to your accounts. You can make a posting to a customer account, supplier account, or to a single or multiple nominal accounts.

    Click Add to choose the type of posting.

    The full value of the transaction will be allocated to this customer account.

    1. Select Customer and choose the customer account.

    2. Add optional details for the Reference and Second ref, to include with the customer transaction in Sage 200.

    3. Click Add to save this line.

    Note: The Customer transaction that's created will not be allocated, so afterwards you should allocate the transaction to the appropriate invoice or credit note.

    The full value of the transaction will be allocated to this supplier account.

    1. Select Supplier and choose the supplier account.

    2. Add optional details for the Reference and Second ref, to include with the supplier transaction in Sage 200.

    3. Click Add to save this line.

    Note: The Supplier transaction that's created will not be allocated, so afterwards you should allocate the transaction to the appropriate invoice or credit note.

    1. The transaction can be for a single nominal account, or you can split it into separate transactions for multiple nominal accounts. If you split the transaction for multiple nominal accounts, each transaction can be for a percentage of the full value, or for a particular amount (only if the rule is created for a fixed amount).

      • To create a transaction for a single nominal account for the full value, set the split as a Percentage and enter 100.

      • To create transactions for multiple nominal accounts for a proportion of the value, set the split as a Percentage and enter the proportion for this transaction; e.g. 50 = 50% of the total value.

        Then add more lines for each nominal account, and make sure the total percentage from each line equals 100.

      • To create transactions for multiple nominal accounts for specific amounts, set the split as a Value and enter the amount.

        Then add more lines for each nominal account, and make sure the total value equals the Amount set in the bank feeds rule.

        You can only select Value if you have set an Amount in the bank feed rule.

    2. Select Nominal and choose the nominal account.

    3. Add optional reference details:

      • The Cheque Number to use for the nominal payment or receipt.
      • The Second Reference to use for the nominal payment or receipt.
      • The Narrative to use for the nominal payment or receipt.
      • The Nominal Reference to use for the nominal postings in Sage 200.
    4. Select the Nominal VAT Code for the posting.
    5. Add an optional narrative (description) which will be included with the nominal postings in Sage 200.
    6. Click Add to save this line.

  9. You can choose to review transactions for this bank feeds rule before they are posted. When you download transactions from Bank Feeds Reconciliation, you will be asked to approve any transactions that will be created by this rule.

    • To review transactions for this bank feeds rule, turn on Review transaction before posting.
    • To post transactions for this bank feeds rule automatically, without approving them, turn off Review transaction before posting.

  10. When you've finished setting up your bank feeds rule, click Save Rule.

    • The rule will be used to create transactions the next time you use Bank Feeds Reconciliation to download bank transactions from Sage Bank Feeds.

Approve transactions for a bank feeds rule

If you have chosen to Review transactions before posting for a rule, the next time you download transactions for this account in Bank Feeds Reconciliation, you will be asked to approve any transactions that will be created by your bank feeds rules.

Open: Period End Routines > Bank Feeds > Bank Feeds Approval.

See Approve transactions for bank feeds rules.

Choose to review transactions before posting

Open: Settings > Cash Book / Nominal Ledger > Bank Feeds Rules.

  • If you want to approve transactions that would be created by a bank feeds rule, turn on Review before posting.
  • To post transactions for a bank feeds rule automatically, without approving them, turn off Review before posting.

View a bank feeds rule

Open: Settings > Cash Book / Nominal Ledger > Bank Feeds Rules.

  • Select the rule and click View.

Edit a bank feeds rule

Open: Settings > Cash Book / Nominal Ledger > Bank Feeds Rules.

  • Select the rule and click Edit.
  • Changes to a rule will only apply the next time you use Bank Feeds Reconciliation to download bank transactions from Sage Bank Feeds.

Delete a bank feeds rule

Open: Settings > Cash Book / Nominal Ledger > Bank Feeds Rules.

  • Select the rule and click Delete.

View posted transactions

Open: Cash Book > Bank Account Reports > Sage Bank Feeds Postings Report.

  • Use the Sage Bank Feeds Postings Report to view approved transactions that have been created from Bank Feeds Rules.

View failed transactions

If the bank feeds rule could not create the transactions in Sage 200, then you can view the failed transactions. For example, this might happen if:

  • The customer or supplier account specified in the rule no longer exists.
  • A nominal account specified in the rule no longer exists.
  • A customer or supplier uses a different currency to the bank account.

If you get any failed transactions, check your bank feeds rule and correct any issues.

Open: Period End Routines > Bank Feeds > Bank Feeds Failed Transactions.

  • Select the bank account used for Sage Bank Feeds.

  • Details of any failed transactions are displayed.

  • To view the details in a report, click Print.

Open: Cash Book > Bank Account Reports > Sage Bank Feeds Failed Transactions Report.

  • The report shows details of failed transactions for your Sage Bank Feeds accounts.

Useful info

About bank feeds rules

Bank feeds rules help make data entry and bank reconciliation even easier.

When you reconcile your bank transactions, if the downloaded bank transaction is missing from Sage 200, you have to create these transactions in Sage 200.

You can use bank feeds rules to automatically create transactions in Sage 200 for your bank transactions that you download from Sage bank feeds. This saves you time entering transactions, and helps you reconcile your bank accounts more efficiently and reduce errors.

Bank feeds rules look for certain details in the downloaded bank transaction, and then create the matching transaction in Sage 200. For example, if you make regular payments to a particular supplier, you could set up a rule to that matches that supplier's name as it appears in your bank transactions, and then create a corresponding payment to that supplier account in Sage 200.

When you download bank transactions from Sage bank feeds, your bank feeds rules check all the bank transactions, and then create any corresponding transactions in Sage 200.

Bank feeds rules can be set up to create customer receipts and payments, supplier payments and receipts, and nominal transactions.

Example bank feeds rule

Every month you pay electricity bill to Southern Energy. The payment always has a reference of "SouthernEnergy".

  • You set up a rule for this transaction, and call it Electricity.

  • You want to match this using the reference in the bank transaction, so you set this up as:

    Reference - Equals - SouthernEnergy

  • Now you want to choose how the transaction will be posted, so you click Add to enter a new line.

    • You leave the Percentage set to 100.
    • You choose a Nominal Code and select the account used for electricity 72100 Heat Light Power - Electricity.
    • You enter a transaction Reference of Southern Energy, a Second ref of Electricity bill, and set the friendly narrative to Electricity.
    • You set the VAT Code to 1 - Std rate.

  • When you next use Bank Feeds Reconciliation and download transactions from your bank, the rule detects a new transaction for a £100 payment with a reference "SouthernEnergy". You approved this transaction.

    • Sage 200 will create a matching nominal Vatable transaction with the details you specified.

      Posting Account Value Reference Narrative
      Debit 72100 Heat Light Power - Electricity 80.00 Southern Energy Electricity
      Debit 75100 VAT 20.00 Southern Energy Electricity
      Credit 16810 Bank Account 100.00 Southern Energy  

    • Sage 200 will also create a cash book bank transaction.

      Type Value Reference 2nd Ref.
      Payment 100.00 Southern Energy Electricity bill

Questions

When you enter a transaction, you will not be able to click Save & Create Rule if:

  • You have not selected a bank transaction, or have selected multiple bank transactions.
  • You have selected a supplier or customer account that uses a different currency to the bank account.
  • Your Sage 200 company uses a different base currency to the bank account.

To check which transactions have been created from a bank feeds rule, use the Sage Bank Feeds Postings Report.

Open: Cash Book > Bank Account Reports > Sage Bank Feeds Postings Report.

What happens when I

Add a new bank feed rule

  • The rule will be used to create transactions the next time you use Bank Feeds Reconciliation to download bank transactions from Sage Bank Feeds.

  • If you have chosen to Review transactions before posting for a rule, the next time you download transactions for this account, you will be asked to approve any transactions that will be created by your bank feeds rules.

See also

Related information

Bank Feeds Rules (video)

Reconcile using bank feeds

Set up Sage bank feeds

Sage bank feeds