How to Handle Imported Credit Card Payments

July 11 2024 5:11pm • Est. Read Time: 4 MIN

Learn how YNAB handles payments to your credit card the first time they import into your linked account. Set up your accounts to recognize these payments as transfer transactions.

Links with a ↗️ icon will open in a new tab.

When your first credit card payment clears your bank and imports, YNAB won't immediately know to make it a transfer. In this scenario, one of the following will happen:

  1. If you enter the payment manually ↗️ before it imports, the imported transaction will match up with the one you entered. YNAB will now recognize the transaction as a transfer between two accounts. You can approve the transaction, and no further steps need to be taken.

  2. If you don't enter your first credit card payment manually before it imports, it will not be recognized as a transfer between two accounts. It may show as two separate transactions—an outflow in your checking and an inflow in your credit card account. You'll need to follow the steps below to manually set the payment as a transfer, essentially combining the two transactions. YNAB will remember this payment transfer setup for your next payment.

How to Manually Set an Imported Payment to a Transfer

Here's what to do if your credit card payment does not import as a transfer initially! This process will connect the credit card account inflow transaction to the checking account outflow as a transfer ↗️. 

  •  Web
  •  iOS
  •  Android
  1. Click on the credit card account in the left sidebar to view your account register.

  2. Select the imported inflow payment transaction that you want to set as a transfer.

  3. Click the Category field and select the Credit Card Payment category for this account. 

  4. Click the Payee field and select the account that made this payment (for example, Payment from: [checking account]). 

  5. Click Save. The payment will now be reflected in your Credit Card Payment category.

  6. One side of the transfer will now be listed in each account (credit card register and the checking account register). If you've already imported the payment outflow in the other account, it should have matched up and just needs approval.

Going forward, as long as your bank uses the same payee for payments, YNAB will know to make it a transfer automatically. All you'll need to do is approve the match!

  1. Tap the Accounts tab at the bottom of the app.

  2. Select your credit card account to open the register. 

  3. Tap on the imported inflow payment transaction that you want to set as a transfer.

  4. Tap the Payment made from (or Payee) field and select the account that made this payment.

  5. Tap the Category field and select the appropriate Credit Card Payment category.

  6. Tap Save. The payment will now be reflected in your Credit Card Payment category.

  7. One side of the transfer will now be listed in each account (inflow in the credit card register and outflow from the checking account register). If you've already imported the payment outflow in the other account, it should have matched up and will just need approval. 

Going forward, as long as your bank uses the same payee for payments, YNAB will know to make it a transfer automatically. All you'll need to do is approve the match!

  1. Tap the Accounts tab at the bottom of the app.

  2. Select your credit card account to open the register.

  3. Tap on the imported inflow payment transaction that you want to set as a transfer.

  4. Tap the Payee field and select the appropriate account option from those listed under the Transfer Accounts heading. (Be sure to select the account that the funds are coming from.)

  5. The Category section will automatically turn grey and show "Category not needed" because your credit card account is already tied to your Credit Card Payment category.

  6. Tap Save. The payment will now be reflected in your Credit Card Payment category.

  7. One side of the transfer will now be listed in each account (inflow in the credit card register and outflow from the checking account register). If you've already imported the payment outflow in the other account, it should have matched up and will just need approval.

Going forward, as long as your bank uses the same payee for payments, YNAB will know to make it a transfer automatically. All you'll need to do is approve the match!

Related Resources

Didn't find the information you needed? Check out these related options!

Did your payment import correctly and you just need to approve the match? Approving and Matching Transactions: A Guide ↗️

Interested in the basics of setting up credit card payments? Credit Card Payments: A Guide ↗️

Need to record a credit card refund in YNAB? Credit Card Refunds and Returns ↗️

Wondering how to handle non-payment credit card scenarios? How to Handle Credit Card Rewards and Statement Credits ↗️

Instead of a credit card payment, are you transferring a balance to another card? How to Make a Credit Card Balance Transfer ↗️

Want more specifics of expected behavior with linking an account for import? Linked Accounts in YNAB: A Guide ↗️

Do you pay your card in full each month? Paid in Full Credit Cards: A Guide ↗️

Want to learn more about transfers between accounts like credit card payments? Transfer Transactions: A Guide ↗️

Help Us Help You!

Our Knowledge Base team reviews article feedback responses weekly, and we actively revise these articles to make them as helpful as possible. That's where you come in! Our articles are scored based on the Yes or No ratings received below. We also collect freeform feedback for any No ratings (so our team can focus in on what you were specifically searching for!).

Success: Found what you were searching for? It would be super helpful if you click Yes below.

Suggestions: Didn't find what you're searching for and you'd like to share what terms or topics you wanted? Click No below. You'll then be able to submit your feedback about this article. Please note: the feedback submissions are anonymous, and we’re not able to respond, so make sure to use the next option if you have a specific scenario or question you would like a response to.

Support: If you have a question or would like a response to your specific question, please use the steps laid out in How to Get Help in YNAB ↗️ to ensure that your message gets to our Support team!