Automated Wells Fargo Expense Tracking & Reconciliation (Zapier)

1. **Initialize Trigger**: Log into Zapier and create a new Zap. Select **Bank Transactions by Zapier** as the trigger app. This is Zapier's secure intermediary for Wells Fargo. 2. **Authenticate Wells Fargo**: Select 'New Transaction' as the event. Follow the prompts to connect your account via the secure Plaid portal. Locate Wells Fargo, enter your credentials, and select the specific account (e.g., Business Checking). 3. **Test Trigger**: Fetch a recent transaction. Note the `Description`, `Amount`, and `Date` fields. 4. **Add Filter by Zapier**: To ensure you only sync expenses (and not deposits), add a Filter step. Set it to 'Only continue if...' the `Amount` is less than 0 (or contains a negative sign depending on the source data). 5. **Format Transaction Date**: Add **Formatter by Zapier (Date/Time)**. Banking data often arrives in awkward strings. Transform the raw date into a standard `MM/DD/YYYY` format that QuickBooks prefers. 6. **Clean Merchant Name**: Add **Formatter by Zapier (Text)** and use the 'Replace' function. Remove common banking junk like 'PURCHASE AUTHORIZED' or 'REF #1234' from the description to get a clean merchant name for the Vendor field. 7. **Find or Create Vendor**: Add a **QuickBooks Online** step: 'Find Vendor'. Map the cleaned merchant name to the 'Name' field. Check the box 'Create QuickBooks Online Vendor if it doesn't exist yet'. 8. **Map to QuickBooks Expense**: Add the final **QuickBooks Online** action: 'Create Expense'. Choose the correct Bank/Credit Card account from the dropdown. Map the Formatted Date, the Amount (remove the negative sign using Formatter if necessary), and the Vendor ID from the previous step. 9. **Prevent Duplicates**: Map the Wells Fargo `Transaction ID` to the 'Reference Number' or 'Memo' field in QuickBooks. QBO uses this to prevent duplicate entries of the same transaction. 10. **Enable Error Handling**: Click the three dots on the QuickBooks step and select 'Add Error Handler'. If the Zap fails (e.g., QBO is down), set it to send you an email or a Slack alert instead of simply stopping.

| Wells Fargo Source Field | Transformation Syntax (Zapier) | QBO Destination Field | Requirement | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Amount** | `{{abs(amount)}}` (using Spreadsheet-style formula) | Total Amount | **Required** | | **Date** | `{{zap_meta_human_now}}` or Formatter Tool | Payment Date | **Required** | | **Description** | Formatter: Replace (Cleaning strings) | Vendor | **Required** | | **Transaction ID** | Plain Text | Reference Number | Optional (Prevents Dups) | | **Account Name** | Hardcoded Selection (e.g., 'WF Checking') | Bank/Credit Card Account | **Required** | | **Merchant Name** | Cleaned Text | Memo / Description | Optional |

• **Task Quotas**: Each transaction consumes 3-5 tasks (Trigger + Formatter + Find Vendor + Create Expense). Monitor your Zapier plan limit if you have high transaction volume. • **The Negative Sign Issue**: Wells Fargo exports debits as negative numbers. QuickBooks 'Create Expense' action expects positive values. Use Formatter (Math > Absolute Value) to flip the sign. • **Plaid Re-authentication**: Banking APIs occasionally require 're-pairing' for security every 30-90 days. Check your Zapier 'My Apps' page if the Zap stops firing. • **Delayed Posting**: Bank Transactions by Zapier may take 1-2 hours to 'see' a transaction after it clears the bank; it is not instantaneous to the second of the swipe.

- [ ] **Test the Trigger**: Does Zapier successfully pull a real Wells Fargo transaction in the 'Test' phase? - [ ] **Verify Math**: Check the Formatter step—is the negative -50.00 becoming 50.00 for the QBO expense field? - [ ] **Check Vendor Logic**: Did the 'Find Vendor' step successfully locate an existing vendor or create a new one without a name error? - [ ] **Confirm QBO Entry**: In QuickBooks Online, go to 'Expenses' and ensure the transaction appears under the correct Bank Account with the right date. - [ ] **Duplicate Check**: Run the Zap twice for the same transaction ID. Ensure QBO/Zapier flags it or doesn't create a double entry (rely on matching Reference Numbers).