Home › Guides › How to ask clients about uncategorized transactions
How to ask clients about uncategorized transactions
Every month some transactions can't be categorized from the bank description alone. The fastest way to clear them is to ask the client in a way that takes them a few minutes on a phone, not an evening with a spreadsheet.
Email template
Subject: A few transactions to explain for September
Hi Joe,
I'm closing your September books and need your help with 14 transactions I can't identify from the bank description. It should take about five minutes on your phone. Please answer by Friday, October 15.
[link]
For each one, pick the closest category and add a short note if it helps (for example the job name). If something was personal, just say so. When you're done, tap “Send answers” and send me the reply.
Thanks!
Jane
Tips that get answers
- Use the client's words, not account names. “Materials for a job” is easier to answer than “Cost of Goods Sold: Job Materials”. Map each simple category to your account behind the scenes.
- Keep the list short. Ask only what you can't work out yourself; 10–30 questions per month is a manageable size for most owners.
- Always offer “Not sure” and “Personal”. A truthful “not sure” is more useful than a guess, and personal spending through the business account is common.
- Give a date. A specific due date gets replies sooner than “when you get a chance”.
- Ask for receipts only where you need them, for example larger purchases or meals.
- Send a short reminder two or three days before the date, and say how many are left.
- Never ask for passwords, full card numbers or bank account numbers, and tell clients you never will. It protects them from phishing that imitates bookkeepers.
A plain-language category list to start from
| What the client sees | Typical accounts it maps to |
|---|---|
| Materials & supplies | Supplies, Job materials, Cost of goods sold |
| Meals with clients or staff | Meals |
| Travel | Travel |
| Vehicle, fuel & parking | Car & truck, Vehicle expenses |
| Software & subscriptions | Software, Dues & subscriptions |
| Contractor or subcontractor | Contractors, Subcontractors |
| Loan payment | Loan principal (liability) and interest expense |
| Transfer between my accounts | Transfer (no income or expense) |
| Customer payment / sales | Sales, Accounts receivable |
| Personal | Owner's draw / owner's equity |
Account names differ by chart of accounts and business type; choose the ones that fit each client.
Turning answers into less work next month
When the same payee keeps coming back with the same answer, create a bank rule for it in QuickBooks Online or Xero. Keep the exported worksheet with your month-end file as a record of what the client told you.
Send your client one link and get the answers back into a worksheet. Free, in your browser.
Open the app Try it with sample data