Uncategorized Transactions: How to Get Clients to Actually Answer
The uncategorized transactions list is where many closes stall. How to ask clients about transactions so they actually answer, with examples and a weekly routine.
Quick answer: Clients answer transaction questions quickly when each question is specific (date, amount, payee), easy to answer (ideally multiple choice), sent in small batches soon after the transaction, and tied to a clear deadline. A long spreadsheet of unexplained transactions sent at month end is the format most likely to be ignored.
Key takeaways
- Ask weekly while purchases are fresh, not monthly.
- Give options to choose from instead of open questions.
- Ask for a receipt in the same question when one is needed.
- Use bank rules so you only ask about genuinely unclear items.
Bad vs good questions
| Instead of | Ask |
|---|---|
| "Please review the attached 47 transactions." | "5 quick questions about last week. Takes 2 minutes." |
| "What was this?" | "Mar 9, Amazon, $129.99: office supplies, inventory, or personal?" |
| "Please send receipts." | "Mar 22, Capital Grille, $236.40: who was the meal with, and can you upload the receipt?" |
| "Transfer to unknown account" | "Mar 15, $2,000 transfer to account ending 7731: owner draw, loan payment or another business account?" |
A weekly routine
- Review new feed transactions and apply bank rules
- Pull the genuinely unclear items, usually a handful
- Send them as specific, multiple-choice questions
- Give a short deadline, such as two business days
- Roll unanswered items into the next batch and flag them at month end
Reduce questions over time
- Create bank rules from each answer
- Agree a receipt threshold. See collecting receipts.
- Ask clients to keep business and personal spending separate
- Note recurring vendors during onboarding
Use text for the nudge
A short text with a link gets faster answers than email. See text message reminders for accounting clients.
Correctdocs sends clients a short list of exactly what's needed, including receipts for specific transactions, checks each upload, and follows up automatically by text and email.
Correctdocs is in early access. The first 10 US accounting, bookkeeping and tax firms get a free 30-day pilot on real client requests. Request early access.
Frequently asked questions
How often should bookkeepers ask clients about transactions?
Weekly works best for most clients, while transactions are still easy to remember.
What should I do with transactions the client never explains?
Hold them in a suspense or "ask my accountant" account, flag them in the monthly report, and resolve them before year end.