Merchant Categories and Rules

Card networks send raw transaction descriptors that are often inconsistent — the same Home Depot location might post as "HD STORE 0418", "THE HOME DEPOT #0418", or "HOMEDEPOT.COM" depending on how the purchase was made. Topkey's merchant rename rules let you map those messy raw descriptors to a single clean, canonical merchant name so your reports, categories, and accounting exports stay consistent automatically.

Why Merchant Data Matters

Every card transaction arrives with a raw descriptor from the card network. Topkey uses that descriptor to look up a matching rename rule and, if one exists, links the transaction to a canonical merchant record — the clean name you see throughout the UI, in reports, and in your accounting push.

Keeping merchant data clean has two key benefits:

• Spend reporting — you can see total spend by vendor across all transactions, not fragmented across dozens of slightly different descriptor variants.
• Auto-categorization — rules can also carry a category so that every transaction from a given vendor is coded automatically, reducing manual review.

Updating a Merchant from a Transaction

The fastest way to fix a merchant name and create a rule at the same time is directly from a transaction.

1. Open any transaction and go to its Overview tab.
2. Click the merchant name displayed on the transaction.
3. In the Update Merchant window that appears, use the Select or create merchant field to search for an existing canonical merchant name or type a new name to create one.
4. Click Save.

Merchant Rename Rules

Rename rules are the engine behind consistent merchant data. Each rule watches for a specific raw descriptor pattern and automatically maps any matching transaction to your chosen canonical merchant name — optionally assigning a category at the same time.

Viewing All Rules

Navigate to Settings → Merchants → Rename Rules to see every rename rule configured on your account.

Each row in the list shows:

• Description — the matching pattern for the rule, shown as either "Contains: [value]" or "Exactly matches: [value]"
• New Name — the canonical merchant name transactions will be mapped to
• Category — Topkey's Category (Bill to) assigned by the rule, if one is set; GL Category and other accounting fields may also appear if enabled for your account

From this page you can:

• Edit an existing rule using the Edit button on any row
• Delete an individual rule using the Delete button on any row
• Export CSV — click Export CSV in the top-right corner to download all your rename rules to a spreadsheet for review or record-keeping
• Add Rule — click Add Rule to create a new rule from scratch

Creating a New Rule

Click Add Rule from the Merchant Rules index page to open the Create Rule form.

Fill in the following fields:

• Rule type — choose how the raw descriptor is matched:
  • Exact — the raw descriptor must match your value character-for-character
  • Contains — the raw descriptor only needs to include your value as a substring (useful for catching multiple store locations with a shared phrase like "HD STORE")
• Merchant name — enter the raw descriptor value from the card network that you want this rule to match (for example, "HD STORE 0418")
• Select or rename merchant — choose an existing canonical merchant from the list or type a new name to create one
• Assign/Bill to Category — optionally select Topkey's Category (Bill to) to automatically assign to every transaction this rule matches; note that this will only apply the category to transactions that don't already have one assigned

At the bottom of the form:

• Apply to all matching transactions — check this box to retroactively rename every past transaction whose raw descriptor matches this rule. Topkey will process the updates in the background; you'll see a confirmation message that says "Matching transactions will be updated in the background."

Click Save to activate the rule.

How It All Fits Together

Here's the end-to-end flow for a card transaction:

1. A transaction posts with the raw descriptor from the card network (for example, "HD STORE 0418").
2. Topkey checks your rename rules for a match — exact rules first, then contains rules.
3. If a match is found, the transaction is linked to the corresponding canonical merchant record (for example, "Home Depot") and the assigned category is applied if one is set.
4. The canonical merchant name is what appears in the transaction list, reports, and accounting exports — never the raw descriptor.

Editing a merchant directly on a transaction (as described above) updates that one transaction immediately. Creating a rule from the Rename Rules settings page governs all future matching transactions — and optionally retroactively updates past ones.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between "Exact" and "Contains" rule types?

An Exact rule only matches when the raw descriptor is identical to the value you enter — down to every character. A Contains rule matches whenever the raw descriptor includes your value anywhere within it. Use Contains when the same vendor posts with slightly different suffixes (like store numbers), and use Exact when you need to match one very specific descriptor without catching unintended variants.

If I check "Apply to all matching transactions," will it overwrite categories I've already assigned?

No. The category set on a rule is only applied to transactions that don't already have a category assigned. Transactions you've already manually categorized will keep their existing category — only uncategorized matching transactions will be updated.

Can I export my rename rules to share with my bookkeeper or accountant?

Yes. From the Settings → Merchants → Rename Rules page, click Export CSV to download all your current rules as a spreadsheet. The export includes each rule's description pattern, target merchant name, and category.

For additional help, Contact Support.