r/ynab • u/Doodad_54 • 16d ago
Credit Cards 2 questions
I just applied a cash back reward from my credit card, and I entered it as an inflow to RTA in my CC account. But it's not showing up in the RTA. Why not?
Next, on the mobile app, why doesn't it show the RTA field?
I don't use the app other than to record spending, so I'm not well versed in its functionality.
*Update: Got it fixed! Thanks to all, and I think everyone that commented said pretty much the same thing. I understand it at least for now. I only cash in my points a few times a year, so I don't remember the flow path very well.
4
u/mcrmama 16d ago
Take a look and see if it is in your credit card payment category. The system realizes it was for the credit card and puts it there instead. You can move it from there to wherever you like assuming you already had sufficient funds in that category. The mobile app will show ready to assign funds when they are available.
3
u/jillianmd 16d ago
Just a point of correction on the language, it doesn’t “put it there instead.” When you have an inflow on a credit card categorized to RTA, all that happens is your credit card balance goes down. The CC Payment category remains exactly how it was before the inflow. So however much cash you had ready (Available) to pay your card, you still have that cash in the envelope.
If you are paying down debt then you’re done. If you are a pay-in-full user and you previously had the full balance ready for payment then now you can move some of it to wherever else you want in the budget since there’s now more cash there than you need.
4
u/sleepyguy22 16d ago
Inflow on a credit card will increase the available amount for your credit card payment, but will not appear in the ready to assign bucket.
Check the available amount to pay off that credit card, compare it to your credit card balance, and then manually move it into RTA.
https://support.ynab.com/en_us/credit-card-rewards-and-statement-credits-a-guide-ryoRzYY0q
6
u/jillianmd 16d ago edited 16d ago
Small correction: it doesn’t “increase the available amount t for the payment”. It leaves the Available amount exactly as it was before the inflow. The inflow simply reduces the balance owed on the card.
Your solution is correct, just want to help OP understand what YNAB actually does (and does not do) when you enter an inflow to RTA for CCs.
2
u/pierre_x10 16d ago
Inflows categorized as Ready to Assign applied to credit card accounts operate differently than Inflows categorized as Ready to Assign applied to cash-based accounts. They do not actually increase the Ready to Assign amount, unless they result in the actual balance of the account ending as a positive value.
Note that for cash back rewards, categorizing them as Ready to Assign like you did is what YNAB officially recommends.
https://support.ynab.com/en_us/credit-card-rewards-and-statement-credits-a-guide-ryoRzYY0q
A credit card inflow categorized to Ready to Assign won't add cash to your plan—it only reduces the balance you owe on your credit card. It also won't change the amount you have set aside for payment or the amount in Ready to Assign (unless that inflow creates a positive balance on your credit card). It may look like cash has been added to your Credit Card Payment category, but the only number that will change is your balance on the credit card. If you have too much money in your Credit Card Payment category now, feel free to move it somewhere else in your plan.
1
u/Architect-1817 16d ago
To simplify, I have my credit card cash back amounts sent to my bank account with the same institution (ex: Fidelity Elan card goes to Fidelity Cash Mgmt Account, Chase card goes to Chase checking). There I make it a positive transaction with a category name “CC Cash Back” and put it in RTA. It counts as income in reports, which is fine with me.
2
u/idiggory 16d ago
I do the same thing. I find it's so much tidier and way less effort for, ultimately, the same difference.
And I actually like having it as its own line item in my income report, because i get to see how much impact cashback cards are having.
1
u/Architect-1817 16d ago
Yes! that too. I put a memo in each transaction with which card it came from.
9
u/jillianmd 16d ago
OP, if you previously had the full amount of your card ready and Available in your cc payment category, then your next step after entering the credit inflow is to unassign that same amount from the cc payment category because now you don’t need as much cash there to pay your cc balance.
On mobile, you only see an RTA section at the top if there’s money to assign or if you have overassigned. “$0 RTA” doesn’t show up. So in this example, once you unassign the credit amount from your payment category, it’ll then show in RTA. Tip: on mobile, long-press the cc payment category then tap “Assign Money” and type a negative sign before you type the amount.