Excel date is incorrect after downloading transactions to csv file

I don't understand why it isn't easier to simply print a report.  However, i can download transactions to a csv file but when i open in Excel, the date is not correct.  For example, a sale on August 1, 2017 converts to 2008-01-17.  Any idea how to fix this?

 

Thanks.

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This is just a format thing.  You can change the cell format, here is a link that may help explain it.  If you have google docs you may try to open it with google sheets.  I have not seen a date format error with that or Apple numbers. https://www.extendoffice.com/documents/excel/585-excel-change-american-date-format.html

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Hi - it was not a formatting issue.  When I exported the MTD August Item Sales transactions as Detail CSV and then opened in Excel, the first 3 lines had the date formatted correctly but the dates on all the other lines were incorrect.  

 

I did find a work-around. If you open the CSV file in Google Sheets, then click on File, Download As, Microsoft Excel, then open in Excel, the dates are correct. Seems a bit backwards but it worked.

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to clarify - the underlying data is incorrect so it doesn't matter how you format the date cell, you will always end up with a date in 2008.  The underlying number for August 16, 2017 should be 42964 but the underlying number for the date cell that was imported was 39769 which, when you reformat to a date, gives you November 17, 2008.  I hope that makes sense.

 

 

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Alumni

Hi @ravenpg - Sorry for all the extra steps you had to go through, but we appreciate you sharing your workaround with the rest of the Community. Sounds like there might be some miscommunication between the CSV file and Excel that Google Sheets is able to correct, but it's hard to tell without seeing the back-end of both Excel and Google Sheets to compare. In the meantime, I'll make sure to pass on your feedback to our Product team. If this becomes a major issue for other Sellers as well, they'll be able to look into a solution.

Puka - She/They
Seller Community UX Designer
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This is exactly the issue I am having as well.  The data exported to the CSV file is inverting the day & month information.

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Alumni

Thanks for checking in here, @jpidgen, and sorry that you've been encountering trouble with this as well. I went to look into this and I wasn't able to pinpoint the source on my end. If the information is still not populating as expected, I would suggest getting in touch with our Customer Success Team with an example. They'll be able to take a deeper dive and escalate internally if needed.

 

Hope this helps get you in the right direction—let me know if any other questions come up.

️ Tom | he/him
Square Community Program Manager | Square, Inc.
Find step-by-step help in our Support Center
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What version of Excel are you using?  I have up to 2013 and have no issues with it.  Works fine in Google Sheets as you stated and Apple Numbers. 

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Hi - I'm using the latest version of Windows and all of the Office products.  Interesting to note that I get exactly the same result when I open the csv file using my Mac.  I have Office for Mac installed on it.  Also newest version of everything.

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Hey @ravenpg, this sounds really weird. I would reach out to our Support Team if you haven't already. They can take a closer look at your CSV file and do some troubleshooting with the file you're referring to. 

 

 

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