Importing beneficiaries ensures your data is complete for planning and reporting. This information powers the Beneficiaries Value Add, making it an important step after accounts are set up.
At a glance
Start the import from Households or Imports.
Choose Import account data, then select Beneficiaries.
Required fields:
Client ID (unique per client)
Account Number (the account linked to the client)
Beneficiary Name (Last, First format)
Optional but recommended fields:
Beneficiary Type (Primary / Contingent)
Beneficiary Percentage (0–100%)
Beneficiary Relationship (Spouse, Child, etc.)
Upload one spreadsheet at a time (multiple files at once are not supported).
Multiple rows for the same account are supported—this allows importing multiple beneficiaries tied to one account.
Confirm the column mapping and run the import.
SurgeTK supports both creating new beneficiary records and updating existing ones.
After completion, review the import report on the Imports page.
Before you start
Download the Beneficiary Import Template (recommended)
Using the template ensures your headers auto-map to SurgeTK fields.Required fields
Client ID – uniquely identifies the client.
Account Number – links the beneficiary to the correct account.
Beneficiary Name – enter in
Last, Firstformat for consistency.
Optional (but valuable) fields
Beneficiary Type – Primary or Contingent.
Beneficiary Percentage – expressed as a whole number (0–100).
Beneficiary Relationship – e.g., Spouse, Child, Sibling.
Step 1 — Open the import modal
As with other imports, you can start from:
Households: Go to Households → Click Add or Update button → Import Data.
Imports: Go to Imports → Click Import button.
Step 2 — Choose what to import
Select Import account data.
Click Next.
From the list of account data import types, choose Beneficiaries.
Step 3 — Upload your spreadsheet
Upload one spreadsheet at a time. Multiple files at once are not supported.
If your data is spread across different sheets, repeat the process until everything is loaded.
Click Next to continue.
Step 4 — Map your columns
On the mapping step, match each spreadsheet column to the correct SurgeTK field:
Client ID – required.
Account Number – required.
Beneficiary Name – required (
Last, First).Beneficiary Type – optional (Primary / Contingent).
Beneficiary Percentage (%) – optional (0–100).
Beneficiary Relationship – optional (Spouse, Child, etc.).
When ready, click Import.
Step 5 — Monitor progress (don’t refresh)
The progress indicator will show:
Created — new beneficiaries added.
Updated — existing beneficiary records updated.
Duplicates — duplicate rows flagged.
Failed — rows that could not be imported, with error details.
Do not refresh or navigate away until the import completes.
Step 6 — Review the import report
Go to Imports to view a record of your import. From there you can:
Open the import report to see results.
Re-download the original spreadsheet you uploaded.
Best practices
Format names consistently: Use
Last, Firstfor beneficiary names.Percentages: Ensure beneficiary percentages across a single account add up to 100% (if applicable).
Multiple beneficiaries per account: Add each as a separate row tied to the same account number.
Client IDs: Always ensure Client IDs are stable and consistent across imports.
For beneficiary type, use 'Primary' or 'Contingent'.
What you cannot import here
Insurance beneficiaries. Those are imported separately in the Insurance import section.
FAQs
Q: Can I import multiple files at once?
No. Upload one file at a time. If you have multiple sheets, import them one by one.
Q: Can I import multiple beneficiaries for one account?
Yes. Add a new row for each beneficiary tied to the same account number.
Q: Do I need percentages and relationships?
They’re optional, but including them makes your data more complete and ensures the Beneficiaries Value Add works correctly.
Q: Does this import create and update at the same time?
Yes. SurgeTK creates new beneficiary records when no match exists, and updates existing records when it finds a match.
Quick start tip: Download the template, fill in Client ID, Account Number, and Beneficiary Name, then add optional details like type, percentage, and relationship for best results.