How to convert transactions from Excel to Quickbooks

Do you have transactions in CSV or Excel format and need to import into Quickbooks? This tutorial shows how to do it in three simple steps.

Step 1: Enter transactions in Excel or download transactions in CSV or Excel format from your online banking or credit card website

The first line in the CSV file should be the header with column names like date, amount, payee, memo, check number. Each transaction should take one line in the CSV/Excel file.

If created in Excel, save your Excel/CSV file before converting.

Step 2: Determine importable format based on your Quickbooks version (QBO or IIF)

Quickbooks imports QBO (web connect) and IIF formats. The QBO format is for bank and credit card transactions only. The IIF format allows entries for all accounts but requires more details.

Quickbooks imports QBO files until it becomes three years old. After this, Quickbooks must be upgraded.
Quickbooks imports IIF files even if it becomes three years old.

Quickbooks provides an interface called Bank Feeds for imported QBO files. Once Quickbooks imports a QBO file, you can review imported transactions:

Match payee names to vendor records
Assign expense/income account (prefilled from matched vendor)
Add transactions to the register or ignore (delete) them

Step 3: Convert transactions in CSV/Excel format to QBO or IIF format

Download the ProperConvert app to convert to the QBO or to the IIF format.
Install it on your computer. Windows and macOS versions are available.
Start the converter and open the CSV or Excel file.
Examine how transactions are parsed and click Review Mapping if required. Custom mapping helps when the parser cannot detect columns automatically. For example, your CSV file may have more than one amount column or more than one description column.
Before converting to a QBO file, set the bank label (INTU.BID), account ID, and account type.
Before converting to an IIF file, set the account type and account name.
Click the ''Convert'' button to create a QBO or IIF file. The converter uses your CSV/Excel filename and its location as the base name for the new file. You may adjust the filename and its location before converting.

If you set the "Open after save" checkbox, the converter will do a system call to open the created file. By default, QBO and IIF files should be opened by Quickbooks installed on your computer. If the checkbox was not set, do the following to import created file:

For QBO files, switch to Quickbooks and select File->Utilities->Import->Web Connect
For IIF files, switch to Quickbooks and select File->Utilities->Import->IIF file