QuickBooks Bank Import File Formats: QBO, CSV, QFX, OFX

QuickBooks imports bank transactions from four main file formats: .qbo (Web Connect), .csv, .qfx (Quicken), and .ofx (Open Financial Exchange); QuickBooks Desktop also reads .qif. QuickBooks Online accepts .csv, .qbo, .qfx, and .ofx up to 1,000 lines and 350 KB per file. The .qbo Web Connect file is usually the cleanest import because it carries the account and format QuickBooks expects, so it maps with the least manual work. QuickBooks cannot read a PDF, so if your statement is a PDF, use the converter at the top of this page to turn it into a .qbo (or CSV) first.

Last updated July 2026.

.qbo (Web Connect): the format QuickBooks likes best

A .qbo file is a Web Connect file. It is the format banks provide when they let you download transactions for direct import into QuickBooks. Inside, it holds the account identifiers and structured transaction data QuickBooks already knows how to read, so QuickBooks matches the file to the right register and drops the transactions in with little or no column mapping on your part.

Use .qbo when you run QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop and you want the fastest, least fiddly import. Because the account and formatting are baked in, you skip the guesswork that CSV files create. If your bank only hands you a PDF or a spreadsheet, our PDF to QBO converter builds a proper Web Connect file from those pages so the import behaves like a native bank download.

CSV: flexible, but you do the mapping

A CSV is a plain spreadsheet of your transactions. Almost every bank can export one, which is why it is the most universally available option. The tradeoff is that QuickBooks does not know which column is which, so you tell it during upload. That mapping step is where most import errors start: a stray header row, a date in the wrong style, or amounts split the wrong way.

QuickBooks Online wants your CSV in one of two shapes. The 3 column layout is Date, Description, Amount, where a single amount column carries positive numbers for money in and negative numbers for money out. The 4 column layout is Date, Description, Credit, Debit, which splits deposits and withdrawals into separate columns. Pick one and keep every row consistent. The same 1,000 line and 350 KB limits apply, so a busy month may need to be split across files.

CSV is the right call when you use QuickBooks Solopreneur or Self-Employed, because those products import CSV only. It is also handy when a bank refuses to give you anything richer. When that happens and you actually need a Web Connect import, you can turn that CSV into a QBO file and avoid the column mapping entirely.

QFX: the Quicken flavor of Web Connect

A .qfx file is Quicken's version of the same underlying financial exchange format. QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop both accept it. Structurally it looks a lot like a .qbo, so it imports cleanly with minimal mapping. You will usually see .qfx offered by banks that built their download around Quicken. If your bank gives you a choice, .qbo and .qfx behave similarly inside QuickBooks; either beats wrestling with a CSV.

OFX: the open standard underneath

OFX, or Open Financial Exchange, is the open specification that .qbo and .qfx are both built on. A raw .ofx file works in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. It carries structured transaction data the same way its cousins do, so the import is tidy and needs little hand mapping. If your bank labels its download as OFX, treat it as a first class option alongside .qbo.

QIF: Desktop only

A .qif file is an older Quicken interchange format. QuickBooks Desktop can import it, but QuickBooks Online cannot. If you are on Desktop and your bank or your old software only exports .qif, it will work. On QuickBooks Online, convert to .qbo or a properly formatted CSV instead, since .qif is not on the accepted list.

Which format each QuickBooks product accepts

To read that another way: QuickBooks Online takes CSV, .qbo, .qfx, and .ofx. QuickBooks Desktop takes .qbo, .qfx, .ofx, and .qif through Web Connect and import. Solopreneur and Self-Employed take CSV only. Every QuickBooks Online upload is capped at 1,000 lines and 350 KB per file, and the file has to be in English.

Which format should you choose?

If you are on QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, choose .qbo. It hands QuickBooks the account and structure it wants, so you spend your time reviewing transactions instead of aligning columns. QFX and OFX are close seconds when your bank offers them. Reach for CSV when you are on Solopreneur or Self-Employed, since those products accept nothing else, or when your bank simply will not export anything richer.

The one format QuickBooks will never take is a PDF. Statements arrive as PDFs constantly, so the practical move is to convert first. Our QBO converter and the bank statement to QuickBooks tool on our homepage read a PDF statement and produce a clean .qbo, CSV, or Excel file. For the full walkthrough of getting transactions in, see how to import a bank statement into QuickBooks Online.

Frequently asked questions

What is a QBO file?

A QBO file is a Web Connect file, the format banks use for direct import into QuickBooks. It holds structured transaction data plus the account details QuickBooks expects, so it imports with the least manual mapping. Both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop accept it, which makes it the cleanest choice for most users.

What is the best file format to import into QuickBooks?

For QuickBooks Online and Desktop, .qbo (Web Connect) is best because it carries the account and format QuickBooks expects and needs the least mapping. QFX and OFX are strong alternatives. Use CSV only when required, such as on Solopreneur or Self-Employed, or when your bank exports nothing else.

Can QuickBooks import a CSV file?

Yes. QuickBooks Online imports CSV files, and Solopreneur and Self-Employed accept CSV only. The file must use 3 columns (Date, Description, Amount) or 4 columns (Date, Description, Credit, Debit), stay at or under 1,000 lines and 350 KB, and be in English. You map the columns during upload.

What is the difference between QBO and QFX?

Both are structured Web Connect style files built on the same financial exchange standard, so they import into QuickBooks with little mapping. The main difference is origin: .qbo is the QuickBooks flavor, while .qfx is the Quicken flavor. QuickBooks Online and Desktop accept either, and they behave very similarly on import.

Does QuickBooks Online accept OFX files?

Yes. QuickBooks Online accepts .ofx files along with .csv, .qbo, and .qfx. OFX is the open standard that .qbo and .qfx are built on, so it imports as clean, structured data with minimal hand mapping. The same 1,000 line and 350 KB per file limits apply to OFX uploads.

Can QuickBooks import a PDF statement?

No. QuickBooks cannot read a PDF. You need to convert the statement into an accepted format first, such as .qbo or a properly formatted CSV. A converter reads the PDF pages and rebuilds the transactions as a Web Connect file, after which QuickBooks imports it like a normal bank download.