Import CSV or Excel into Quicken: convert CSV or Excel to QFX

Quicken imports QFX, QIF and CSV files. Convert your CSV or Excel file to QFX first, then import it. Read the full Quicken import guide.

extract transaction data from CSV files

What is a CSV file

CSV (comma-separated values) is a plain text file with one transaction per row and columns for date, amount, description and other fields. Every bank and payment service uses its own column names and layout, so no two CSV files look exactly the same. An Excel file (XLS or XLSX) works the same way here.

CSV column mapping

Different CSV files use different column names. A PayPal export uses different headers than a bank export. ProperConvert detects the columns automatically in most cases. If your CSV has unusual column names or splits amounts into separate debit and credit columns, use the manual mapping option to tell the app which column contains which value. Once mapped, the app remembers the layout for the next file from the same source. See CSV column mapping.

Can any CSV file be converted?

Most bank and credit card CSV files can be converted. The file needs at least a date column and an amount column. Files that put deposits and withdrawals in separate columns, or use unusual date formats, may need manual column mapping before converting. Remove any summary rows above or below the transactions.

What is a QFX file

QFX is the Web Connect format Quicken uses for bank and credit card downloads. It is OFX with extra fields for Quicken, and it holds the date, amount, payee, memo, check number and a transaction ID. More about QFX.

Why convert CSV to QFX

Your bank or card company may offer only CSV, or Quicken may not take its layout. Quicken's own CSV import needs specific columns and works only in current versions, while QFX is what Quicken expects from a bank download. A QFX file also carries a transaction ID for each row, which lets Quicken skip transactions it has already imported.

Before you import: back up Quicken

Back up your Quicken data file before you import any file, so you can restore it if the transactions come in wrong.

Step by step: convert CSV or Excel to QFX

Download, install and start ProperConvert. The trial is free.
Open your CSV or Excel file.
Review the transactions to see how the app read your file. Check that the dates are correct, and that expenses are negative and deposits (payments to the account) are positive. The "Change +/-" button reverses the signs for the whole file, for bank and credit card accounts alike.
Set the QFX settings below.
Click Convert, then confirm the file name and location.

Set the QFX output settings

In the QBO/QFX/OFX tab on the right sidebar, set the file type to QFX (Quicken), then set:

Account ID: digits only. Use the same number for every file of one account and a different number for each account.
Account type: Quicken imports a credit card file only into a credit card account, and a checking file only into a bank account.
Currency: US dollars for the Quicken US edition, US or Canadian dollars for the Canadian edition.
INTU.BID: the bank label Quicken shows during import. It doesn't have to match your bank, but it must be allowed for the account type. Click Lookup: "CH" is for checking, savings and credit lines, "CC" is for credit cards, and "CH,CC" is for both. See all QFX settings.

Import the QFX file into Quicken

Quicken imports QFX files only in versions up to three years old, and needs an Internet connection during the import. For an older version, use QIF.

In Quicken for Windows:

Disconnect the account from online services. Click Tools > Account List, click Edit on the account, open the Online Services tab, and click Deactivate.
Click File > File Import > Web Connect (.QFX) File and select the QFX file.
Choose "Link to an existing account" and pick the account, or choose "Create a new account". Click Import, then Close.
The transactions appear in the bottom section of the register. Review them and click Accept All.

In Quicken for Mac, click File > Import > Bank or Brokerage File (OFX, QFX) and select the file. See the Quicken import guide for every step.

QFX transactions imported into Quicken

Quicken QFX questions

Why won't Quicken import a QFX file into my account?

The first QFX import "online links" the account to the bank settings in that file. A QFX file with different settings is then refused for the "occupied" account. Edit the account, open the Online Services tab, and select Deactivate online link, then import again.

Why doesn't Quicken see my QFX file?

The import was started from File > Import > QXF file. QFX files are Web Connect files: use File > File Import > Web Connect File.

Can I import QFX into a non-USD account?

Not safely. Quicken refuses a QFX file in a non-USD currency, and since Quicken 2016 R7 (US edition), importing a USD QFX file into a non-USD account changes the account's currency to USD, which cannot be changed back. Two workarounds:

Import the QFX file into a USD proxy account, then select all transactions there (right-click > Select all transactions), cut them, switch to the intended account and paste. Amounts stay the same.
Use QIF, which has no currency.

Why does Quicken say the file is not a valid QFX?

Either the Quicken version is discontinued and no longer accepts QFX, or the financial institution ID in the file is not one Quicken recognizes. Switch to QIF in the first case and choose a listed institution in the second.

Why did Quicken create a new account?

The account ID in the QFX file does not match the one Quicken stored for the existing account. Use the same account ID as the previous import.

Why are transactions doubled after import?

The same period was imported twice with different transaction IDs, or as QIF, which has no IDs and no duplicate check. Import each period once. For QIF, delete the doubled rows in the register.