Import QIF into Quicken: convert QIF to CSV

Quicken imports QFX, QIF and CSV files. It can take your QIF file directly, so convert it to CSV when the direct import fails or you need what CSV offers. Read the full Quicken import guide.

load a QIF file in ProperConvert

What is a QIF file

QIF is plain text with no transaction IDs and no account number, so apps can't use it to detect duplicates. Avoid converting the same period twice. Its dates can be ambiguous, such as 03/04/26, so confirm the date format in the app. QIF can carry categories, which are useful when the output needs expense and income accounts.

What is a Quicken CSV file

A CSV file is a plain text table with one transaction per row. Quicken doesn't read just any CSV: Quicken for Windows and Quicken for Mac each need their own column layout, so a CSV written for one doesn't work in the other. Quicken for Windows reads date, payee, amount, category, account, tag, memo and check number. Quicken for Mac reads the CSV Mint layout, which has a category but no subcategory.

Why convert QIF to a Quicken CSV

Quicken for Mac doesn't import QIF, so a QIF file has to become CSV Mint or QFX there. A CSV file is also the choice when you want categories to come along with the transactions. It has no transaction IDs, so import each period only once.

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 QIF to CSV

  1. Download, install and start ProperConvert. The trial is free.
  2. Open your QIF file.
  3. 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.
  4. Set the CSV settings below.
  5. Click Convert, then confirm the file name and location.

Set the CSV output settings

The CSV target must match your Quicken. In the CSV tab on the right sidebar, select:

Then check that the date column is correct and that money out is negative. See all CSV settings.

Import the CSV file into Quicken

In Quicken Classic for Windows:

  1. Click File > File Import > Banking Transactions > From (.CSV) File and select the file.
  2. Review the imported transactions in the register.

In Quicken for Mac, import the CSV Mint file. It always goes into a new account, so afterward:

  1. Select the transactions in the new account.
  2. Drag them onto the account you want in the sidebar.
  3. Delete the temporary account.

See the Quicken import guide for the full Windows column layout.

Quicken CSV questions

Which CSV target do I select for Quicken?

Quicken Windows (CSV) for Quicken Classic for Windows, and Quicken Mac (CSV Mint) for Quicken for Mac. The two layouts are different, so a file made for one doesn't work in the other.

Does a CSV import check for duplicates?

No. In Quicken for Windows every row is added, so importing the same file twice doubles the transactions. Import each period once.

Does a CSV file bring categories into Quicken?

Yes. The Windows layout has categories, subcategories (Category:Subcategory) and tags. CSV Mint has a category but no subcategory.

Can a CSV file create transfers in Quicken?

No. The Windows CSV import doesn't create transfers, even when the category holds an account name in brackets, such as [Savings].

Does Quicken need the Internet to import a CSV file?

No. QIF, CSV and CSV Mint import without an Internet connection. Only QFX needs one.

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