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Format CSV files in Excel to get bank transactions into QuickBooks

SOLVED•by QuickBooks•110•Updated 3 weeks ago

Instead of connecting your bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks, you can upload them manually using a .CSV file. Usually, you download this file from your bank, but before you can upload it into QuickBooks Online you need to make sure the data is in the correct format.

Before you start

Each bank formats .CSV files differently. This means you may not be able to import CSVs from certain banks since files don't have the format QuickBooks needs. If your bank doesn't export to a .CSV file, you can also upload your statements to QuickBooks Online via Quicken (.QFX), QuickBooks Online (.QBO), or Microsoft Money (.OFX) or text (.TXT) files as long as they follow the following format.

Learn about CSV formats

You can upload CSVs with either the following 3-column or 4-column format. These are the only columns QuickBooks can handle and this order.

The 3-column format

This format has a Date, Description, and Amount column.

ABC
1DateDescriptionAmount
21/1/2018Example of a payment-100.00
31/1/2018Example of a deposit200.00

The 4-column format

This format has a Date, Description, Credit, and Debit column.

ABCD
1DateDescriptionCreditDebit
21/1/2018Example of a payment100.00
31/1/2018Example of a deposit200.00

If you see an error message when you upload, do the following:

  • Remove any zeroes (0) from the file. Leave those cells blank.
  • Correct any transactions that display numbers in the Description column.
  • Remove the word "amount" if it appears in the Credit or Debit column header. They should only read "Credit" and "Debit" without the word "amount."
  • Make sure the dates are in one format. We recommend you use: dd/mm/yyyy.
  • Mac users must save the file as a Windows CSV file.
  • Some banks add the day of the week in the Date column (for example, 20/11/2018 TUE). You need to remove the day of the week. To do this, split the date and the day of the week into separate columns:
    1. Open the CSV in Microsoft Excel.
    2. Highlight the column that contains the date.
    3. Go to Data then select Text to Columns.
    4. Follow the onscreen steps and select the following:
      • Original data type: Delimited
      • Delimiters: Space
      • Column data format: General

You can also follow the steps from Microsoft.

  • CSV files for credit card accounts may display transactions in reverse. For example, deposits may appear as negative amounts because paying your credit card reduces your balance.
  • To make sure these transactions are imported correctly, select the corresponding credit card account (not a bank account) when you upload the file into QuickBooks Online.
  • To post credit card transactions to your company file, select a credit card account (not a bank account) in QuickBooks Online.

Next steps

Now that your file is formatted correctly, you can manually upload your transactions into Quickbooks Online, and categorise them to keep your books tidy.

We're here to help

If you need additional help or have questions, or you require assistance at any point in this process, our Customer Success team is happy to help.

Sign in to QuickBooks and start a discussion in our QuickBooks Community or join one of our Facebook Groups to connect with other like-minded QuickBooks customers. 

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