How to import bank transactions into QuickBooks Online
By the FileInto team · Updated November 12, 2026
Quick answer
In QuickBooks Online go to Bank transactions, open the Link account menu and choose Upload from file. Drop in a QBO, QFX or CSV file of 350 KB or less, pick the account, match the columns for a CSV, and review the transactions. Intuit recommends QBO.
When to upload a file
QuickBooks Online normally downloads transactions on its own once your bank account is connected. Upload a file by hand when the account can’t connect, when the connection missed some dates, or when the money sits somewhere QuickBooks can’t link to, such as a payment processor.
Which file to use
Intuit’s upload accepts QBO, QFX and CSV bank files, and recommends QBO.
| File | What you do in QuickBooks | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| .qbo | Pick the account | Recommended. Carries a transaction ID per line |
| .qfx | Pick the account | Accepted too |
| .csv | Pick the account, then match the columns | Must follow Intuit’s 3 or 4 column layout |
Upload the file
Open Bank transactions
Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Bank transactions. On some plans it sits under Transactions.
Choose Upload from file
Open the Link account menu and choose Upload from file. If the account isn’t connected to online banking, you’ll see Upload from file or Or upload transactions manually instead.
Add the file
Drag the file into the window and choose Continue.
Pick the account
In the QuickBooks account menu, choose the account the transactions belong to, or Add New.
Match the columns (CSV only)
Tell QuickBooks which column is the date, the description and the amount. A QBO or QFX file skips this step.
Select and finish
Tick the transactions to import, choose Yes, then Done. They wait on the For review tab until you categorize and add them.
Limits to know
- Size: the file must be 350 KB or less.
- Length: up to 1,000 lines, one transaction per line. For a bigger file, download a shorter date range.
- Language: the file must be in English.
- Start date: start the file at least one day before the oldest transaction already in QuickBooks for that account, and check what’s there first so you don’t add the same days twice.
The CSV layout QuickBooks expects
A CSV has to be in one of two layouts, or QuickBooks can’t read it.
- 3 columns: Date, Description, Amount.
- 4 columns: Date, Description, Credit, Debit.
Use one date format throughout, leave cells that only hold 0 blank, and keep the word “amount” out of the Credit and Debit headers. Bank exports rarely match this exactly. A QBO file avoids the column matching: FileInto’s CSV to QBO converter reads the bank’s CSV as it is and writes the QBO file, in your browser.
Errors you might see
The uploaded file contains invalid transaction amount information.
An amount has 12 or more digits. Remove that transaction from the file and enter it by hand.
The uploaded file is of a different type than these accounts.
The file is for a different kind of account, such as a credit card file uploaded to a checking account. Pick the matching account, or set the account type correctly when you make the file.
Tip: Uploading PayPal, Stripe or Square sales? Convert the export so fees come in as their own lines: PayPal to QuickBooks, Stripe to QuickBooks and Square to QuickBooks.