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How to Convert and Import

In summary:

  • Download your account statement from your bank or vendor
  • Open the account statement in Excel and run the converter (less than 1 minute)
  • Import the converted statement into QuickBooks (less than 1 minute)

Below are step-by-step instructions, with screenshots.

Download Your Statements
  1. Download your account statement from your bank or credit card issuer in CSV or Excel format.
  2. How to download: Chase Home Depot USAA

  3. Save the statement file to your computer.

    Make note of the folder where you save it. In this example, the file 11-29-10.csv is being saved in the folder My Credit Card Statements:

    Select the download folder

Convert to QuickBooks
  1. Browse to the folder where you saved your downloaded statement (e.g. My Credit Card Statements)

  2. Open the statement in Excel (double-click the filename)

    CSV file

    Alternate method: If clicking the file does not automatically start Excel, start Excel and select FILE > OPEN... and then browse to your statements folder. In the dialog box, change the option Files of type: to Text files. Click the .CSV file to select it, then click OPEN, like this:

    Open file

    Excel 2010: If Excel display a warning, "Protected View", click Enable Editing

    Protected view warning

  3. Excel 2003~2007: select Convert to QB
    Excel 2010 and later: select Add-Ins and then Convert to QB

    Excel menu bar

  4. Select the converter to use:

    Select a converter

Is your menu disabled/grayed-out? See this Help page

As soon you select the converter, the conversion starts. Within a second or two, the converter will read your statement and create a file ready for you to import into QuickBooks. The completion message looks similar to this:

Conversion completed successfully

Import into QuickBooks

The last step is to import your data into QuickBooks. This is the fun part!

In summary:

  • Start QuickBooks
  • Backup your data
  • Select the file to import
Backup Your Company File

It’s a good idea to backup your company file before importing because QuickBooks cannot "undo" it. With a backup, you can get back to where you were.

  1. Start QuickBooks and open your company file
  2. Select File > Save a copy or backup...
  3. Select Backup copy
  4. Click Finish

    Backup your data

Import into QuickBooks
  1. Select File > Utilities > Import > IIF Files...

    QuickBooks import utility

  2. Browse to the folder where your statement is and select the .IIF file (or, click the file and Open). Your data will immediately be imported and you’ll see this message:

    QuickBooks import complete

    Click OK

  • Tip: You can watch the magic of your transactions being posted to QuickBooks. Before doing importing, open your bank or credit card account register from the Chart of Accounts and size the window to about one-half of your screen. Then import the IIF file and you'll see the transactions being added. It’s nice to see all that data being entered without having to type it!
  • Tip: If you receive any errors, check here for solutions: Help page/Contact

After importing successfully, the .IIF file is no longer needed. You may delete it or you might want to move it to another folder so that you do not accidentally import it again (for example, move your imported files to a folder named Has been imported into QB). Note that QuickBooks has no way to know if an .IIF file has already been imported — it will import again and create duplicate entries, if you tell it to.

Finished!

You’re done! You can use QuickBooks to view the imported transactions, reconcile the account, view reports, etc.