What a QBO file is
QBO is the file behind QuickBooks Web Connect. When a bank's download page offers a "QuickBooks" option, the file you get is a QBO file: a list of transactions plus a few lines that identify the bank and the account.
Inside, a QBO file is an OFX bank statement with one extra field, the Intuit bank ID (INTU.BID), which QuickBooks uses to recognise the financial institution. Each transaction carries a date, an amount, a payee name, an optional memo and check number, and a unique transaction ID.
Why convert a CSV to QBO
Most banks let you download a CSV, but QuickBooks is pickier about what it accepts:
- QuickBooks Desktop bank feeds take Web Connect (.qbo) files, not spreadsheets. If your bank does not offer a QuickBooks download, or only for recent months, a converted QBO file fills the gap.
- QuickBooks Online can upload a CSV, but it only reads the date, description and amount, and it rejects files that are not laid out exactly as it expects. A QBO file avoids those layout errors and keeps check numbers.
People also use this when a card provider only exports spreadsheets, when older history exists only as Excel files, or when a bookkeeper receives a client's statements in a mix of layouts.
How to convert a CSV to QBO
- In online banking, download the transactions you need as CSV. Some banks call it "Excel", "spreadsheet" or "comma separated".
- Drop the file into step 1 above. Excel workbooks (.xlsx) work too. Older .xls files need to be saved as .xlsx or CSV first.
- Check the columns in step 2. The date, description and amount are matched automatically. If your bank uses separate money out and money in columns, choose that option.
- Look at the preview. Money out should show in red as a negative amount and money in as positive. If a card export lists purchases as positive numbers, tick Reverse signs.
- In step 3, choose the account type, enter the last four digits of the account number and download the .qbo file.
Import the QBO file into QuickBooks
QuickBooks Desktop
- Back up your company file first (File › Back Up Company).
- Go to File › Utilities › Import › Web Connect Files and choose the .qbo file.
- When QuickBooks asks which account to use, pick the existing bank or card account, or create a new one.
- Review and match the transactions in the Bank Feeds Center before adding them to the register.
QuickBooks Online
- Open Transactions › Bank transactions (called Banking in some versions).
- Open the Link account menu and choose Upload from file.
- Select the .qbo file and the QuickBooks account it belongs to.
- Review everything in the For review tab, then add or match each transaction.
Menu names in QuickBooks change from time to time, but the Web Connect import and the file upload have been in the same places for years.
About the QuickBooks bank ID
QuickBooks Desktop checks the bank ID in the file against its own list of banks that support Web Connect. If it does not recognise the number, it stops with a message such as "QuickBooks is unable to verify the Financial Institution information for this download."
This tool fills in 3000, an ID QuickBooks has accepted for a long time. If you know your own bank's ID, enter it instead. If QuickBooks still refuses the file, update QuickBooks so its bank list is current, or try a different ID. The bank ID only tells QuickBooks how to label the download; your transactions are the same either way.
How duplicates are avoided
Every transaction gets an ID built from its date, amount and description. Converting the same rows again produces the same IDs, which lets QuickBooks spot a transaction it has already imported. Two genuinely identical purchases on the same day still get different IDs, so neither is lost. If two statements overlap, review the bank feed before you accept anything.
Tips for a clean import
- Use one file per account. Convert checking, savings and each card separately.
- Leave out pending transactions if your bank includes them. They can change or disappear before they post.
- Check one row against your statement. Dates like 04/05/2026 can mean April 5 or May 4; the tool warns you when the file does not make it clear.
- If your file has a running balance column, the last balance becomes the statement's ending balance.
Questions
Is my bank statement uploaded anywhere?
No. The page reads your file with JavaScript inside your browser and builds the QBO file on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded and the converter keeps working.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit on the number of files. The site is supported by advertising.
Does the QBO file work in both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online?
Yes, both import Web Connect files. QuickBooks Online also accepts OFX files, which you can make with the CSV to OFX converter.
My bank's CSV starts with a few lines of account details. Will it still work?
Yes. The tool looks for the row with the column names and starts there. If it picks the wrong row, change the Header row setting in step 2.
Can I convert a PDF bank statement?
This tool reads CSV and Excel files. If you only have PDF statements, check whether online banking offers a CSV download for the same dates. Many banks let you pick any date range for spreadsheet downloads, even when statements are only shown as PDFs.
I already have a QBO file. Can I see what is in it?
Yes. The QFX, OFX and QBO to CSV converter opens it as a spreadsheet.
Check for yourself that nothing is uploaded
- Open this page, then turn off Wi-Fi or switch on airplane mode.
- Drop your file into the tool and convert it. It still works, because the conversion runs in your browser, not on a server.
- For a closer look, open your browser's developer tools and watch the Network tab while you choose a file. No request carries your file anywhere.
The tools work in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, on computers and phones.
Last reviewed November 11, 2026. Found a bank export this tool reads wrongly? Tell us about the layout and we will look at it.