Import Excel into QuickBooks Online & Desktop
Complete guide to importing Excel transactions, bank statements, and invoices into QuickBooks. Learn Excel-to-CSV conversion tips, QuickBooks import steps, and faster alternatives for PDF bank statements.
About This Guide
This comprehensive guide covers how to import Excel spreadsheets into QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. Whether you have bank transactions, invoices, bills, or customer data in Excel, we'll show you the step-by-step process to get your data into QuickBooks.
Note: If your bank statement or invoice is originally a PDF file, you can skip the Excel step entirely.
StatementFlow converts PDF bank statements directly to QuickBooks-ready QBO format with automatic field mapping—much faster than manual Excel exports. Try PDF to QBO converter.
How to Import Excel into QuickBooks
QuickBooks Online
Step-by-step: Import Excel transactions into QuickBooks Online
- Prepare Excel file: Open Excel and arrange columns—Date, Description, Amount (or Debit/Credit), Balance
- Save as CSV: File → Save As → Choose "CSV (Comma delimited)" format
- Open QuickBooks: Log in to QuickBooks Online at qbo.intuit.com
- Navigate to Banking: Click Banking from left sidebar, select target account
- Upload CSV: Click "File Upload" or "Upload from file" option
- Map columns: Match your CSV columns to QuickBooks fields (Date, Description, Amount)
- Review preview: Check transactions in preview window for accuracy
- Import: Click "Import" to add transactions to QuickBooks
Important: QuickBooks Online only accepts CSV format, not native Excel (.xlsx). Always save as CSV first.
QuickBooks Desktop
Step-by-step: Import Excel into QuickBooks Desktop (2020-2025)
- Prepare Excel file: Arrange columns with headers in first row (Date, Description, Amount)
- Save as Excel or CSV: QuickBooks Desktop accepts both .xlsx and .csv formats
- Open QuickBooks Desktop: Launch QuickBooks Pro, Premier, or Enterprise
- Go to Import: File → Utilities → Import → Excel Files
- Select file: Browse to your Excel or CSV file and click Open
- Choose import type: Select "Bank Transactions", "Invoices", or "Bills"
- Map columns: QuickBooks will auto-detect columns or let you manually map
- Select account: Choose target account from Chart of Accounts
- Import: Review summary and click "Import" to complete
Pro Tip: QuickBooks Desktop 2020+ supports direct Excel import. Older versions require CSV format only.
Excel Column Format for QuickBooks Import
For successful Excel-to-QuickBooks imports, your Excel spreadsheet should include these columns in order:
| Column Name | Required? | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | ✓ Required | MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY | 01/15/2025 |
| Description | ✓ Required | Text (255 char max) | Office Supplies Purchase |
| Amount | ✓ Required | Number (positive or negative) | -250.00 or 250.00 |
| Debit | Optional (or use Amount) | Positive number | 250.00 |
| Credit | Optional (or use Amount) | Positive number | 1500.00 |
| Balance | Optional | Running total | 5750.00 |
| Account | Optional | QuickBooks account name | Business Checking |
| Memo | Optional | Additional notes | Check #1234 |
Excel Formatting Tips:
- Use headers in the first row (Date, Description, Amount, etc.)
- Format dates consistently (MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY throughout)
- Use negative numbers for expenses or separate Debit/Credit columns
- Remove any empty rows or merged cells
- Save as CSV with UTF-8 encoding for special characters
What You Can Import from Excel to QuickBooks
Bank Transactions
Import Excel spreadsheets of bank transactions into QuickBooks. Useful for banks that provide Excel exports or when manually tracking transactions. Requires Date, Description, and Amount columns.
Invoices & Sales Receipts
Bulk import customer invoices from Excel into QuickBooks. Required columns: Customer Name, Invoice Date, Due Date, Amount, and optionally Line Items. Use QuickBooks' Invoice Import template for best results.
Bills & Vendor Expenses
Import vendor bills from Excel spreadsheets. Include Vendor Name, Bill Date, Due Date, Amount, and Account. For PDF bills, consider scanning invoices into QuickBooks directly.
Customers & Vendors
Import customer and vendor lists from Excel. Required: Name, Email, Phone, Address fields. QuickBooks provides import templates for customer and vendor lists to ensure proper column mapping.
Chart of Accounts
Import or update Chart of Accounts from Excel. Include Account Name, Account Type, and Account Number. Useful for migrating from other accounting systems to QuickBooks.
Products & Services
Bulk import inventory items, products, and services from Excel. Required fields: Name, Type (Product/Service), Price, Cost, and optionally SKU, Quantity on Hand.
Skip Excel—Import PDF Bank Statements Directly
If your original document is a PDF bank statement or invoice, you don't need to export to Excel first. StatementFlow converts PDF files directly to QuickBooks-ready QBO format with automatic field mapping.
❌ Old Way: PDF → Excel → CSV → QuickBooks
- • Export PDF to Excel manually
- • Clean up formatting errors
- • Save Excel as CSV
- • Import CSV to QuickBooks
- • Manually map columns
- • Fix import errors
✓ New Way: PDF → QBO → QuickBooks
- • Upload PDF to StatementFlow
- • AI extracts all transactions
- • Download QBO file
- • Import to QuickBooks (auto-maps)
- • Done—transactions ready
Frequently Asked Questions About Excel to QuickBooks
How do I import Excel into QuickBooks Online?
To import Excel into QuickBooks Online: 1) Save your Excel file as CSV format, 2) Go to Banking or Sales menu in QuickBooks, 3) Select 'Upload from file' or 'Import', 4) Choose your CSV file, 5) Map Excel columns to QuickBooks fields (Date, Description, Amount, etc.), 6) Review preview and confirm import. Note: QuickBooks Online requires CSV format, not native Excel (.xlsx).
Can QuickBooks import Excel files directly?
QuickBooks Online requires Excel files to be saved as CSV format before import. QuickBooks Desktop (2020+) can import Excel files directly via File → Utilities → Import → Excel Files. For both versions, you'll need to map Excel columns to QuickBooks fields during import.
What's the best format to import Excel transactions into QuickBooks?
CSV format is best for importing Excel transactions into QuickBooks Online. QuickBooks Desktop can accept Excel (.xlsx) or CSV. Ensure your Excel file includes these columns: Date, Description, Amount (or separate Debit/Credit columns), and optionally Account, Category, or Memo fields. Save as CSV with UTF-8 encoding for special characters.
Can I import bank statements from Excel to QuickBooks?
Yes, you can import bank statements from Excel to QuickBooks by converting Excel to CSV format first. However, if your bank statement is originally a PDF, it's faster to use StatementFlow to convert PDF bank statements directly to QBO format, which imports into QuickBooks with automatic field mapping—no manual column matching required. Try PDF to QBO converter.
How do I convert Excel to QuickBooks format?
To convert Excel to QuickBooks format: 1) Open your Excel file, 2) Arrange columns with Date, Description, Amount, 3) Save as CSV (Comma delimited), 4) Import CSV into QuickBooks via Banking → Upload from file, 5) Map CSV columns to QuickBooks fields. For best results, match QuickBooks' expected column order: Date, Description, Debit, Credit, Balance.
Why won't QuickBooks Online accept my Excel file?
QuickBooks Online only accepts CSV format, not native Excel (.xlsx or .xls) files. Common issues: 1) File not saved as CSV, 2) Special characters causing encoding errors (save as CSV UTF-8), 3) Missing required columns (Date, Description, Amount), 4) Incorrect date format (use MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY consistently), 5) Empty rows or merged cells in Excel. Save your Excel file as CSV format and ensure clean data formatting.
Can I import invoices from Excel into QuickBooks?
Yes, you can import invoices from Excel into QuickBooks Online and Desktop. Use QuickBooks' invoice import template for proper column structure. Required fields: Customer Name, Invoice Date, Due Date, Amount, and optionally Line Items. For PDF invoices, consider using StatementFlow's invoice scanner to skip the Excel step entirely.
Related Resources
Ready to Import Data into QuickBooks?
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