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Import a bank statement PDF into QuickBooks or Xero

Get missing bank transactions into your accounting software from the PDF statement, as a file its manual upload accepts.

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What it does

Bank statement to QuickBooks, explained

When a bank feed is broken or doesn't reach back far enough, the PDF statement is often the only record you have. To import it, drop the PDF here, confirm it balances, and download either an OFX file or a CSV in the layout your software uploads: QuickBooks CSV (Date, Description, Amount) or Xero CSV (Date, Amount, Payee, Description, Reference). Then use the manual statement upload in QuickBooks Online or Xero and pick the account.

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OFX is the most widely accepted. It's the standard bank-download format, read by QuickBooks Online, Xero, Quicken, GnuCash and most budgeting apps, and it carries each transaction's date, signed amount, description and a stable id, so importing the same file twice doesn't create duplicates in software that checks ids. Card statements are written as credit card accounts, so charges and payments land the right way round.

Reconciling in your books is easier when the import is already reconciled: PDFBetter checks opening + money in − money out = closing before you export, and accounting formats are only produced when every row has a date and an amount.

For QuickBooks Desktop there is also a .qbo (Web Connect) file. Desktop only imports a .qbo that names a bank Intuit supports, so you type your bank's Intuit ID: the number after <INTU.BID> in a .qbo your bank's website gave you. QuickBooks rejects an ID it doesn't recognize, and PDFBetter can't check it for you. Quicken's .qfx files aren't made.

How to do it

Import a bank statement PDF into QuickBooks or Xero in 4 steps

  1. 1Your PDF

  2. 2Convert

  3. 3The new format

  1. 1

    Add the statement PDFs

    One account at a time is easiest to import; card and bank statements both work.

  2. 2

    Check the reconciliation

    The closing balance must match before your books will.

  3. 3

    Pick OFX, a CSV layout or .qbo

    For the CSV layouts, choose the date format your software asks for on upload; for .qbo, enter your bank's Intuit ID.

  4. 4

    Upload it in your software

    In QuickBooks Online or Xero, open the bank account, choose the manual statement upload, select the file and map columns if asked. In QuickBooks Desktop, use File > Utilities > Import > Web Connect Files.

Example

Before and after

Before

A credit card statement PDF with Trans Date and Post Date columns, a “PAYMENT THANK YOU 500.00 CR” line, Previous Balance $1,234.00 and New Balance $861.77.

After

An OFX credit card statement with three transactions (two charges as negative amounts, the payment as positive), dated by transaction date, and a ledger balance matching the New Balance after the check passed.

Settings & formats

What you can control

OFX
OFX 1.0.2 with dates, signed amounts, descriptions, stable transaction ids and the closing balance; account identified by its last four digits.
QuickBooks CSV
Three columns: Date, Description, Amount (money out negative).
Xero CSV
Xero's statement template columns: *Date, *Amount, Payee, Description, Reference.
Date format
MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY, to match your company's settings.
QuickBooks Desktop (.qbo)
The OFX statement plus the sign-on block Web Connect checks (ORG, FID and INTU.BID), using the Intuit ID you enter.

Input

PDF (digital or scanned)

Output

OFXQuickBooks CSVXero CSVQBO (QuickBooks Desktop)

Good to know before you start

  • A .qbo file imports into QuickBooks Desktop only with an Intuit ID your bank really uses; QuickBooks rejects one it doesn't recognize, and PDFBetter can't verify it. No .qfx files for Quicken.
  • Bank routing numbers aren't on statements we keep, so the OFX file identifies the account only by its last four digits; your software asks which account to import into.
  • Every row needs a date and an amount for accounting formats; the export is blocked until missing ones are filled in or the rows deleted.
  • Categories, payees and tax codes aren't assigned; your accounting software's rules do that after import.

Bank statement to QuickBooks: questions people ask

Which file should I choose for QuickBooks Online?

OFX if you can; it carries ids that help QuickBooks spot duplicates. Use QuickBooks CSV if your setup only offers a CSV mapping step.

Does it work with Xero?

Yes. Xero's manual statement import takes OFX or CSV; the Xero CSV option uses the columns of Xero's template.

Can I get a .qbo file for QuickBooks Desktop?

Yes, if you have your bank's Intuit ID. Choose QuickBooks Desktop (.qbo) and type the number that follows <INTU.BID> in a .qbo your bank issued. We don't guess the ID: QuickBooks rejects one it doesn't recognize. Without it, QuickBooks Online still takes OFX and CSV.

Will importing twice create duplicates?

Each OFX or .qbo transaction has an id built from its date and amount (fixing a description doesn't change it), so software that checks ids skips repeats. CSV imports have no ids; check the date range before uploading again.

Can I import a credit card statement?

Yes. The OFX file is written as a credit card account, with charges negative and payments positive, which is how QuickBooks and Xero expect card data.

Choose your files