Before you import
- Back up your company file. Intuit points out that an import can’t be undone.
- Use a supported version. Intuit stopped supporting QuickBooks Desktop 2023 after May 31, 2026, and online banking features stop with it. On a discontinued version, Intuit’s example message is “QuickBooks Desktop is unable to verify the Financial Institution Information for this download.”
- Sign in to your Intuit account inside QuickBooks. Intuit requires it for importing .qbo files.
- Check the file type. QuickBooks Desktop’s Web Connect reads only .qbo files. A QFX file (for Quicken) or a QIF file won’t work, even though a QFX file has the same structure inside.
Getting a QBO file
- From your bank’s website. Download the transactions for QuickBooks (Web Connect). Intuit’s fixes for import errors start with downloading the .qbo file directly from the bank’s website rather than through QuickBooks.
- From QuickBooks. Banking › Bank Feeds › Bank Feeds Center › Download Transactions opens your bank’s website, where you download the file.
- From a CSV or Excel file. If your bank only offers a spreadsheet download, the CSV to QBO converter or the Excel to QBO converter makes a QBO file from it.
If you later want QuickBooks to download from the bank directly (Direct Connect) instead of importing files, Intuit says to disconnect the account from Bank Feeds first and then set it up again; the same applies the other way round.
Import a QBO file in QuickBooks Desktop for Windows
- Choose Banking › Bank Feeds › Import Web Connect Files.
- Select the .qbo file you saved and click Open.
- QuickBooks asks which account the transactions belong to:
- Use an existing account if the account is already in your QuickBooks company file, and pick it;
- Create a new QuickBooks account if it isn’t.
- Click Continue, then OK when QuickBooks confirms it has read the file.
- Open the Bank Feeds Center to review the transactions and add them to your books.
Intuit says every account and every transaction in a Web Connect file has its own identifier. If you convert files for several accounts at the same bank, give each one its own account number (for example, the last four digits) in the converter, so QuickBooks keeps them apart.
Bank Feeds modes: Advanced, Express and Classic
QuickBooks Desktop shows imported transactions in one of three modes:
| Mode | Where you review transactions | How it learns |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Mode | The Transactions List window | Rules that recognize and match transactions |
| Express Mode | The Transactions List window | Renaming rules created automatically |
| Classic Mode | The account register | Aliases for exact name matches |
To change modes, choose Edit › Preferences › Checking › Company Preferences, pick the mode in the Bank Feeds section and click OK (Intuit asks you to update QuickBooks and switch to single-user mode first). You can also use Banking › Bank Feeds › Change Bank Feeds Mode. Intuit’s fix for several import errors is to switch to Classic Mode and import the file again.
Import a QBO file in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
- Choose Banking › Downloaded Transactions › Import File.
- Select the .qbo file.
- If the file holds more than one account, pick the matching QuickBooks account under Store in the QuickBooks Account, then click Continue.
- Click OK when the import is done.
Intuit notes that QuickBooks for Mac allows only one customer ID per bank in a company file.
Which QuickBooks account to choose
The account type in the QBO file has to suit the account you link it to. Intuit’s help matches them like this:
| Account type in the file | QuickBooks account type |
|---|---|
| Checking, savings, money market | Bank |
| Line of credit | Bank or Other current liability |
| Credit card | Credit card |
In the converter, set the Account type before you download, so the file matches the account you link it to. QuickBooks Desktop can connect up to 40 accounts to Bank Feeds; Intuit suggests splitting more than that across company files.
Duplicates and importing again
Every transaction in a Web Connect file has its own ID. QuickBooks stores the IDs of the transactions you add or match and ignores them when they turn up again, and Intuit says you can’t download the same transactions into the same company file twice. On a Mac, re-importing shows “Error: Nothing imported. Account up to date.”
The converter makes each ID from the transaction’s date, amount, description, memo and check number, so converting the same CSV again gives the same IDs. If you edited transactions before downloading, the edited ones keep their original IDs.
When the import fails
Intuit lists these Web Connect messages: “QuickBooks found an error. We can’t read the file…”, “An error occurred while processing your online banking data.”, “Your data was not imported into QuickBooks.” and “QuickBooks is unable to verify the Financial Institution information for this download.” Intuit’s fixes, in order: download the file again, switch to Classic Mode and import, then try the import in a test company file (File › New Company) to see whether the problem is the file or your company file.
For a converted file, check it with the QBO file checker, which finds a missing or unknown bank ID, repeated transaction IDs and format problems, and can rebuild a clean copy. The QBO import errors guide covers each message and OL code.