Two ways to get a bank CSV into Quicken
| Quicken’s CSV import | QFX (Web Connect) file | |
|---|---|---|
| Quicken for Windows | Yes: File › File Import › Banking Transactions › From (.CSV) File | Yes: File › File Import › Web Connect (.QFX) File |
| Quicken for Mac | Only into a new account (Mint.com File (CSV)) | Yes: File › Import › Bank or Brokerage File (OFX, QFX) |
| Add to an existing account | Windows: yes | Yes (Link to the account) |
| Duplicate check | No | Yes, by transaction ID |
| Officially supported for converted files | Yes, if the file follows Quicken’s layout | Quicken says it does not support QFX files made by conversion software |
The converter above makes both. Choose Quicken CSV or QFX before you download.
Method 1: Quicken’s own CSV import (Windows)
Quicken describes its CSV import as useful for historical data, accounts you manage by hand, and banks that don’t support downloads. The file must follow a fixed layout.
The columns Quicken expects
Quicken needs exactly these ten columns, in this order. A header row is optional; if you include one it must be in the same order.
| # | Column | Needed? | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Date | Yes | mm/dd/yyyy (leading zeros optional) |
| 2 | Payee | Yes | Who you paid or who paid you |
| 3 | FI Payee | Column must exist | Leave blank (kept only for older Mint files) |
| 4 | Amount | Yes | Plus for money in, minus for money out |
| 5 | Debit/Credit | Column must exist | Leave blank and use the sign of the amount |
| 6 | Category | No | Use Category:Subcategory for subcategories |
| 7 | Account | Yes | The Quicken account name |
| 8 | Tag | No | Separate several tags with a colon |
| 9 | Memo | No | Any note |
| 10 | Chknum | No | Check number |
Text that contains a comma must be wrapped in double quotes. The Quicken CSV option in the converter writes this layout for you, with the account name you type.
Steps
- Convert your bank’s CSV with the converter above, choosing Quicken CSV, and type the account name exactly as it appears in Quicken.
- Back up your Quicken data file.
- In Quicken for Windows, choose File › File Import › Banking Transactions › From (.CSV) File.
- Click Choose .CSV File to Import…, pick the file and click OK.
- If an account name in the file doesn’t match an account in Quicken, choose whether to ignore those rows, add them to an existing account, or create a new account.
- Check the summary of imported transactions. To set the account balance, use the gear menu in the register and choose Update Balance.
Two limits to know: the CSV import doesn’t check for duplicates, and it doesn’t create transfers between accounts, even if the category names another account in brackets.
Method 2: convert the CSV to QFX (Windows and Mac)
A QFX file is a Web Connect file: the same kind of file your bank’s website gives you for Quicken. Quicken imports it into an existing account and skips transactions it has already seen.
- Convert your bank’s CSV with the converter above, choosing QFX. Pick the account type and the bank.
- Back up your Quicken data file.
- Windows: choose File › File Import › Web Connect (.QFX) File, pick the file and click OK. Mac: choose File › Import › Bank or Brokerage File (OFX, QFX), pick the file, and choose the account on the Choose Your Accounts screen.
- Link the file to your existing account (or create one), then review and accept the transactions.
Quicken checks the bank information in every QFX file. If it shows “Quicken is currently unable to verify the financial institution information for this download”, Quicken lists these causes: a wrong date on your computer, a bank that doesn’t support your Quicken release, missing or wrong bank information, or an account type the bank doesn’t support. Quicken also states that it does not support QFX files created by conversion software. If a converted QFX file is refused, use Method 1 on Windows.
Quicken for Mac and CSV files
Quicken for Mac’s File › Import › Mint.com File (CSV) accepts any CSV in the required layout, but every import creates a new account named after the file; you can’t import a CSV into an account you already have. Afterwards you can rename the new account or change its type. To add transactions to an existing account on a Mac, convert the CSV to QFX and use Method 2.
Which method to choose
| Your situation | Best route |
|---|---|
| Quicken for Windows, adding to an account you already have | Method 1: Quicken’s own CSV import (choose Quicken CSV in the converter) |
| Quicken for Mac, adding to an account you already have | Method 2: a QFX file, knowing Quicken doesn’t officially support converted QFX files |
| Quicken for Mac, starting a new account anyway | Quicken’s Mint.com File (CSV) import |
| Your bank offers QFX downloads | Download the QFX file from the bank and import it directly |
Before you import
- Back up your Quicken data file first.
- Pick the dates carefully. Start your bank download the day after the last transaction already in Quicken, so nothing overlaps.
- Check the signs. In both methods money out is negative. For credit cards that list purchases as positive numbers, turn on Flip signs in the converter.