How to Open a QBO File: Convert QBO to CSV or Excel
· 6 min read
To turn a QBO file into CSV or Excel, open it in a QBO converter that reads the transactions and writes them out as rows with a date, description, reference and amount. Excel cannot open a QBO file properly on its own, but the free QBO to CSV converter and QBO to Excel converter do it in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
This guide explains what a QBO file actually is, why Excel shows gibberish when you open one, how to convert one or many files, and what to do with the data once it is in a spreadsheet.
What is a QBO file?
A QBO file is a bank transaction download made for QuickBooks, also called a QuickBooks Web Connect file. Inside it is plain text in the Open Financial Exchange (OFX) format: your account details, a list of transactions and the closing balance, plus an Intuit bank ID that tells QuickBooks which bank sent it.
You usually get one from online banking by choosing a download option such as "QuickBooks", "QuickBooks Web Connect" or "QBO". Each transaction in the file is a small block of tags:
| Tag in the QBO file | What it holds | Column after conversion |
|---|---|---|
| DTPOSTED | Date the bank posted it | Date (YYYY-MM-DD) |
| NAME and MEMO | Payee and extra detail | Description |
| CHECKNUM or REFNUM | Cheque or bank reference | Reference |
| TRNAMT | Amount, negative for money out | Amount, plus Money out or Money in |
| FITID | The bank's unique transaction ID | Used to remove repeats |
Why can't Excel open a QBO file?
Excel cannot open a QBO file properly because it is not a spreadsheet. It is a tagged data file meant for QuickBooks, with each value on its own line between tags like <STMTTRN> and <TRNAMT>. Forced into Excel, it lands as lines of tags in one column, not as rows of transactions. You have to convert it first.
You can open a QBO file in Notepad or TextEdit to look inside, which is handy for finding the Intuit bank ID or an account number. For anything more than a glance, a converter is far quicker than picking values out by hand.
How to convert QBO to CSV
- Download the QBO file from your bank's website.
- Open the QBO to CSV converter and choose or drop the file. QFX and OFX files work too.
- Check the summary: the number of transactions, money in, money out and the date range.
- Press CSV. The download opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers.
The CSV has seven columns: Date, Description, Reference, Amount, Money out, Money in and Balance. Amount is signed (money out negative), while Money out and Money in show the same values without signs, so you can keep whichever layout your next program wants. Balance stays empty, because a QBO file only carries the closing balance, not a running one. The file is saved as UTF-8, so accented payee names display correctly.
How to convert QBO to Excel
Use the QBO to Excel converter when you want a ready workbook instead of a CSV. Drop the file, press Excel, and you get an .xlsx with the same columns, where every amount is a real number with two decimals. SUM, filters and pivot tables work straight away, with no "number stored as text" cleanup.
Each page offers both, so you can download CSV and Excel from the same run, with IIF, OFX and QFX one click away.
Can you combine several QBO files into one spreadsheet?
Yes. Drop all the QBO files together and the converter merges them into one list sorted by date. A transaction that appears in two downloads, which happens when the date ranges overlap, is kept once, because each one carries the bank's own transaction ID (FITID). Files without that ID are matched on date, amount, description and reference instead.
This makes it easy to build a full year from twelve monthly downloads, or to tidy up a set of files where you are not sure which months overlap.
QBO, QFX and OFX: what is the difference?
| File | Made for | Intuit bank ID inside |
|---|---|---|
| QBO | QuickBooks (Web Connect) | Yes |
| QFX | Quicken (Web Connect) | Yes |
| OFX | Many other money programs | No |
All three use the same OFX structure, so the converter reads any of them the same way.
What if the QBO file will not convert?
Most problems come from the download, not the conversion. Check these first:
- "Not a QBO, QFX or OFX file": the file has a .qbo name but holds something else, such as a saved web page or a CSV renamed by hand. Download it again from online banking.
- Fewer transactions than expected: compare the date range in the summary with the range you chose at the bank. If the download covers less, fetch the missing months as separate files and drop them in together.
- Odd signs on a credit card file: amounts keep the sign the bank wrote, so check which way purchases go before you total them.
- Several accounts in one file: every statement in the file is read into one list, so download one account at a time if you want separate sheets.
What to do with the data once it is in Excel
Once your QBO file is in a spreadsheet, the useful work starts:
- Reconcile a month. Tick each row against your own records or invoices, and filter Money in to see who paid.
- See where cash goes. A pivot table of Money out by Description shows your biggest payees.
- Prepare a simple profit and loss. Add a Category column, fill it in, and total by category and month.
- Share with an accountant who does not use QuickBooks, or answer an auditor's question with one file.
- Import elsewhere. Most accounting programs, including Xero, let you map CSV columns during import.
Need the data back in QuickBooks after editing it? Save the sheet as CSV and use the CSV to QBO converter, which maps the columns and writes a new Web Connect file.
Did you mean exporting from QuickBooks Online?
"QBO" is also short for QuickBooks Online, and some people searching "QBO to CSV" want to export a report, not convert a bank file. In QuickBooks Online, open the report and use the Export (or Export/Print) control, then choose Export to Excel; Intuit's help on exporting reports to Excel shows the current menus. From Excel you can save as CSV. Our converters are for the .qbo bank files.
Is it safe to convert QBO to CSV online?
With these converters, nothing leaves your computer. The QBO file is read and the CSV or Excel file is written by code running in your browser, so your bank data never reaches our servers, and there is no limit on how many files you convert.
Only have PDF statements instead of QBO downloads? Our bank statement converter guide covers reading PDFs, scans and photos.
Convert your QBO file now
Drop one or more files into the free QBO to CSV converter, or the QBO to Excel converter for a workbook, and have your transactions in a spreadsheet in seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How do I open a QBO file in Excel?
Convert it first, because Excel cannot read the QBO format. Drop the file into the QBO to Excel converter and press Excel, then open the .xlsx it gives you. Each transaction becomes a row with date, description, reference and amounts.
What program opens a QBO file?
QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online import QBO files as bank transactions. Any text editor such as Notepad can show the raw contents, and a QBO converter turns it into CSV or Excel for other programs.
Can I convert several QBO files into one CSV?
Yes. Drop them together and they are merged into one list sorted by date. A transaction that appears in two files is kept once, because each carries the bank's transaction ID.
Is a QFX file the same as a QBO file?
Almost. Both are OFX files with an Intuit bank ID; QBO is made for QuickBooks and QFX for Quicken. The converters read QBO, QFX and OFX in the same way.
Can I convert Excel back to QBO?
Yes. Save the sheet as CSV and open it in the CSV to QBO converter, map the columns and press QBO. Set the account type, number and Intuit bank ID in File settings before you download.