QuickBooks normally pulls transactions from your bank through a bank feed. But feeds only go back a limited time, break when a bank changes its connection, and do not exist for every bank or country. When months are missing, the fix is to import them from the bank statements themselves.
Which file to use
| File | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| QBO (Web Connect) | QuickBooks Online and Desktop | The format banks use for QuickBooks. Carries the account, dates and amounts; no column mapping. |
| CSV | QuickBooks Online | You map the columns (date, description, amount) during the import. |
| IIF | QuickBooks Desktop | An older Desktop format, for when Web Connect is not accepted. |
1. Turn the PDF statements into a QBO file
- Drop the statements on StatementEasy’s PDF to QBO converter. Several months at once is fine.
- Check the balance check: every row should add up before you import anything into your books.
- Choose QBO (or CSV) and download. For several statements, use “All files combined” to get one file.
2a. Import into QuickBooks Online
- Go to Transactions → Bank transactions (called Banking in some versions).
- Click Upload transactions (or Link account → Upload from file).
- Choose the QBO or CSV file.
- Select the QuickBooks account the transactions belong to.
- For a CSV, map the columns: date, description and either one amount column or separate money in and money out columns, and the date format.
- The transactions appear in the For review tab. Categorise or match them, then add them.
2b. Import into QuickBooks Desktop
- Go to File → Utilities → Import → Web Connect Files.
- Choose the QBO file.
- Link it to an existing QuickBooks account or create one.
- Review the transactions in the Bank Feeds Center and add them to the register.
If Desktop refuses the file, use the IIF export instead.
Avoiding duplicates
- Only import the dates the bank feed did not cover. Before converting, set the dates in StatementEasy (“Adjust the table → Dates from … to”) so the file starts the day after the last transaction already in QuickBooks.
- Statements that overlap each other are de-duplicated when you combine them, but QuickBooks itself only partly recognises transactions it already has. Check the For review list.
Common questions
Can I import a credit card statement?
Yes. Convert it with the credit card converter so charges and payments get the right sign, then import it into the credit card account in QuickBooks.
Why are my dates wrong after a CSV import?
QuickBooks asks for the date format during a CSV import. Choose the one in the file — StatementEasy lets you pick the export date format, and QBO files avoid the question entirely.