What is a QBO file?
A .qbo file is a QuickBooks Web Connect file: bank or card transactions in an OFX-based format that QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online can import.
The short version
QBO is Intuit's flavour of OFX (Open Financial Exchange). Banks offer it as a “QuickBooks Web Connect” download. Inside is plain text: an account block (bank ID, account number, account type), then a list of transactions, each with a date, amount, name, memo and a unique ID called a FITID.
Why FITIDs matter
QuickBooks remembers the FITIDs it has already imported. If two files contain the same transaction with the same ID, it's skipped instead of duplicated. Converters that invent random IDs on every run cause duplicate imports; Bankfold derives each ID from the transaction's own details so it stays stable.
QBO vs QFX vs OFX vs QIF
- QBO — for QuickBooks (Desktop and Online).
- QFX — the same idea for Quicken.
- OFX — the open standard; Xero, Sage, Wave, FreeAgent, GnuCash, Moneydance and many others import it.
- QIF — an older plain-text format without IDs, still accepted by some software.
How to open or create one
A QBO file is text, so any text editor can open it, but it's meant to be imported, not edited. To create one from a bank CSV or Excel export, use the CSV to QBO converter; to import one, follow this guide.
FAQ
Can I convert a CSV to QBO for free?
Yes. Bankfold converts files up to 150 transactions to QBO for free, in your browser, with no signup.
Is it really private?
Yes. Your file is read and converted by JavaScript running in your browser tab. Its contents are never sent over the network. You can verify this in your browser's developer tools (Network tab), or disconnect from the internet after the page has loaded — conversion still works.
Which banks are supported?
Any bank or card that exports CSV, TXT or Excel — Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Capital One, Citi, American Express, RBC, TD, Barclays, HSBC, Monzo, Revolut, CommBank, Sparkasse and thousands more. Bankfold detects the columns automatically, and you can change any column with a dropdown; your choice is remembered for that layout.
Can it convert PDF statements?
Not directly — Bankfold converts CSV and spreadsheet exports. For PDF statements, use our sister tool TidyLedger, which also runs entirely in your browser.
Will QuickBooks import duplicates if I convert overlapping statements?
No, as long as the transactions are the same. Every transaction gets an ID based on its date, amount and description, so QuickBooks and Quicken recognize ones they've already imported.
Which file should I download?
QuickBooks Desktop or Online: QBO. Quicken: QFX. Xero, Sage, Wave, FreeAgent, GnuCash and most other apps: OFX. Older software: QIF. QuickBooks Online also accepts our 3- or 4-column CSV.
What's free?
Every format, one file at a time, up to 150 transactions per conversion. No account needed. Pro removes the limit and lets you merge several statements into one import with duplicates removed.