Bank of America CSV to QuickBooks converter

How to download transactions from Bank of America

In Bank of America online banking, open the account and look for a Download link near the top of the transaction list. You'll be asked for a date range (or a statement period) and a file type. The choices usually include a spreadsheet or Microsoft Excel option — which downloads a CSV — as well as Quicken and QuickBooks formats.

If you only need transactions in QuickBooks and the QuickBooks option works for your account, use it. Choose the CSV when you want to check the data first, when you're catching up on a long period, or when you want the transactions in a spreadsheet too.

Menus change. Bank of America updates its online banking from time to time, so the exact button names may differ from what's described here. If you can't find the option, search Bank of America's help pages for “download transactions”.

What a Bank of America CSV looks like

A checking or savings download doesn't start with the transactions. It opens with a short summary block, then a blank line, then the real table:

The transaction table itself is simple — Date, Description, signed Amount and a running balance — but the extra lines around it are what make QuickBooks reject the file. Amounts over 999 are written with thousands separators inside quotes ("2,500.00"), which some spreadsheet tools mangle if you open and save the file.

Credit card downloads

Bank of America card exports use a different layout: Posted Date, Reference Number, Payee, Address, Amount. There's no summary block. Import the converted file into your credit card account in QuickBooks, and check the preview: purchases should show under Money out. If they don't, tick Swap money in and money out.

Common problems with Bank of America files

• QuickBooks can't find the header row. The summary block sits above the real headings. The converter finds the Date,Description,Amount row automatically and ignores everything above it.
• The “Beginning balance” line. The first line of the table is a balance, not a transaction, and has no amount. The converter recognises it and leaves it out, so your transaction count is one lower than the number of lines in the table.
• The running balance gets imported as an amount. If you map columns by hand in QuickBooks, it's easy to pick Running Bal. by mistake. The converter only outputs Date, Description and Amount.
• Long descriptions. Card purchases often include the purchase date inside the description (for example “01/04 PURCHASE”). That text is kept so your bank rules can match it.

Import the converted file into QuickBooks Online

1. In QuickBooks Online, go to Transactions → Bank transactions and choose Upload transactions (it may sit under the arrow next to Link account).
2. Select the file you downloaded from the converter, then pick the QuickBooks account it belongs to. Use the credit card account for a card export — not a bank account.
3. For a CSV, map Date, Description and Amount, and choose the date format shown in step 3 of the converter. A QBO file skips this screen.
4. Review the transactions in the For review tab, then compare the QuickBooks balance with your statement for the same date.

The full walkthrough, with every screen, is in our QuickBooks Online import guide.

Frequently asked questions