How to Convert PDF to QBO: Data Import Guide
QuickBooks Online allows you to directly import financial data in the form of CSV, QBX, XLS/XLSX, and Google Sheets. You can also download your bank transactions in a .QBO file format to import it directly into QuickBooks Online. On the off chance you only have a PDF file to import, we’ll have to include third-party applications for the conversion from PDF to QBO or CSV. Then, it’ll be easier to import the transactions into QBO.
What is a QBO File in QuickBooks?
.QBO is a file extension used by QuickBooks to store/import bank and credit card transactions. The ultimate purpose of the .QBO file is to store all the transactions downloaded from the bank and make sure that they are readable in QuickBooks. The .QBO file makes it possible to import bank transactions and integrate them with the accounting software.
What is a CSV File?
Comma-Separated Values (CSV) are plain text files that can store your data in the form of rows and columns. Each value in the CSV file is separated by a comma, and records are separated by newlines (\n). You can utilize a CSV file in Google Sheets, Excel, and most of the simple text editor applications.
CSV file format:
QuickBooks only supports CSV files with 3-Columns or 4-Columns. You can directly download a CSV file from your bank, but some of the banks format the CSV file differently, which cannot be processed in QuickBooks. If your bank doesn’t support CSV files and offer your transactions in QBX (Quicken), QBO (QuickBooks Online), or Microsoft Money (OFX), you must import your data in these formats as they are supported in QuickBooks.
- 3-Column format: The CSV files contain Date, Description, and Amount columns.
- 4-Column format: The CSV files contain Date, Description, Credit, and Debit columns.
For example: ‘11/23/2024, Vendor’s Payment, $2000’ The row in this CSV file indicates a record, and the comma separates different types of information in that record. Here, Date, Description, and Amount are column headers (Records), and (11/23/2024), (Vendor’s Payment), and ($2000) is the data in a row respectively.
How to Convert PDF to QBO Free?
As we discussed earlier, there aren’t any specific Intuit-designed tools that can be used to convert a PDF file into .QBO, CSV, XLS/XLSX, or any other QBO-friendly format. However, you can find QuickBooks PDF converters on the internet that’ll help you convert PDF to QBO format or convert PDF to CSV for QuickBooks.
Where to Download QBO File Converter?
You can easily download a PDF to QuickBooks converter or applications to convert PDF to CSV for QuickBooks from the QuickBooks Online Marketplace (QuickBooks Apps). All the third-party applications compatible with QuickBooks can be downloaded from here.
Just enter the keywords (hint) for the applications you want to download and run a search for them. You must read about the applications carefully and check the customer reviews before downloading and integrating them with QuickBooks.
Recommended PDF to QBO Converter Online Free
Here are some applications highly recommended for you to convert your PDF files into QBO:
DocuClipper
Official Website: https://www.docuclipper.com/
Download link: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/app/apps/appdetails/docuclipper/en-us/?queryID=f38e2cb2663bfe42229e6a6481beb58b
MoneyThumb Online
Official website: https://www.moneythumb.com/
Download link: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/app/apps/appdetails/moneythumb/en-us/?queryID=f38e2cb2663bfe42229e6a6481beb58b
Important: These applications work on the OCR (Optical Character Recognization) technology. The digital document/image is scanned to find out the text within. It is usually used to recognize text in scanned images/documents and transform it into a readable electronic version. So, there are chances that the PDF to QBO converters might fail to read the entire data correctly. The developers claim to have 99% accuracy, but that isn’t satisfactory for financial data in QuickBooks. You need to be extra careful while converting your PDF file into QBO using these converters to ensure the entire data is converted correctly.
How to Convert PDF to CSV for QuickBooks Free?
We’ll advise converting your PDF file to a CSV format, which can then be easily imported into your QuickBooks Online. This approach is far better than converting your PDF into QBO because of its accuracy and reliability. Use this stepwise procedure:
Step 1: Search for a PDF to CSV Converter Tool
You can run a search for ‘PDF to CSV converter’ in the search engine of your browser or visit QuickBooks Apps to find a reliable PDF to CSV converter for QuickBooks. You can also find a QuickBooks to PDF converter if a need arises in the future.
Step 2: Upload the File and Select the Output Format
After the PDF to CSV converter is downloaded and installed on your computer, upload the PDF file you want to convert and select the output format (CSV).
Step 3: Check the Format of the CSV File
After converting the PDF file into CSV, check if the data in the CSV file is arranged according to QuickBooks. We discussed the QuickBooks support CSV file format (3-column or 4-column) earlier; use that as a reference.
How to Import CSV Files into QuickBooks Online?
After your PDF file is converted into a CSV file, use the following steps to import it into your QuickBooks Online:
Step 1: Check the CSV File Format and Size
It is important to review your CSV file’s format and size before uploading it to QuickBooks Online. Review the following parameters:
- Make sure the CSV file size is lower than 350KB. If the file exceeds 350KB, convert the transactions in smaller batches (less date range) to reduce the CSV file size.
- Erase all the zeroes (0) from the CSV and leave the cells empty (blank) instead.
- Manually fix the transactions having numbers in the Description column.
- The column headers should be Credit and Debit only. Remove ‘Amount’ if you see it in the Debit and Credit header columns.
- Make sure all the dates in the CSV file are in the same format. The most common date format is DD/MM/YY.
- If you use a Mac, save the file as a Windows CSV file.
- Make sure the day of the week (Mon, Tue, Wed, etc.) isn’t mentioned along with the date. If the dates in the CSV file have the day of the week mentioned, remove it by splitting the date and day of the week into separate columns.
Step 2: Upload the Transactions into QBO Manually
Follow these steps to upload your CSV file into QuickBooks Online:
- Go to the Transactions menu of your QB Online and select Bank Transactions.
- Click the blue tile for the account where you want to upload the transactions.
- Click the Link Account ▼ dropdown and select Upload from file.
- Tap the Drag and drop or select files option and choose the CSV file you want to upload before clicking Continue.
- Go to the Select a QuickBooks account for the bank file you want to upload▼ dropdown and choose the account in which you want to upload the transactions.
- Click Continue if you are an existing user or select +Add New▼ to create a new account for uploading the transactions.
- Match the file’s columns with the correct fields in QuickBooks using the on-screen instructions and hit Continue.
- Choose all the transactions you want to import and click Continue.
- Confirm by clicking Yes and tap Done afterwards.
Important: Do not forget to reconcile your transactions to ensure the CSV file is imported successfully.
Closing Remarks
We know you came here to learn how to convert PDF into QBO format. The guide outlines some of the best PDF to QBO converters that can be used and the correct way of accessing them. We are glad if the PDF to QBO file converter works well for you; otherwise, we would like to recommend converting your PDF file into a CSV format, which is more reliable in terms of accuracy. The correct way to upload your transactions into QuickBooks Online via CSV file is also discussed thoroughly. PDF to QBO or PDF to CSV, whichever you prefer; we hope the guide helps you upload transactions into your QB Online successfully.
FAQs
Can QuickBooks Online directly import transactions from a PDF bank statement?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to directly import transactions into QuickBooks Online using a PDF file. You’ll have to involve a third-party PDF to QBO converter in order to change the format of the file before uploading it to QuickBooks Online.
If you have the option, there’s no better way other than downloading the transactions from the bank in a QBO file format.
Are there reliable ways to convert PDF bank statements to QBO completely free of charge?
Yes, you can rely on some third-party applications (DocuClipper, MoneyThumb, etc.) to convert your PDF bank statements into QBO files. However, the ones mentioned above aren’t free of charge and you’ll have to buy their subscription to use the service. Although there are free PDF converters available, we can’t guarantee if their accuracy is good enough to manage the financial data of your QuickBooks.
If PDF to QBO conversion isn’t possible or reliable, what are the best alternative methods?
It would be best to download the transactions directly from the bank in a QBO file format for best compatibility. In case you only have a PDF file to upload the transactions, we would advise first converting it into a CSV file format, as it is more accurate and reliable to upload the transactions into QBO. There are a lot of trusted PDF to CSV converters in comparison to PDF to QBO converters.
Is it generally better to download QBO files directly from my bank’s website instead of converting PDFs?
There’s no better option than downloading QBO files directly from the bank and uploading them into QuickBooks. You won’t have to involve third-party applications in between for conversion, which means the accuracy won’t be compromised a bit. On the other hand, if you download a PDF file from the bank, you’ll have to run them through PDF to QBO converters, which aren’t reliable for importing transactions into QBO.
How can I verify the accuracy of the financial data after converting a PDF to QBO and importing it?
After the upload is complete, you must reconcile your accounts to see if all the bank transactions are imported correctly. Check the reconciliation reports thoroughly to verify all the transactions are imported and also go through the account balance in the Chart of Accounts option to verify that the import is successful.
