PDF to QIF Converter with the Right Date Format and Account Type
Convert PDF or scanned statements into QIF, the plain text Quicken Interchange Format, choosing the account type and date style your software reads, so years of paper history load into Quicken and older accounting programs without retyping.
A QIF file written the way importers read it
QIF is a simple text format where each transaction is a short block of lines, each line starting with a one letter code. It has no transaction IDs and no balance field, so the details of the file matter more than with newer formats.
- Account type header such as Bank, CCard, Cash, Oth A for other assets or Oth L for other liabilities
- D line with the transaction date
- T line with the signed amount, deposits positive and payments negative
- P line with a cleaned payee name
- M line with the full bank description as the memo
- N line with the check number when there is one
- L line with a category when categorization rules are applied
- A caret line closing each transaction, exactly as importers expect
Date formats that match your software
QIF has no single official date style, and a wrong choice makes an import read the eleventh of March as the third of November. You choose MM/DD/YYYY, MM/DD/YY or the apostrophe style MM/DD'YY that some older Quicken versions use for years after 1999, and the whole file follows that choice.
Three steps to a QIF file
- Upload PDFs, scans or photos for the account
- Check the extracted table and the balance check result on every statement
- Select QIF, pick the account type and date style, then download
The balance check QIF cannot do for you
A QIF file carries no opening or closing balance, so the importing program has nothing to compare against. If a row was lost, the register simply ends up wrong.
StatementsConverter runs the comparison before writing the file. The opening balance on the statement, plus credits, minus debits, has to reach the printed closing balance, and each statement shows a pass or a flagged difference.
A flagged statement points to the page and row range with the gap. Correct it in the table editor and the QIF you download contains every transaction the bank printed.
We recommend noting the verified closing balance from the export screen, so you can confirm the register in Quicken reaches the same figure after import.
Where QIF files are imported
Quicken imports QIF through its file import menu, where you choose the QIF file and the account to load it into. Recent Quicken versions limit which account types accept QIF, typically cash, credit card and asset accounts, while checking and savings accounts are expected to use a Web Connect file.
For checking and savings accounts in Quicken, the PDF to OFX converter produces the OFX and QFX style file that those registers accept.
Older accounting packages, legacy personal finance programs and several open source ledgers still read QIF directly, and for them it is often the only import that works without setup.
QuickBooks Desktop has limited QIF support, so QuickBooks users get better results from the PDF to QBO converter.
To understand the format line by line, the article explaining what a QIF file is covers each code and the apps that still use it.
QIF export on Professional and Business
QIF files come with Professional at 149 USD a month, or 74 USD a month on yearly billing, along with QBO, OFX and Xero exports, 3 seats and categorization rules that fill the L line.
Starter includes Excel and CSV only. Business adds the API and unlimited client workspaces. Full details on pricing.
Which QIF account type should I choose
Use Bank for checking and savings, CCard for credit cards, and Oth A or Oth L for other asset and liability accounts.
Why does Quicken read my dates wrong
The date style in the file does not match what Quicken expects, so export again with MM/DD/YYYY or the apostrophe style.
Does a QIF file contain a balance
No, QIF has no balance field, which is why the balance check runs before the file is created.
Can categories be included in the QIF file
Yes, categories from your rules are written on the L line of each transaction.
Can I convert scanned statements to QIF
Yes, scans and phone photos are supported and checked against their balances like any PDF.
Convert a statement
Upload an old statement and get a QIF file that imports with the right dates on the first attempt.