QuickBooks Online CSV Import Limits: Columns, Rows, File Size, Dates
QuickBooks Online accepts a bank CSV only if it has 3 or 4 columns, at most 1,000 transactions, is 350 KB or smaller and uses one date format throughout. Here is each limit, where it comes from, and how to stay under it.
· 5 min read
A manual CSV upload to QuickBooks Online must have 3 or 4 columns, at most 1,000 transactions and a size of 350 KB or less. Every date in the file must use one format, and amounts must be plain numbers with no currency symbol or thousands separator. The limits come from Intuit's help article "Manually upload transactions into QuickBooks Online".
The limits at a glance
| Limit | Value | What happens if you exceed it | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| File type | QBO, QFX or CSV (PDF/JPG/PNG/HEIC go through a different, statement-scanning path) | "file type not supported" | Export CSV or convert to .qbo |
| Columns | 3 (Date, Description, Amount) or 4 (Date, Description, Credit, Debit) | Upload wizard cannot map the columns | Delete every other column, or convert to .qbo where all columns are kept |
| Transactions per upload | 1,000 lines | Upload rejected | Split the file; the converter here splits at 1,000 automatically |
| File size | 350 KB | Upload rejected | Split, or strip long descriptions |
| Date format | One format for the whole file; Intuit's article recommends dd/mm/yyyy but the format must match the company's regional setting | Dates parsed wrong or rejected | Reformat the column in a spreadsheet |
| Amounts | Plain numbers: no $, no thousands separators; zero cells left blank; 4-column files must not have both Credit and Debit filled on one line | "invalid amount" / rows skipped | Clean the column, or convert to .qbo |
| Description | Intuit's article says to remove numbers from the Description column | Mapping errors on some files | Keep the text, or use .qbo which has no such rule |
| Day-of-week in date | Not allowed in the date cell | Date not recognised | Split into a separate column and drop it |
| Header row | Optional; first row may be a header or data | Header imported as a transaction | Tick/untick "first row is a header" in the wizard |
| Statement start | The file should start at least one day before the oldest QuickBooks transaction in that account | Opening balance mismatch | Include one earlier day |
Columns: 3 or 4, nothing else
The limit is 3 or 4 columns. The 3-column layout is Date, Description, Amount, with one amount per line. The 4-column layout is Date, Description, Credit, Debit, with money in and money out in separate columns. A file with any other columns has to be cut down to one of these two shapes, or the upload wizard cannot map the columns. The fix is to delete every other column in a spreadsheet before uploading. The alternative is to convert the file to .qbo instead, where no columns are thrown away.
Rows: 1,000 transactions per upload
The limit is 1,000 transactions in a single upload. A file with more lines than that is rejected by the upload. The fix is to split the file into pieces of 1,000 lines or fewer and upload each piece in turn. The converter on this site does the splitting for you: when a statement has more than 1,000 transactions, the download comes out as several .qbo files that each stay under the cap.
File size: 350 KB
The limit is 350 KB per file. It is separate from the row limit, and a file with long descriptions can reach 350 KB before it reaches 1,000 lines. A file over the size limit is rejected. There are two ways to get under it: split the file into smaller pieces, or strip the long descriptions down to the text you actually need. Splitting is usually the safer choice, because the descriptions are what you match transactions on later.
Dates: one format for the whole file
The rule is one date format for every row in the file. Intuit's article recommends dd/mm/yyyy, but the format must also match the regional setting of your QuickBooks company, so check that setting before you pick a format. When the formats are mixed or do not match the setting, dates are parsed wrong or the upload is rejected. The date cell must not include a day of the week either. The fix is to reformat the date column in a spreadsheet before uploading. Also make the file start at least one day before the oldest QuickBooks transaction in that account, or the opening balance will not match.
Amounts: plain numbers only
Amount cells must be plain numbers: no $ sign and no thousands separators. A cell whose value is zero should be left blank rather than holding 0. In a 4-column file, a single line must not have both Credit and Debit filled in. Breaking these rules produces an "invalid amount" error or rows that are silently skipped. The fix is to clean the column in a spreadsheet before uploading, or to convert the file to .qbo instead.
Why a .qbo file has none of these column rules
A .qbo file is a Web Connect file, which is an OFX 1.02 document rather than a spreadsheet. QuickBooks reads named fields from it: NAME, MEMO, CHECKNUM, TRNTYPE and FITID. Because each value has its own field, there are no column layouts to match and nothing from your export is thrown away. The 1,000-line and 350 KB limits still apply to the upload itself, which is why the CSV to QBO converter on this site splits its output at 1,000 transactions and about 300 KB. The same applies to Excel statements converted on the bank statement to QBO page.
Quick checklist
- Upload a QBO, QFX or CSV file; PDFs and images go through a different path.
- Keep a CSV to 3 columns (Date, Description, Amount) or 4 (Date, Description, Credit, Debit).
- Stay at or under 1,000 transactions and 350 KB per upload, splitting if needed.
- Use one date format that matches your company's regional setting, with no day of the week.
- Write amounts as plain numbers, leave zero cells blank, and never fill both Credit and Debit on one line.
- Start the file at least one day before the oldest transaction already in QuickBooks for that account.