QuickBooks CSV field mapping
Banks use different header names for the same transaction concepts. Map by the meaning of each column, then check fictional and known examples before exporting a QuickBooks bank CSV.
Updated July 20, 2026 · Examples use fictional data.
| QuickBooks field | Common source headers | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Posted Date, Transaction Date, Date | Use one date convention. |
| Description | Description, Memo, Details, Payee, Name | Choose the most useful readable text. |
| Amount | Amount, Net Amount, Transaction Amount | Use signed values in a 3-column file. |
| Credit | Deposit, Money In, Credit | Positive values; leave Debit blank. |
| Debit | Withdrawal, Money Out, Debit | Positive values; leave Credit blank. |
Use Date, Description, Amount when the source already has one signed amount column. Check that deposits are positive and payments are negative for the intended bank-account workflow.
Use Date, Description, Credit, Debit when the source separates money in and money out. Each transaction should normally populate one amount field and leave the other blank.
A source may include Payee, Memo, Category, Reference, and Notes. BankFileKit maps one Description column. Decide which source field is useful without exposing unnecessary private detail in the exported file.
MM/DD/YYYY, DD/MM/YYYY, or YYYY-MM-DD.| Fictional bank header | QuickBooks target |
|---|---|
| Posting Date | Date |
| Transaction Details | Description |
| Money In | Credit |
| Money Out | Debit |
Open the QuickBooks CSV formatter, choose a local file, confirm suggested columns, and inspect the first rows. The source file and mapping remain in browser memory.
The CSV formatter accepts CSV, TXT, and XLSX. CSV/TXT files are read as browser text with a leading BOM removed when present; XLSX uses the first worksheet. The separate Excel-to-QBO beta also accepts XLS. One file can contain up to 20 MB and 50,000 transaction rows.