Will the file definitely import?

Our OFX follows the 2.1 specification and our IIF follows Intuit’s published column layout, and every export is round-trip verified against our own parsers. The import step itself runs inside QuickBooks, whose menus and validation Intuit controls — if QuickBooks rejects a file from us, tell us through the feedback form and include the error.

Do my categories carry over?

Not via OFX or IIF — neither format has a category field QuickBooks reads for this flow. QuickBooks applies its own categorization rules on import; expect to review them in the For review tab.

Can I import an M-Pesa statement this way?

Yes — drop the M-Pesa PDF (password-protected included) into the converter, take OFX or IIF, and follow the same paths. There is a dedicated M-Pesa to QuickBooks page with specifics.

Import your statement into QuickBooks.

The import lives inside QuickBooks’s own UI — this guide gives you the path. QuickBooks Online takes an OFX upload under Transactions → Banking; QuickBooks Desktop takes IIF under File → Utilities → Import.

Two QuickBooks, two import paths

QuickBooks Online imports bank files through its Banking area; QuickBooks Desktop imports through a file utility. They want different formats — OFX for Online, IIF for Desktop — so the first step is knowing which edition you are feeding. Menus below are Intuit’s and occasionally move between versions; the shape of the flow stays the same.

QuickBooks Online: upload the OFX

Convert your statement to OFX first. In QuickBooks Online, go to Transactions → Bank transactions (some versions label it Banking), open the Link account dropdown, and choose Upload from file. Pick the OFX file and follow the prompts.

Map the account before you confirm

QuickBooks asks which of your accounts the transactions belong to — point it at the bank account that matches the statement. If the account does not exist yet, create it there and then. Getting this right matters more than anything else in the flow: transactions filed under the wrong account are tedious to move later.

QuickBooks Desktop: import the IIF

Convert your statement to IIF first. In Desktop, go to File → Utilities → Import → IIF Files and select the file. Take the backup QuickBooks offers before importing — IIF writes journal entries directly, and a backup makes any mistake reversible. The account name inside the IIF is derived from your statement’s source, so the rows arrive under a recognizable name you can rename afterwards.

What to check after the import

Compare the imported transaction count against the statement, check the first and last dates match the period, and spot-check that money out is negative and money in positive. If you import overlapping periods, watch for duplicates — OFX’s stable transaction ids help QuickBooks skip them, but review anything it flags.

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