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Convert OFX to QFX.
What works, and what does not.

An .ofx and a .qfx hold the same transactions; the difference is an INTU.BID in the sign-on block that Quicken checks against its directory of licensed banks. Adding the tag yourself does not usually get a file past that check, and this site does not write .qfx. Here is what works: the bank’s own Quicken download, Quicken’s import of what it already accepts, or converting the OFX to CSV, Excel or a .qbo for other software.

How to convert OFX to QFX

  1. Know what the extra tag does. A QFX file is OFX with INTU.BID, and sometimes INTU.USERID, in the sign-on block. INTU.BID is a number from the directory of institutions licensed for Quicken’s Web Connect, and Quicken checks it online when you import, so a plain .ofx and a .qfx with an unlisted number are both refused.
  2. If the destination is Quicken, go back to the bank. An institution that offers an .ofx download almost always offers a Quicken or QFX download of the same statement, and that file carries a listed INTU.BID. Download it directly.
  3. If the bank has no Quicken download, Quicken’s own help describes the import options for your version and account type. A renamed or hand-edited file is not one of them; it tends to be refused at import or to stop importing when the directory changes.
  4. If the destination is anything other than Quicken, the .ofx is already enough. Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, FreeAgent and GnuCash read OFX directly, and the free OFX / QFX to CSV tool reads the .ofx in your browser and writes CSV, Excel, Xero CSV or a .qbo for QuickBooks Desktop. This site reads OFX and writes those four; it does not write .qfx.

What is in an OFX file

OFX, Open Financial Exchange, is the format behind most download-to-Quicken and download-to-QuickBooks buttons in online banking. OFX 1.x is SGML with optional closing tags and a plain-text header block; OFX 2.x is XML with the same tags. A statement file has a sign-on block, an account block with CURDEF and ACCTID, a BANKTRANLIST of STMTTRN records (DTPOSTED, TRNAMT, FITID, NAME, MEMO) and a LEDGERBAL closing balance. There is no opening balance element.

What a QFX file holds

A QFX file is an OFX file with INTU.BID, and sometimes INTU.USERID, added to the sign-on block for Quicken. INTU.BID is a number from the directory of institutions licensed for Quicken’s Web Connect, and Quicken checks it online at import time, refusing a plain .ofx and any .qfx whose number it does not recognise. The transaction list inside is ordinary OFX, which is why other software reads .qfx and .ofx alike.

OFX to QFX questions

Can I rename .ofx to .qfx and import it into Quicken?

Renaming changes nothing inside the file. Quicken looks for INTU.BID in the sign-on block and rejects a file without one whatever its extension, so a renamed .ofx is refused with a message about an unreadable or unsupported file.

Can I add INTU.BID myself?

You can edit the text, but Quicken checks the number against its online directory and only a value belonging to a licensed institution passes. Using another bank’s number files your transactions under that bank. This site does not offer that route and cannot say it will keep working, since Quicken refreshes the directory.

Does QuickBooks need a .qfx?

No. QuickBooks Online uploads .ofx, .qfx and .qbo directly on a bank account; QuickBooks Desktop wants a .qbo through Web Connect. The OFX / QFX to CSV tool writes a .qbo from a plain .ofx when Desktop is the destination.

Why does Quicken insist on QFX when the content is ordinary OFX?

Quicken’s Web Connect is a licensed programme: banks register to be listed and Quicken accepts files only from the listed ones. The content of the file is standard OFX, which is why other software such as Xero or GnuCash reads a .qfx and an .ofx alike.

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