# How to Import Multiple Bank Accounts into QuickBooks Cleanly _Canonical: https://qbomaker.com/blog/import-multiple-accounts-quickbooks.html_ The clean way to import multiple bank accounts into QuickBooks is one file per account. Convert each bank's CSV or Excel export to its own .QBO file, then import each file into the matching account register. Do not combine accounts into a single file, because QuickBooks reads one account per import. ## One account, one file QuickBooks treats every import as belonging to a single bank account. When you upload a .QBO file under Banking, QuickBooks asks which account it belongs to, then drops every transaction in that file into that one register. There is no per-row account field, so a file that mixes checking and savings rows will land entirely in whichever account you pick.The rule is simple. If you have a checking account, a savings account, and a credit card, you produce three separate files and run three separate imports. Keep your source exports separate from the start. Download each account's CSV or Excel file on its own, convert each one, and import each one. Do not paste multiple accounts into a single spreadsheet before converting.To convert each export, use the converter. Drop in one account's CSV, map the date, amount, and description columns, and download a .QBO file. Repeat for the next account. ## Why combining accounts breaks the import It is tempting to stack every account into one big spreadsheet, especially if your bank lets you export all accounts at once. The problem shows up at import time, not at conversion time, so it is easy to miss until the damage is done.Wrong register. All transactions go into the one account you selected, so savings deposits show up in checking (or worse, in a credit card).Balances will not match. Each register reconciles against its own bank statement. Mixed transactions throw off both the source account (missing rows) and the destination account (extra rows).Cleanup is manual. Untangling a bad import means deleting the mismatched transactions one by one, or excluding them in the For Review tab. That takes longer than just converting separate files.A single export with an account-name column is fine as a starting point. Just split it by account before you convert, so each file holds rows for one account only. ## Split one export into per-account files If your bank gives you a combined export, separate it in your spreadsheet program first. The goal is one file per account, each with the same column layout.Open the combined CSV or Excel file.Sort or filter by the account name or account number column.Copy each account's rows into a new sheet (or new file). Keep the header row on each one.Save each sheet as its own CSV or Excel file. Name them clearly, for example checking-may.csv and savings-may.csv.Convert each file separately, then import each into its matching account.Pro users can save a per-bank template once, so the column mapping is remembered for every account that uses the same export format. That means you map columns one time and reuse it across checking, savings, and card files from the same bank. ## Match each file to the right account at import QuickBooks does not read the account name out of the file and route transactions for you. You tell it which account to use during the import. Getting this step right is what keeps everything clean.In QuickBooks Online, go to Transactions > Bank transactions (older menus call it Banking). Click the tile for the account you are importing into, then use Link account > Upload from file, choose your .QBO file, and confirm the QuickBooks account on the next screen. Repeat for each account, selecting the matching tile each time.In QuickBooks Desktop, use File > Utilities > Import > Web Connect Files, pick the .QBO file, and when prompted choose the existing account it belongs to (or create a new one). Desktop reads the bank and account identifiers from the file, so it will offer to remember the pairing for next time.For step-by-step screens, see importing into QuickBooks Online. ## Keep account IDs distinct in your files A .QBO (OFX) file carries a bank ID and an account ID inside it. QuickBooks Desktop uses those identifiers to remember which register a file belongs to. If two of your files share the same account ID, Desktop can offer to file them into the same register, which defeats the point of separating them.When you convert each account, give each file its own account identifier. The converter lets you set the account ID (and bank routing number) per file, so checking gets one ID and savings gets another. Using your real account numbers is the simplest approach, since they are already unique. Once each register is paired with its file's account ID, future imports for that account drop into the right place automatically.If you also export from a Quicken-friendly bank, the same one-file-per-account rule applies to QFX and OFX files. ## A repeatable monthly routine Once your accounts are set up, the monthly process is short and predictable.Download each account's export for the period, one file per account.Convert each file to .QBO. With a saved template, mapping is automatic.Import each .QBO into its matching register.Reconcile each account against its own bank statement.Doing the same steps in the same order every month keeps registers clean and reconciliations fast. Ready to convert your first account? Start with the converter. **Can I import all my bank accounts in one QuickBooks file?** No. QuickBooks reads one account per import and puts every transaction in the file into the single register you select. Use one file per account and run a separate import for each. **My bank exports all accounts in one CSV. What do I do?** Split it before converting. Filter the export by account name or number, copy each account's rows (with the header) into its own file, then convert and import each file separately. **Will QuickBooks know which account a file belongs to?** You choose the account during import. QuickBooks Desktop can remember the pairing using the account ID stored in the .QBO file, so set a distinct account ID per file when you convert. **Do I have to map columns separately for each account?** If the accounts share the same export format, no. Pro users can save a per-bank template once and reuse the mapping across every account from that bank, including checking, savings, and credit cards. **Does this work for credit cards too?** Yes. A credit card is just another account. Convert its export to its own .QBO file and import it into the credit card register. The same one-file-per-account rule applies. --- Convert free at https://qbomaker.com/#tool, runs entirely in your browser.