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Import IIF Files Into QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online can't open IIF files. Autymate Transactions reads yours, checks every line and posts 20+ record types once you approve the preview. No converting to CSV first.

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  • Free plan, no credit card needed
  • Preview before anything posts
  • Re-runs skip what already posted

QuickBooks Online Has No IIF Import. Autymate Does.

Here is what happens to an IIF file in QuickBooks Online, with and without Autymate.

QuickBooks Online on its own

IIFoct-export.iifNot supported in QuickBooks Online

The file is rejected at upload.

Each transaction is re-typed by hand.

Converted to CSV, which covers only a few record types.

With Autymate Transactions

IIFoct-export.iif146 transactions found·Ready to preview

The IIF file uploads as it is. No converting.

Each TRNS and SPL block maps to a QuickBooks Online record.

Invoices, bills, journal entries and more, previewed before they post.

Can you import an IIF file into QuickBooks Online?

Yes, with Autymate Transactions. QuickBooks Online has no IIF import of its own: IIF is the Intuit Interchange Format that QuickBooks Desktop uses, and QuickBooks Online's built-in tools accept only a few CSV and Excel record types. Autymate reads the IIF file as it is, maps each TRNS and SPL block to a QuickBooks Online record, shows you a preview, and posts only what you approve.

Start free and import your IIF file

What You Can Import From an IIF File

Pick what's in your file. Autymate maps each IIF field to the right QuickBooks Online field.

  • Invoices from an IIF file into QuickBooks Online

    Customer invoices with line items, terms and due dates.

    Import invoices

  • Sales receipts from an IIF file into QuickBooks Online

    Paid-at-sale transactions, like daily sales.

    Import sales receipts

  • Receive payments from an IIF file into QuickBooks Online

    Customer payments applied to open invoices.

    Import payments

  • Credit memos from an IIF file into QuickBooks Online

    Customer credits against invoices.

    Import credit memos

  • Refund receipts from an IIF file into QuickBooks Online

    Money returned to customers.

    Import refunds

  • Estimates from an IIF file into QuickBooks Online

    Quotes ready to turn into invoices.

    Import estimates

How IIF Fields Map to QuickBooks Online

Autymate suggests the mapping. Change any field, set a default, and save it for next time.

How IIF Fields Map to QuickBooks Online
IIF fieldQuickBooks Online fieldNotes
TRNSTYPETransaction typeINVOICE, BILL, CHECK, DEPOSIT, GENERAL JOURNAL and more
DATETransaction dateDate formats are detected and converted
ACCNTAccountMatched to your chart of accounts by name, before anything posts
NAMECustomer or vendorMatched by name, or created if you allow it
AMOUNTAmount or line amountDebits and credits checked so every entry balances
DOCNUMInvoice or reference numberKept with the record, so a re-run is recognised
MEMOMemo or descriptionCarried to the line or the header
CLASSClassKept when class tracking is on in QuickBooks Online
INVITEM, QNTY, PRICEProduct or service, quantity, rateFor item-based invoices, sales receipts and bills

How to Import an IIF File Into QuickBooks Online

Six steps, usually a few minutes for a first file. After that, saved mappings make it one upload.

  1. Sign up for Autymate Transactions and connect your QuickBooks Online company. You sign in with Intuit, so Autymate never sees your QuickBooks password.

    The To card in Autymate: the destination is QuickBooks Online with a green connected check, and the destination entity is Sales Receipt.
    QuickBooks Online connected as the destination, with the record type it will receive.

  2. Pick the record type in the file, such as invoices, journal entries or customers. One IIF file can hold several transaction types, and Autymate reads each TRNS block's type.

    The record-type picker in Autymate: QuickBooks Online is the destination and the list is open on Sales, showing Sales Receipt and Invoice, with Banking and Accounting below.
    Pick the QuickBooks Online record type your file holds.

  3. Drop in the .iif file exactly as your system exported it. No renaming to .csv and no rebuilding it in Excel.

    The From card in Autymate: the source is QuickBooks Desktop IIF, connected, and the source entity is the file oct-export.iif with 10 data fields.
    The IIF file as the source, exactly as your system exported it.

  4. Autymate matches IIF fields (ACCNT, NAME, AMOUNT, DOCNUM, CLASS) to QuickBooks Online fields. Fix anything unmatched, like an account name that's spelled differently in QuickBooks Online.

    The Autymate mapping table: the QuickBooks Online fields Txn date, Customer, Amount and Fee, each matched to an IIF field (DATE, NAME, AMOUNT, an SPL fee line) with its sample result on the right.
    Every QuickBooks Online field, the IIF field it takes, and the value it will get.

  5. See every transaction as it will appear in QuickBooks Online, with totals. Unbalanced entries and missing accounts are flagged here, not after.

    The Autymate Preview import screen: 121 rows will post to QuickBooks Online and 2 cannot be built and will be skipped, with each row marked Ready or Error, and Schedule and Run now buttons.
    Every row before it posts. Rows that cannot be built are skipped, and nothing partial is written.

  6. Post to QuickBooks Online and see what went in by reference number. Fix any held rows and re-run; rows already posted are skipped.

    An Autymate run started from oct-export.iif: 146 transactions in the run, 141 posted, and 5 needing review, with the note that none of these reached your books.
    What posted, and what is held for review. None of the held rows reached the books.
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What Autymate Checks Before Anything Posts

The usual reasons an IIF import goes wrong, and what happens to each one.

What Autymate Checks Before Anything Posts
What you seeWhy it happensWhat Autymate does
“Account doesn't exist”The IIF account name isn't in your QuickBooks Online chart of accounts.Matches accounts by name. When one can't be matched, the row is held so you can map it to an existing account.
The entry doesn't balanceTRNS and SPL amounts don't add up to zero.Holds the entry before it reaches QuickBooks and shows the difference.
Dates in the wrong formatDates arrive as text, or day before month.Detects the format and converts it on the mapping screen.
Missing customers or itemsThe name in the file isn't in QuickBooks Online yet.Creates it on the way if you allow it. If two records match, it stops and asks instead of guessing.
Duplicates after a re-runThe same file is uploaded twice.Remembers every record it has created, so rows that already posted are recognised and skipped.
Damaged headers or tabsThe file was opened and saved in Excel, which changes tabs and quotes.Reads the !TRNS and !SPL headers and repairs common spacing problems.
An Autymate run from oct-export.iif: 146 transactions, 141 posted, 5 needing review with a note that none of these reached your books, and a Roll back button. The review list shows each held row with a Fix button.
A run with five rows held for review. None of them reached the books, and the whole run can be rolled back.

Why “Just Convert It to CSV” Doesn't Work

Intuit's usual advice is to convert IIF to CSV. Here's what that takes, and where it falls short.

The manual CSV route

  1. Open the IIF file in Excel and split it by tabs
  2. Delete the !TRNS, !SPL and ENDTRNS header rows
  3. Merge each TRNS row with its SPL rows into QuickBooks' template columns
  4. Flip the signs on split amounts so lines read as debits and credits
  5. Save one CSV per record type, 1,000 rows at a time
  6. Import each file, then fix whatever QuickBooks rejects

Where it falls short

  • QuickBooks Online only imports a short list of transaction types, so checks, deposits, credit memos and payments have no CSV route
  • Multi-line transactions lose their splits when rows are merged by hand
  • Accounts and contacts must exist first, or the whole file is rejected
  • It has to be done again every time your system exports a new IIF file

With Autymate: Upload the IIF file as it is. No conversion, no template, no splitting.

Import the IIF file as it is

Your Software Still Exports IIF? Automate It.

Plenty of shop management, property management, POS and payroll systems were built for QuickBooks Desktop and still export IIF every day. Moving to QuickBooks Online shouldn't mean a daily copy-and-paste job.

  • Save the mapping once for each system's IIF layout
  • Schedule the import so each new file posts on its own
  • Review held rows instead of checking every transaction
Automate my IIF imports

Common IIF sources

  • Daily cash-out and sales from shop and service management software
  • Room revenue and payments from hotel and property management systems
  • Payroll journals from payroll providers
  • Sales summaries from older POS systems
  • PayPal transaction downloads in QuickBooks (.iif) format
  • Customer, vendor, item and account lists exported from QuickBooks Desktop

Built So Nothing Reaches Your Books Unseen

Every file goes through the same safeguards, on the Free plan too.

  • Preview before posting

    On by default. You approve the batch before anything is sent to QuickBooks Online.

  • Held rows, in plain words

    A row QuickBooks would refuse is held with a reason a bookkeeper can act on. Save the fix as a rule.

  • Undo a run

    Roll back a whole run or the records you choose. Every change is stamped with who made it and when.

  • Saved, versioned mappings

    Map an IIF layout once and reuse it. Every change is kept, and each run keeps the mapping it used.

  • Every file your systems export

    IIF today, plus Excel, CSV, delimited text, JSON and XML, from the same account.

  • Start importing today

    Free plan, no credit card needed.

    Get Started for Free

Who Imports IIF Files Into QuickBooks Online

  • Moving from Desktop to Online

    Bring customer, vendor, item and account lists exported from QuickBooks Desktop into QuickBooks Online without re-typing.

  • Bookkeepers and accounting firms

    Clients send IIF files from older systems. Each client gets its own mapping, saved for next month.

  • Businesses with IIF exports

    Payroll, POS and billing tools that still export IIF can post straight into QuickBooks Online.

Import IIF Files for Less

Start free. Move to Standard when you need more rows or more locations.

  • Free

    Start here    $0no card required
    • 1 location
    • 200 rows a month
    • Preview, undo and saved mappings

  • Standard

    $19per location, per month
    • Unlimited locations
    • 30 runs a month
    • Everything in Free

Every new account starts on Free, so you can connect QuickBooks Online and post real records in your first session. Get started for free

Autymate Transactions compared with SaaSAnt Transactions (Growth)
Autymate TransactionsSaaSAnt Transactions (Growth)
Monthly price$19/mo$25/mo
IIF import to QuickBooks OnlineYesYes
Excel, CSV & Google SheetsYesYes
POS & app connections (Toast, Square, Clover…)YesNo
Get startedStart for Free—

SaaSAnt price from SaaSAnt's published Growth plan, checked November 2026. Prices may change.

What Is an IIF File?

An IIF file is a QuickBooks Desktop data file. IIF stands for Intuit Interchange Format: a tab-delimited text file QuickBooks Desktop uses to import lists and transactions, and to export lists. Many older systems, payroll providers and POS exports still produce it. It works in QuickBooks Desktop, but QuickBooks Online has no IIF import, which is why a move to QuickBooks Online often stalls at this file.

Anatomy of an IIF invoice

IIFoct-export.iifTab-delimited text
  1. !TRNS TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT NAME AMOUNT
  2. !SPL TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT NAME AMOUNT
  3. !ENDTRNS
  4. TRNS INVOICE 11/03/2026 Accounts Receivable Main St Store 450.00
  5. SPL INVOICE 11/03/2026 Sales Income Main St Store -450.00
  6. ENDTRNS
In QuickBooks OnlineInvoice
Customer
Main St Store
Date
11/03/2026
Line
Sales Income
Total
$450.00
  1. Header rows!TRNS !SPL !ENDTRNSName the columns for every row below them.
  2. The transactionTRNSType, date, account, name and amount.
  3. Split linesSPLThe lines that balance it, one row per line.
  4. End of blockENDTRNSCloses the transaction. The next one starts below.
A simple IIF invoice. Autymate reads each TRNS and SPL block and turns it into a QuickBooks Online invoice.

IIF vs CSV vs Excel for QuickBooks Online

Autymate imports all three. Use whichever file your system already gives you.

IIF vs CSV vs Excel for QuickBooks Online
IIFCSVExcel (XLS/XLSX)
Made forQuickBooks DesktopAny systemAny system
QuickBooks Online native importNoLimited (some list and bank types)Limited (some list types)
Multi-line transactionsYes (TRNS/SPL blocks)Yes, one row per lineYes, one row per line
Easy to edit by handHardEasyEasiest
With AutymateImportsImportsImports

Where Your IIF File Comes From

  • QuickBooks Desktop (lists only)

    Go to File > Utilities > Export > Lists to IIF Files, tick the lists you need (customers, vendors, items, chart of accounts) and save. QuickBooks Desktop can export lists to IIF, but not transactions.

  • PayPal

    Download your activity in the QuickBooks (.iif) format.

  • Payroll, POS, shop and property software

    Look for an “Export to QuickBooks” or “IIF export” option in reports or accounting settings.

IIF to QuickBooks Online Questions

Not directly. IIF is a QuickBooks Desktop format, and QuickBooks Online has no built-in IIF import. Autymate Transactions reads the IIF file, maps it to QuickBooks Online fields, shows you a preview and posts the transactions you approve.

Connect QuickBooks Online to Autymate Transactions, upload your IIF file, review the field mapping and the preview, then import. The run shows what posted and lists any row held for review, with the reason, so you can fix it and post it.

IIF is a QuickBooks Desktop format. QuickBooks Online's import only accepts CSV, Excel and Google Sheets, and only for a short list of record types.

No. Autymate reads the IIF file directly, so you skip the manual conversion, the template matching and the 1,000-row splitting.

Yes. Save the mapping once and schedule the import, so each new IIF export from your system posts to QuickBooks Online on its own.

Autymate Transactions starts free, with no card, one location and 200 rows a month. The Standard plan is $19 per location per month, with 30 runs a month. Every new account starts on Free, so you can post real records from your IIF file in your first session.

Rows are checked before they post. A row QuickBooks Online would refuse is held with a plain-English reason, so you can fix it and post it. Rows that already went in are recognised on a re-run and skipped, so nothing is posted twice.

Partly. QuickBooks Desktop exports lists (customers, vendors, items, chart of accounts) to IIF, but not transactions. Autymate imports those lists into QuickBooks Online, plus IIF transaction files from other systems like payroll, POS and PayPal.

Go to File > Utilities > Export > Lists to IIF Files, choose the lists you want and save the file. QuickBooks Desktop only exports lists to IIF, not transactions.

IIF (Intuit Interchange Format) is a tab-delimited text file QuickBooks Desktop uses to import lists and transactions and to export lists. Each transaction is a TRNS row, one or more SPL rows, and an ENDTRNS row.

You can, but QuickBooks Online's own CSV import covers only a few record types, and the TRNS and SPL lines have to be flattened by hand. With Autymate you don't need to convert. Upload the IIF file as it is.

Invoices, sales receipts, payments, credit memos, refunds, estimates, bills, bill payments, checks, expenses, vendor credits, purchase orders, journal entries, deposits, credit card credits and time activities, plus customers, vendors, accounts, items, employees, classes and locations.

Yes. CLASS maps to QuickBooks Online classes when class tracking is on, and MEMO carries over to the transaction or the line.

Stop Re-typing IIF Files

Get your IIF data into QuickBooks Online today. Start free, no credit card needed.

  1. Create your free account
  2. Connect QuickBooks Online
  3. Upload your IIF file
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