Convert PayPal CSV to QuickBooks (.QBO)
Works with PayPal CSV and Excel exports Nothing uploaded
PayPal does not produce a QuickBooks Web Connect (.QBO) file. From the Reports area you can download an Activity Download report as a CSV, and that file is what you convert here. PayPal CSVs are notorious for being wide and a little fiddly, so it helps to know what you are looking at before you map columns.
The PayPal export splits every payment into three money columns: Gross, Fee, and Net. Gross is the full amount, Fee is what PayPal kept, and Net is what actually hit your balance. For reconciliation, the Net column is usually what you want, because it matches the balance change. There is also a Balance Impact field that marks whether a row is a credit, a debit, or just a memo. Memo rows (like authorizations that never settled) should be left out so they do not clutter QuickBooks.
When you export, choose Balance affecting transactions and the CSV format, and pick a date range up to twelve months at a time. Then bring the file here, map the Date column and the Net amount column, and download a .QBO that imports like a normal bank feed. If you would rather have fees booked as their own line, handle that with QuickBooks rules after import.
.QBO QuickBooks accepts. For PayPal, its dates are usually MM/DD/YYYY, and amounts arrive as a separate Gross, Fee, and Net columns (map Net for reconciliation), both detected automatically.A typical PayPal export has columns like Date, Time, Name, Type, Status, Currency, Gross, Fee, Net, Balance, Transaction ID, Balance Impact and uses MM/DD/YYYY dates. QBO Maker auto-detects these, just confirm the mapping.
How to import PayPal statements into QuickBooks
- Export your transactions from PayPal online banking as CSV or Excel.
- Open the QBO Maker converter and drop the file in.
- Confirm the auto-detected date, amount (or separate debit/credit) and description columns.
- Choose .QBO as the output and click download.
- In QuickBooks Online: Transactions → Bank transactions → Upload from file, then select the .QBO. In Desktop: Banking → Bank Feeds → Import Web Connect File.
PayPal-specific things to watch for
- Every transaction has Gross, Fee, and Net columns. Map Net to match the actual balance change, or you will double count fees.
- The Balance Impact column marks rows as Credit, Debit, or Memo. Exclude Memo rows (such as unsettled authorizations) so they do not appear in QuickBooks.
- Export only Balance affecting transactions, otherwise the CSV includes pending and informational rows that never moved money.
- PayPal limits each Activity Download to twelve months per request and splits very large reports into multiple files. Convert each file separately.
QuickBooks Online vs Desktop
QuickBooks Online: Transactions → Bank transactions → Upload from file → choose your .QBO. QuickBooks Desktop: Banking → Bank Feeds → Import Web Connect File. Desktop is stricter about the bank ID.
Frequently asked questions
Does PayPal give me a .QBO or .OFX file?
No. PayPal exports an Activity Download report in CSV. To get a file QuickBooks Desktop can read, convert that CSV to .QBO with QBO Maker. The conversion runs in your browser.
Should I import Gross or Net amounts?
Map the Net column. Net is the amount that actually changed your PayPal balance, so it reconciles cleanly. If you import Gross and the Fee column separately, your totals will be off.
How do I keep memo and pending rows out of QuickBooks?
When you export, select Balance affecting transactions only. You can also filter out rows where Balance Impact is Memo in your spreadsheet before converting.
Is any PayPal data uploaded during conversion?
No. The whole conversion happens locally in your browser, so your PayPal CSV never leaves your computer. Convert your PayPal CSV now.