Does Xero accept QBO files?

No. QBO is Intuit’s variant of OFX with a required bank ID tag. Xero reads plain OFX and CSV, so give it OFX if you want the OFX path.

Why did my Xero CSV import fail on column mapping?

Usually a header row Xero cannot match, or an amount split across separate debit and credit columns when Xero expected one signed column. Our Xero preset writes a single signed amount column and headers Xero recognises.

Can Xero import a PDF directly?

No. Xero imports CSV and OFX statement files, so the PDF has to be converted first — which is what this does.

Bank statements into Xero

Xero has no use for QuickBooks’ formats. It reads CSV and OFX, and the CSV path fails on one thing more than any other: the date column.

Which format to use

Start here

CSV for Xero

Xero’s statement import maps CSV columns to its own fields on screen, so you can see what it understood before committing. Our Xero preset is already in that shape.

PDF bank statement to CSV

OFX

When you want no mapping step at all. OFX is self-describing, so Xero reads the fields without asking.

Convert to OFX

Xero reads dates in your organisation’s locale, not the file’s

A CSV date column carries no indication of whether 03/04 means 3 April or 4 March, and Xero resolves it using the region set on the organisation. The same file therefore imports correctly for one Xero account and silently shifts every transaction by months for another — no error, just wrong dates. Anything after the 12th of the month is caught as invalid; anything before it is not. Set the date format explicitly in Xero’s import step rather than trusting the default, or use OFX, which states its dates unambiguously.

How to import it

1Convert the PDF statement to CSV using the Xero preset, or to OFX.
2In Xero: Accounting → Bank accounts → the account → Manage account → Import a statement.
3For CSV, check the date format field matches the file before you continue.
4Map the remaining columns if prompted, then import.

Questions

Does Xero accept QBO files?: No. QBO is Intuit’s variant of OFX with a required bank ID tag. Xero reads plain OFX and CSV, so give it OFX if you want the OFX path.
Why did my Xero CSV import fail on column mapping?: Usually a header row Xero cannot match, or an amount split across separate debit and credit columns when Xero expected one signed column. Our Xero preset writes a single signed amount column and headers Xero recognises.
Can Xero import a PDF directly?: No. Xero imports CSV and OFX statement files, so the PDF has to be converted first — which is what this does.

Every format we write

CSV OFX All formats

Need to split, merge or unlock the PDF before converting it? Gizmoop’s free PDF tools do that in your browser, no account needed.