QIF Definition Back to MYM2QIFW ©Intuit Inc. 1996

Q: What is the Quicken interchange format (QIF)?

A: The Quicken interchange format (QIF) is a specially formatted text (ASCII) file that lets you to move Quicken transactions:

Note: For Quicken to translate data from a text file into the Quicken register as transactions, the text file must be in the QIF format.

Required File Formatting:

Header Type of data
!Type:Bank Bank account transactions
!Type:Cash Cash account transactions
!Type:CCard Credit card account transactions
!Type:Invst Investment account transactions
!Type:Oth A Asset account transactions
!Type:Oth L Liability account transactions
!Account Account list or which account follows
!Type:Cat Category list
!Type:Class Class list
!Type:Memorized Memorized transaction list

You can force Quicken to import all transfers, regardless of whether Ignore Transfers is selected when the file is imported. You must add a line to the file being imported into a Quicken account. Use a text editor or word processor to put the following line right after the header line at the top of the file:

!Option:AllXfr

Items for Non-Investment Accounts

Each item in a bank, cash, credit card, other liability, or other asset account must begin with a letter that indicates the field in the Quicken register. The non-split items can be in any sequence:

Field Indicator Explanation
D Date
T Amount
C Cleared status
N Num (check or reference number)
P Payee
M Memo
A Address (up to five lines; the sixth line is an optional message)
L Category (Category/Subcategory/Transfer/Class)
S Category in split (Category/Transfer/Class)
E Memo in split
$ Dollar amount of split
^ End of the entry

Note: Repeat the S, E, and $ lines as many times as needed for additional items in a split. If an item is omitted from the transaction in the QIF file, Quicken treats it as a blank item.

Items for Investment Accounts

Field Indicator Explanation
D Date
N Action
Y Security
I Price
Q Quantity (number of shares or split ratio)
T Transaction amount
C Cleared status
P Text in the first line for transfers and reminders
M Memo
O Commission
L Account for the transfer
$ Amount transferred
^ End of the entry

Items for Account Information

The account header !Account is used in two places-at the start of an account list and the start of a list of transactions to specify to which account they belong.

Field Indicator Explanation
N Name
T Type of account
D Description
L Credit limit (only for credit card accounts)
/ Statement balance date
$ Statement balance amount
^ End of entry

Items for a Category List

Field Indicator Explanation
N Category name:subcategory name
D Description
T Tax related if included, not tax related if omitted
I Income category
E Expense category (if category type is unspecified, quicken assumes expense type)
B Budget amount (only in a Budget Amounts QIF file)
R Tax schedule information
^ End of entry

Items for a Class List

Field Indicator Explanation
N Class name
D Description
^ End of entry

Items for a Memorized Transaction List

Immediately preceding the ^ character, each entry must end with one of the following file indicators to specify the transaction type.

With that exception, memorized transaction entries have the same format as regular transaction entries (non-investment accounts). However, the Date or Num field is included. All items are optional, but if an amortization record is included, all seven amortization lines must also be included.

Field Indicator Explanation
KC Check transaction
KD Deposit transaction
KP Payment transaction
KI Investment transaction
KE Electronic payee transaction
T Amount
C Cleared status
P Payee
M Memo
A Address
L Category or Transfer/Class
S Category/class in split
E Memo in split
$ Dollar amount of split
1 Amortization: First payment date
2 Amortization: Total years for loan
3 Amortization: Number of payments already made
4 Amortization: Number of periods per year
5 Amortization: Interest rate
6 Amortization: Current loan balance
7 Amortization: Original loan amount
^ End of entry

Examples of QIF files

Normal Transactions Example

Transaction Item Comment (not in file)
!Type:Bank Header
D6/ 1/94 Date
T-1,000.00 Amount
N1005 Check number
PBank Of Mortgage Payee
L[linda] Category
S[linda] First category in split
$-253.64 First amount in split
SMort Int Second category in split
$-746.36 Second amount in split
^ End of the transaction
D6/ 2/94 Date
T75.00 Amount
PDeposit Payee
^ End of the transaction
D6/ 3/94 Date
T-10.00 Amount
PJoBob Biggs Payee
MJ.B. gets bucks Memo
LEntertain Category
A1010 Rodeo Dr. Address (line 1)
AWaco, Tx Address (line 2)
A80505 Address (line 3)
A Address (line 4)
A Address (line 5)
A Address (line 6)
^ End of the transaction

Investment Example

Transaction Item Comment (not in file)
!Type:Invst Header line
D8/25/93 Date
NShrsIn Action (optional)
Yibm4 Security
I11.260 Price
Q88.81 Quantity
CX Cleared Status
T1,000.00 Amount
MOpening Balance Memo
^ End of the transaction
D8/25/93 Date
NBuyX Action
Yibm4 Security
I11.030 Price
Q9.066 Quantity
T100.00 Amount
MEst. price as of 8/25/93 Memo
L[CHECKING] Account for transfer
$100.00 Amount transferred
^ End of the transaction

Memorized List Example

Transaction Item Comment (not in file)
!Type:Memorized Header line
T-50.00 Amount
PJoe Hayes Payee
MRent Memo
KC Check transaction
^ End of the transaction
T-25.00 Amount
T-25.00 Company Payee
LTelephone Category
KP Payment transaction
^ End of the transaction

 

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