The Quicken interchange format (QIF) is a specially formatted text (ASCII) file that enables Quicken transactions to be moved from one Quicken account register into another Quicken account register, or to or from other programs that support the QIF format.
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
Each transaction must end with a symbol, indicating the end of entry. Each item in the transaction must display on a separate line. When Quicken exports an account register or list, it adds a line to the top of the file that identifies the type of account or list. Listed below are the header lines Quicken adds to the exported files:
| 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 |
Quicken can be configured to import all transfers, regardless of whether Ignore Transfers is selected when the file is imported. To do this, add a line to the file being imported into the Quicken account. Use a text editor or word processor to put the following line immediately 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 Explanations |
| 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 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 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 account) |
| / | Statement balance date |
| $ | Statement balance |
| ^ | 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 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.
KC
KD
KP
KI
KE
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 transaction |
| D6/ 2/94 | Date |
| T75.00 | Amount |
| PDeposit | Payee |
| ^ | End of transaction |
| D6/ 3/94 | Date |
| T-10.00 | Amount |
| PAnthony Hopkins | Payee |
| MFilm | Memo |
| LEntertain | Category |
| AP.O. Box 27027 | Address (line 1) |
| ATucson, AZ | Address (line 2) |
| A85726 | Address (line 3) |
| A | Address (line 4) |
| A | Address (line 5) |
| A | Address (line 6) |
| ^ | End of 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 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 transaction |
Memorized List Example
| Transaction Item | Comment (not in file) |
| !Type:Memorized | Header line |
| T-50.00 | Amount |
| POakwood Gardens | Payee |
| MRent | Memo |
| KC | Check transaction |
| ^ | End of transaction |