LinuxWhat is the QIF file format?
.qif files are used by financial software Quicken. QIF files contain data related to a user's financial accounts stored in plain ASCII text format, which is commonly supported by other software.
QIF format is used for transferring transaction data from a financial institution's website to a user's hard drive, or as a means of exchanging data between Quicken data files. Each record uses single-character field tags - D for date, T for amount, P for payee, M for memo, L for category - terminated by a ^ caret on its own line, with the record set identified by a header such as !Type:Bank or !Type:CCard.
The .qif format was developed by Intuit. It is now regarded as largely obsolete for bank downloads, replaced by .QFX and .OFX since the late 1990s, though it persists for app-to-app account migration. A known limitation is that QIF carries no running-balance reconciliation data, and its ambiguous date format (M/D/Y vs D/M/Y) is a frequent cause of import errors. GnuCash, KMyMoney, and other open-source finance tools still support it.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA QIF file is plain text with no executable code, so opening it cannot harm your computer. The real concern is privacy, not malware: QIF contains account numbers (in transfer references), payees, balances-by-transaction, and full statement history. Don't email it unencrypted, upload it to untrusted online converters, or leave it in shared folders. Prefer offline importers (GnuCash, KMyMoney, Quicken) for sensitive statements, and delete the file once imported.
Format details
in a nutshell- QuickTime Image File - Older Apple QuickTime still-image format (.qif); now obsolete and unrelated to the financial Quicken format.
- DR-DOS QInstall script - Legacy installer/queue file seen on some DR-DOS systems; rare and unrelated.
Programs that open QIF files
Windows4 apps
Quicken
Paid File > File Import > QIF File - imports into cash/asset/liability accounts (modern Quicken blocks QIF for bank/credit accounts). 
GnuCash
Open-source File > Import > Import QIF, pick the .qif, set the date format, match it to an account and confirm. Free, full-featured accounting. 
Notepad
Open-source Open as text to inspect the raw tagged records (read-only understanding; won't reconcile it). 
ProperSoft QIF2CSV / Transactions
Paid Open the QIF to view it and convert to CSV/Excel for spreadsheets or other apps. 
macOS3 apps
MoneyWell
Paid File > Import to bring in QIF transactions (verify the current vendor/build before recommending).
Quicken (Mac)
Paid Import the QIF where supported; current Quicken for Mac replaces the discontinued Quicken Essentials. 
Technical details
deep spec| File encoding | Plain ASCII text; occasionally Windows-1252 for accented characters in payee names |
| MIME type | `application/qif`; also `application/x-qw` and `text/plain` |
| File signature | No binary signature - first line is a `!Type:` or `!Account` header (e.g. `!Type:Bank`, `!Type:CCard`, `!Type:Invst`) |
| Record delimiter | Each transaction block is closed by a `^` caret character on its own line |
| Bank/Cash/CCard field tags | `D` date · `T` amount · `P` payee · `N` check number · `M` memo · `L` category · `C` cleared status |
| Investment field tags | Adds `Y` security name · `I` price per share · `Q` quantity · `O` commission · `$` transfer amount |
| Account-type headers | `!Type:Bank`, `!Type:Cash`, `!Type:CCard`, `!Type:Invst`, `!Type:Oth A`, `!Type:Oth L` |
| Date format | Ambiguous - `M/D/Y`, `M/D'Y`, or `D/M/Y` depending on locale; no enforced standard, a frequent source of import errors |
| Running balance | Not stored - QIF records individual transactions only; no reconciliation totals or end-of-period balances |
| Compression | None - files are uncompressed plain text |
| Encryption | None - account numbers, transaction amounts, and payee names are exposed in plain text |
| Typical file size | 1 KB to 5 MB (from a few transactions to several years of statement history) |
| Specification status | Unversioned; de facto frozen since the late 1990s - Intuit no longer endorses or maintains the format |
| Superseded by | OFX / `.qfx` for bank-to-software downloads (from 1997); QIF persists for manual account-migration workflows |
| Developer | Intuit Inc. |
| Released | early 1990s (Quicken for DOS/Windows); Intuit no longer endorses or supports the format |
| Latest version | No formal versioned spec; de facto frozen since the late 1990s |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | web.intuit.com |
QIF conversions
Community Q&A
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