What is OFX file format and how to open it?

This page covers the OFX financial file format used in online banking. If you are looking for OFX international money transfers, visit ofx.com.

An OFX file is a format for sharing financial data. OFX stands for Open Financial Exchange. It moves financial data between software programs and online banks. Programs like QuickBooks, Quicken, and Microsoft Money use OFX files to import and export transactions, account details, and bill payments.

Why OFX files are used instead of CSV/Excel?

OFX files use SGML and XML tags to structure data. This lets different programs and banks read and understand the data. OFX files typically hold data about bank accounts, credit cards, investments, and other transactions.

You can create and edit OFX files in any text editor. But using a financial program that supports OFX is usually easier. To import an OFX file, go to the "Import" or "File" menu and select the file. The program will read it and show the data in a clear format.

OFX files can also move data between banks and brokerage firms. To do this, log into your online account and go to the "Download" or "Export" section. Select the data you want, choose OFX as the format, and download the file to your computer.

OFX files are a useful way to share financial data between programs and banks. They make it easy to import and export transactions and account details. And they help you manage and track your finances in one place.

Use the ProperConvert app to access or convert transaction files from OFX and to OFX format.

How to Open an OFX file in Excel

OFX files cannot be opened directly in Excel. Use the conversion tool like ProperConvert to extract transactions from OFX files and save as CSV or Excel.

How to view or open an OFX file

Download and install the ProperConvert app
Start the app and locate an OFX file
Review transactions
Click Save to save a CSV file. Then open it in Excel or another spreadsheet app. Or click Copy to clipboard, switch to Excel, and click Paste.

Supported Account types

Bank (Checking/Savings/Credit Line)
Credit Card
Investment

QBO and QFX: OFX file variants

QBO (QuickBooks OFX) and QFX (Quicken OFX) are extended OFX files. They include extra details needed by QuickBooks or Quicken. If a program says it imports OFX, it should also import QBO and QFX files. In some cases, you can rename a .QBO or .QFX file to .OFX and it will import fine. But some QBO and QFX files are not built to the OFX spec, so the import will fail. Use ProperConvert to fix and convert QBO, QFX, or OFX files so they import correctly into your accounting software.

Learn More

QBO - What is QBO (web connect) file format?
QFX - What is QFX file/format and how to open it?
Quicken - How To Import QIF or QFX into Quicken
QuickBooks - How to import transactions into Quickbooks