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About Lloyd's Free PayPal/Chase Bank CSV to QIF Online Converter

Mon, 02/21/2011 - 03:51 — lloyd

The PayPal/Chase Bank CSV to QIF converter requires an encrypted connection, and therefore is hosted on my company website.  Please first read the below, then convert your PayPal/Chase Bank CSV files. To convert a CSV file generated by Chase Bank, the file must be named 'chase.csv' (case-insensitive).

About This Tool

Amazingly, PayPal's QIF history download does not contain all transactions affecting your balance. Transactions which are refunded or partially refunded, as well as temporary holds, do not appear at all in the PayPal QIF history download! This glaring error makes the PayPal QIF history download practically useless to import transactions into business accounting software such as gnucash.

Fortunately, PayPal's CSV (comma-separated value) "balance-affecting transactions" history download DOES contain the transactions missing from PayPal's QIF history download. However, gnucash (and probably other accounting software) cannot import CSV files, at least not easily.

This tool allows you to easily convert your PayPal CSV "balance-affecting transactions" history download to QIF format, ready to import into gnucash or other accounting software. Note that gnucash QIF import wizard "remembers" the proper expense and income accounts for your frequent transactions, whereas I believe Quickbooks does not.

Chase Bank support was added because the QIF files generated by Chase do not (for me) import into Gnucash. To convert a CSV file generated by Chase Bank, the file must be named 'chase.csv'.

Security

I have gone to lengths to make this a safe, secure tool. Data is encrypted via SSL (Secure Socket Layer) as it is transmitted to and from my server in USA. The QIF files are stored using a scrambled random filename, and are automatically removed from the server after 30-35 minutes. In my opinion, if you trust SSL to transmit your data over the Internet (which you did to download your CSV transaction history file from PayPal), you can trust this tool with your financial data. If this doesn't seem secure enough for you, you can download the standalone perl script (see Standalone PC Version below) and convert the files on your own computer.

The usual disclaimer applies: neither I nor Tropical Health Foods LLC will assume any liability for losses of any kind, real or imagined, resulting from the use of this tool.

Use Instructions

To use this tool, you must first login to your PayPal account and download your "balance affecting transactions" in "Comma delimited" format for the date range you want.  Comma delimited format is the same thing as comma separated format, also referred to as CSV (Comma Separated Values).

Note that the "History Download" available in PayPal "Reports" will not work, since it contains only transactions with a status of "Completed."

What you need are the "balance-affecting transactions."  To download these, you need to get to the PayPal History Download Page, as follows:

  1. log in to your PayPal account
  2. click the "History" PayPal menu link
  3. hover your mouse over "More" in the upper right corner of the transaction list. You should see a pulldown selection. Select "Download History."

On the PayPal History Download page, choose "Custom Date Range" as download type.  Under "file types for download," choose Comma-delimited, Balance Affecting Payments."

The file you download from PayPal will be the CSV file that this tool will convert for you to QIF format.

Note that you can convert several CSV files at once.  When you have downloaded all the PayPal CVS files you need to convert, you are ready to Convert your PayPal/Chase Bank CSV files  The converter should correctly convert PayPal CSV files that have been opened and edited with MS Excel (Windows) and OpenOffice Calc (Linux/Mac/Windows).

Standalone PC Version

The PC version, a GNU-GPL-licensed perl script, is offered for those who prefer not to use this web-based tool, or for those who need to convert CSV files larger than 2.5 MB.  (This online converter is limited to files under 2.5 MB.)  It is able to convert multiple files via wildcard.  Perl is required and is available for both Windows and Linux. It is generally installed by default in Linux. I cannot help you install perl in Windows.  

The download directory is password-protected. I'll send you the username/password upon request.  Please include in your request the URL of the online business you are converting the files for. Download standalone version.

Feedback

Please leave your questions, comments or suggestions as a comment to this post (see below).  Or, you can send me a message.

Donations are Appreciated

Donations help me pay my server expenses.  Donation total received to date: $0.

 

Update History

 

Jan. 18, 2012 (v2.02) (web version only)

  • Fix to allow duplicate filenames in multiple csv file uploads
  • Increased maximum csv files per batch to 4

Jan. 17, 2012 (v2.01)

  • Fix to allow parsing column headers mangled by OpenOffice Calc

Jan. 17, 2012 (v2.00)

  • Major rewrite of conversion engine to correct parsing errors caused by embedded commas and odd distribution of quote marks.  Now uses perl module Text::CSV (http://search.cpan.org/~makamaka/Text-CSV-1.21/)
  • Added support for Macintosh and Linux/Unix line endings.  Should accept CSV files edited by OpenOffice and MS Excel.
  • Removed superfluous paths in zip download.

Jan. 12, 2012 (v1.24)

  • Modifications to possibly allow processing of CSV files edited by Excel before conversion to QIF (you shouldn't do that, use a simple text editor like notepad.exe instead).
  • Increased maximum CSV file size from 1 MB to 2.5 MB, decreased total files per batch from 5 to 2.

 

Dec. 8, 2011 (v1.22 and v1.23)
Add special handling to for the following PayPal transaction types:

  • PayPal Express Checkout Payment Received
  • Subscription Payment Received
  • Withdraw Funds to a Bank Account
  • Web Accept Payment Received
  • Update to eCheck Received

Dec. 7, 2011 (v1.21)
Updated perl conversion script to handle the new JC Morgan Chase Bank csv format, which now includes a fieldname header line similar to PayPal's csv file. Backward compatibility with headerless Chase cvs files is conserved.

May 21, 2011
To download the standalone version, users now must send me a request for the username/password for the protected download directory.

May 9, 2011
Made the PC perl script GNU-GPL and offered it here for download.

April 6, 2011
Add special handling for "Update to eCheck Received" and "eBay Payment Sent" transactions.

March 18, 2011
The converter now adjusts the QIF 'type' field of several common Paypal transactions, in order to allow gnucash's QIF file importer to properly "remember" the transaction type.  These transactions are: Shopping Cart Payment Received, Website Payments Pro, Refund, Withdraw Funds, Virtual Terminal and Temporary Hold.

March 10, 2011
Initial Release

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