Why does my OFX (Open Financial Exchange) file fail to import?

• Open Financial Exchange (OFX) and Quicken Financial Exchange (QFX) files are similar, but QFX has several extra fields
• Banks generate OFX or QFX files so you can upload financial information into Sage 50
• If they generate the file without proper formatting, an error occurs
• Using an unrecognized character as a carriage return, is the most common cause

CAUTION: Sage support can't assist with third-party products, hardware, report customizations, or state and federal tax questions. Refer to our Scope of Support for more info. Contact your Sage business partner, network administrator, or accountant for assistance.

1. Remove carriage returns by saving in WordPad

1. Open Windows Explorer and browse to the location of your OFX or QFX file.
2. Right-click the file you’re trying to import and select Open With.
3. Select Notepad and click OK.
4. If the document displays text in continuous rows with small rectangles at intervals, click File, Exit.
   Example:
   

   OFXHEADER:100□DATA:OFXSGML□VERSION:102□...

5. Right-click the file you’re trying to import and select Open With.
6. Select WordPad and click OK.
7. Confirm that the text separates into multiple lines.
   Example:
   

   OFXHEADER:100
   DATA:OFXSGML
   VERSION:102...

8. Click Save.
9. In Sage 50, select the file for import again.
10. Confirm that the file will import.

2. Manually remove carriage returns

1. Open Windows Explorer and browse to the location of your OFX or QFX file.
2. Right-click the file you’re trying to import and select Open With.
3. Select Notepad, click OK.
4. Locate any small rectangles between text and numeric values.
   Example:
   

   OFXHEADER:100□DATA:OFXSGML□VERSION:102□...

5. Remove the rectangle and press Enter to insert a line break in its place.
    NOTE: If multiple rectangles appear together, remove them and press the Enter key only once for this group of rectangles. 

6. Once you've removed all the rectangles and replaced with line breaks, click File, Save.
7. In Sage 50, select the file for import again.
8. Confirm that the file will import.

 NOTE: If the above steps don't resolve the issue, download the OFX/QFX file again or contact your bank for assistance with the file. 

Open Financial Exchange (OFX) format information

QuickBooks Financial Exchange (QFX) format information