The answer is “maybe”; let’s break down the different situations first.
NOTE: if you are looking for QuickBooks Desktop related info, read this article instead
Importing list entries (not transactions) into QuickBooks Online
All versions of QuickBooks Online have built-in functionality to import into QuickBooks the following lists:
- Customer List
- Vendor List
- Item List (Products and Services)
- Account List (Chart of Accounts)
Importing Transactions into QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online Advanced has a LIMITED feature allowing you to import these transactions types:
- Invoices. Here is the latest Import Guide and CSV Importing Template
Additionally, All other versions of QuickBooks Online (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced) have the ability to import from a CSV File bank and credit card transactions into Bank Feeds; but that is not the same as “importing transactions” so we will dismiss those as a true way to import transactions
So the original question was: Do I need a 3rd party tool to import transactions from excel into Online like: SaasAnt, TPI, or Zed Axis?

Ok, the the answer might be YES, there are several options out there, the top 3 apps that can do it are:
- Transaction Pro Importer $10/month per company file (up to 200 transactions) or $25/month (unlimited)
- Zed Axis for one-time fee of $199 (unlimited transactions and unlimited QBO Company files)
- SaasAnt $10/month per company file (unlimited transactions)
I have used all 3 of the apps, and there are certainly a lot more that 3… but for comparison sake, I think SaasAnt is the best bang for the buck because you also get Exporting, Batch Delete and Batch Editing (limited fields) features built-in. With SaasAnt, you can import the following transactions and list types:
- Invoice
- Receive Payment
- Estimate
- Credit Memo
- Sales Receipt
- Refund Receipt
- Expense
- Check
- Bill
- Bill Payment
- Purchase Order
- Vendor Credit
- Credit Card Credit
- Journal Entry
- Time Activity
- Customer
- Vendor
- Employee
- Location
- Product/ Service
- Chart Of Accounts
You can download a template of all the transactions and list entries for SaasAnt here.
Here is a video, where I explain how to import credit card transactions into QuickBooks Online using SaasAnt:
Here are some additional videos on the topic:
- Comparing multiple data import apps: SaasAnt, MoneyThumb, and AutoEntry
- Importing Journal Entries with SaasAnt in QuickBooks Online
If you need assistance importing lists or transactions into QuickBooks, email us: hector@qbkaccounting.com for a quote.