How to Open Files with .qif File Extension?

What is a .qif file extension?

QIF is a short form for Quicken Interchange Format. The .qif file extension format is a protocol to transfer files from different data files related to the Quicken software and is a format widely accepted by all financial software?s.

What is .qif file extension used for?

Quicken is a powerful personal finance management tool designed by Intuit Inc. Quicken software has a version for both windows and Mac operating system. It also provides a secure online version of the software which can be used by companies. .qif file extension format is a special format derived from the American Standard Code for Information Interchange or ASCII text file.

The .qif file extension format created with Quicken can be used to import and export files from one quicken software to another. This file can also be viewed and edited by text editors. To achieve this you have to follow the rules given below

  1. The name of the qif file must be between 3 to 8 characters in length and should have the .qif file extension. The quicken software will recognize it as soon as these things are followed.
  2. The .qif can be edited using any of the text editing programs but the rule 1 should be followed.
  3. There might be compatibility issues between .qif files created in MAC and windows, so such files might need editing.

Even though the .qif file extension format was developed by Intuit Inc. it is not a proprietary format. Quicken has maintained this as an open standard so the files created in Quicken with .qif file extension can be imported or exported to other software?s with ease. This is the reason Intuit Inc doesn?t support or endorse this format. ?Also the .qif file had a major drawback with duplication of data stored, so Intuit upgraded from the.qif format to the .ofx or Open Financial Exchange format.

What are the different kinds of software used to open .qif file extension?

You can open the .qif file extension format using

  1. Financial Software?s
    • Intuit Quicken (All versions)
    • Microsoft Money
    • SAP Business One
    • GNUCash
  2. Text Editors
    • Microsoft Word
    • Word perfect
    • Notepad
    • Emacs

You can use the FileCure software which helps in opening and editing any file format. This software also helps in fixing corrupted files and fixes file type errors.