How to Import Customer to QuickBooks Online (2026 Guide)

Create a CSV or Excel file with customer data. The first row must contain column headers such as Name, Email, Phone, Company, and address fields. The 'Name' column (Display Name As) is the only required field and must be unique across all names in QuickBooks, including customers, vendors, and employees.

Warning: The Name field has a 100-character limit. First and Last Name fields are limited to 25 characters each. Phone numbers are limited to 21 characters.

Before importing, review your existing customer list in QuickBooks under Sales > Customers. The Name (Display Name) must be globally unique. If a name in your CSV already exists as a customer, vendor, or employee in QBO, the import will skip that row or produce an error. Adjust duplicate names in your CSV by adding a suffix or using a different format.

Tip: You can export your existing customer list from QBO first, then compare it with your import file to identify duplicates.

Click the Settings gear icon in the upper-right corner of QuickBooks Online. Under the Tools column, select 'Import Data'. On the Import Data page, click 'Customers' to start the customer import workflow.

In the 'Select a CSV or Excel file to upload' section, click Browse. Navigate to your customer CSV file and click Open. QuickBooks reads the file and checks for obvious formatting issues. If the file is accepted, click Next to continue to the mapping screen.

QuickBooks displays your CSV columns alongside the available QBO customer fields. It attempts to auto-match columns with matching names, indicated by a green checkmark. Review each mapping and manually match any undetected columns. Key fields to verify include Name, Email, Phone, and the billing address fields.

Tip: If you used different column names in your CSV (like 'Display Name' instead of 'Name'), manually map them here.

Click Next to see a preview of the customer records to be imported. Records with complete data show a checkmark, while records with missing or problematic data show a warning icon. Hover over any warnings to see what information is missing. You can modify records directly on this screen or go back to fix your CSV.

Click the Import button to finalize the process. QuickBooks displays a summary showing how many customers were imported successfully. Navigate to Sales > Customers to review the imported records. Spot-check a few customers to verify that names, contact information, and addresses were imported correctly.