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Xero → QuickBooks OnlineWhat Data Does Not Transfer When You Convert Xero to QuickBooks Online
Published: 2026-09-18 | Last updated: 2026-09-18 | Reviewed by Vincenzo Schembri, CPA
Bank feeds, payroll, and attachments do not carry across when you convert Xero to QuickBooks Online. See exactly what transfers, what does not, and how to plan.
When you convert Xero to QuickBooks Online, most master lists and transactions carry across, but several items do not: bank feeds, payroll history, document attachments, and reconciliation history all stay behind. Knowing this list before you start is what separates a smooth switch from a stressful one. This guide from WOW BookSwitch, the migration service by WOWzer Technologies Inc., sets out exactly what transfers, what does not, and how to plan for the gaps.
- Transfers: chart of accounts, contacts, items, invoices, bills, credit notes, payments, and historical balances.
- Does not transfer: bank feeds, payroll, attachments, reconciliation history, and most bank rules.
- The excluded items are not lost. You set them up again in QuickBooks Online.
- Plan the reconnect work (especially bank feeds and payroll) before your go-live date.
- A validation pass confirms the trial balance ties back to Xero after the move.
What transfers when you convert Xero to QuickBooks Online?
The direct answer: the accounting substance moves. A standard convert Xero to QuickBooks project brings across the records your financial statements are built on.
Typically transferred:
- Master lists: chart of accounts, customers, suppliers, and products or services
- Transactions: invoices, bills, credit notes, and their payments
- History and balances: historical transactions and account balances up to your chosen conversion date
That coverage is enough to reproduce your trial balance in QuickBooks Online. Intuit's own help documentation confirms that historical data and lists are part of the supported conversion. The point of a validation pass is to prove the converted balances match Xero before you rely on them.
What does not transfer from Xero to QuickBooks Online?
The direct answer: anything tied to a live connection or an external file usually does not convert. These are the items to plan for separately.
| Item | Transfers? | What to do instead |
|---|---|---|
| Bank feeds | No | Reconnect each bank and card feed inside QuickBooks Online |
| Payroll history and settings | No | Set up payroll fresh and enter opening balances |
| Document attachments | No | Keep source documents in your own store or re-attach key files |
| Reconciliation history | No | Reconcile forward from the conversion date |
| Bank rules | Usually no | Rebuild rules in QuickBooks Online |
Why do bank feeds not carry across?
Bank feeds are a live link between your bank and the accounting software, not a data record inside the file. That link is specific to each platform, so it cannot be exported. After the conversion, you reconnect each feed in QuickBooks Online and it resumes pulling transactions. This is normal, and it is quick, but it is a step you own.
Why does payroll not transfer?
Payroll carries tax settings, pay history, and year-to-date figures that are structured very differently between platforms and jurisdictions. Because of that, payroll is set up new in QuickBooks Online rather than copied across. Our dedicated guide, Xero to QuickBooks Online for payroll, walks through the setup order and the opening balances to enter.
Why do attachments not come across?
Document attachments (the PDFs and images stapled to invoices and bills in Xero) live as separate files. Most conversions move the transaction records, not the attached documents. Before you switch, export or keep a copy of any attachments you are required to retain for compliance, then re-attach the few you need day to day.
Is my data lost if it does not transfer?
No. The excluded items are not deleted from anywhere. Your Xero data still exists in Xero until you close that subscription, and the excluded categories are things you re-establish in QuickBooks Online rather than data that vanishes. The practical risk is not loss, it is being surprised on go-live day by a feed that is not connected or payroll that is not set up. A short checklist removes that surprise.
How to plan around the gaps
The direct answer: build a pre-migration checklist that assigns each excluded item an owner and a date. Here is a workable order:
- Before the move: reconcile all accounts in Xero and note the conversion date. Export any attachments and reports you must retain.
- During the move: the conversion transfers master lists, transactions, and balances, then a validation pass confirms the trial balance matches Xero.
- After the move: reconnect bank feeds, set up payroll with opening balances, rebuild bank rules, and reconcile forward.
For the full sequence, see our step-by-step Xero to QuickBooks Online migration checklist. Handling the excluded items on a plan, rather than in a panic, is the difference between a one-week switch and a one-month one.
Does a professional conversion cover the gaps?
A professional service moves the convertible data and validates it, and a good one also tells you plainly what it does not move so you can prepare. WOW BookSwitch delivers the converted QuickBooks Online file with the transferable data in place and a validation pass against your source, and it flags the excluded items (bank feeds, payroll, attachments) so nothing catches you out. The excluded work stays with you, but you go in knowing the list.
Key takeaways
- Master lists, transactions, and historical balances convert from Xero to QuickBooks Online.
- Bank feeds, payroll, attachments, and reconciliation history do not convert, and they need their own plan.
- Nothing is lost. The excluded items are re-established in QuickBooks Online.
- A pre-migration checklist with owners and dates keeps the switch to about a week.
Ready to convert Xero to QuickBooks Online without surprises?
WOW BookSwitch transfers your convertible Xero data, validates it against the source, and tells you exactly what to set up yourself, so nothing catches you out on go-live day.
See the Xero to QuickBooks Online service →
Sources and further reading:
- Convert from Xero to QuickBooks Online, Intuit
- How to Migrate from Xero to QuickBooks Online, Dancing Numbers
WOW BookSwitch and WOWzer Technologies Inc. are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Intuit or Xero. QuickBooks and Xero are trademarks of their respective owners.