The basic steps to connect a new checking account

To add a new checking account in QuickBooks Online, go to the Settings menu (the gear icon in the top left), select Chart of Accounts, then click New. Choose Bank as the account type, fill in the account name and your bank's routing number, then save. QuickBooks will not automatically connect to your bank until you take a second step: linking the account through the bank connection feature, which asks for your online banking credentials.

The account creation and the bank connection are two separate processes. You can create the account in QuickBooks first and connect it to your bank later, or you can set up the connection when ready after creating the account. Either way, your bank login information goes into the bank connection tool, not into the account creation form itself.

If you are adding a second or third checking account at the same bank, the process is identical — QuickBooks treats each account as a separate entry in your chart of accounts, and each one can be connected independently to your bank's system.

Key Takeaways

  • Create the account in QuickBooks first by going to Settings > Chart of Accounts > New, selecting Bank as the type, and entering your account name and routing number.
  • Bank connection happens separately through the bank connection tool, where you provide your online banking login credentials so QuickBooks can pull transactions automatically.
  • You can create multiple checking accounts at the same bank, and each one connects independently to your bank's system.
  • If your bank is not in QuickBooks' supported list, you can still create the account manually and enter transactions by hand or through CSV import.

Creating the account in your chart of accounts

Open QuickBooks Online and click the Settings gear icon in the top left corner. Select Chart of Accounts from the menu. Click the New button in the top left of the Chart of Accounts page. A form will appear asking you to choose an account type — select Bank.

Fill in the account name (for example, "Checking - Main Account" or "Checking - Payroll"). Enter your bank's routing number in the Routing Number field if you have it; this is optional but helps QuickBooks match the account to your bank later. Leave the Opening Balance field at zero unless you are setting up an account that already has a history in QuickBooks. Click Save and Close.

The account now appears in your chart of accounts, but it is not yet connected to your bank. Transactions will not flow in automatically until you complete the bank connection step.

Connecting the account to your bank

After creating the account, go to the Banking menu on the left sidebar and select Bank Feeds. Click Link Account. QuickBooks will show you a list of supported banks — search for your bank by name. If your bank appears, click it and you will be taken to your bank's login page (this happens through a find connection managed by a third party, not by QuickBooks directly).

Log in with your online banking credentials. Your bank will ask you to confirm that you want QuickBooks to access your account information. Once you approve, your bank will send a list of accounts you hold there. Select the checking account you just created in QuickBooks and confirm the match. QuickBooks will then begin pulling transactions from that account.

The first read usually takes a few minutes. After that, QuickBooks will pull new transactions automatically once per day, typically overnight. You will see transactions appear in the For Review section of the Banking menu, where you can match them to invoices or expenses before they post to your ledger.

What to do if your bank is not on the supported list

QuickBooks supports most major banks and many regional ones, but not all. If your bank does not appear when you search in Bank Feeds, you have two options: enter transactions manually, or use a CSV import.

To enter transactions manually, go to the Banking menu and select Write Checks or Expense. Fill in the payee, amount, date, and account details, then save. This method works but requires you to enter each transaction by hand, which is slower and more error-prone than automatic feeds.

To use CSV import, read a transaction file from your bank's website (most banks offer this in their online portal under a name like "read Transactions" or "Export"). Go to the Banking menu in QuickBooks, select Bank Feeds, then look for an import option. Upload your CSV file and QuickBooks will match the transactions to your account. This is faster than manual entry but still requires you to read and upload the file yourself rather than having it happen automatically.

Troubleshooting connection problems

If QuickBooks cannot find your bank when you search, try searching by the parent company name instead of the branch name. For example, search for "Chase" rather than "Chase Manhattan" or "Wells Fargo" rather than a specific branch. If the bank still does not appear, contact your bank's customer service to confirm that they support third-party connections — some banks restrict this feature or require you to enable it in your online banking settings first.

If you enter your login credentials and receive an error, the most common causes are an incorrect username or password, or a security setting that blocks third-party access. Log into your bank's website directly to confirm your credentials work. Then check your bank's security settings — some banks require you to whitelist QuickBooks or approve the connection through a separate step. Your bank's customer service can walk you through this.

If transactions stop appearing after a few weeks, your bank connection may have expired. Go to the Banking menu, select Bank Feeds, find the account, and click Reconnect. You will need to log in again with your online banking credentials. This usually happens when you change your bank password or when your bank updates its security system.

Managing multiple checking accounts

If you have more than one checking account — whether at the same bank or different banks — create each one as a separate account in your chart of accounts using the same steps above. Then connect each account to its bank independently through the Bank Feeds tool. QuickBooks will pull transactions from all of them into the Banking menu, where you can review and match them in one place.

You can rename accounts at any time by going to Chart of Accounts, clicking the account name, and editing the name field. This is useful if you want to label accounts by purpose (for example, "Checking - Operations" and "Checking - Payroll") so you can tell them apart when reviewing transactions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I connect the same checking account to QuickBooks more than once?

No. Once you connect a checking account to QuickBooks through Bank Feeds, you cannot connect it again. If you try, QuickBooks will show you an error. If you need to reconnect because the connection broke, use the Reconnect button in Bank Feeds rather than creating a new link.

Do I need my routing number to create a checking account in QuickBooks?

No. The routing number is optional when you create the account. It helps QuickBooks match the account to your bank later, but you can leave it blank and still create the account. You can add it later by editing the account in Chart of Accounts.

What happens to transactions if my bank connection breaks?

Transactions that already downloaded and posted to your ledger stay there. New transactions will not appear until you reconnect. Go to Banking > Bank Feeds, find the account, and click Reconnect to restore the connection. You will need to log in with your online banking credentials again.

Can I use the same online banking login for multiple accounts at the same bank?

Yes. When you connect through Bank Feeds, your bank shows QuickBooks all the accounts you hold there. You select which one to link. If you have two checking accounts at the same bank, you log in once and then choose both accounts from the list that appears.

What if I created a checking account but do not want to connect it to my bank?

That is fine. The account will stay in your chart of accounts and you can enter transactions manually. Go to Write Checks or Expense, select the account, and enter the details. The account will work normally — it just will not pull transactions automatically from your bank.