You open QuickBooks, expecting to see your latest American Express transactions neatly lined up and ready to reconcile. But nothing new shows up. The sync seems stuck, and your bookkeeping is now on hold.
This happens to a lot of QuickBooks users, and it can throw off your whole accounting routine. The good news is that most sync issues between QuickBooks and American Express have simple fixes you can try yourself.
In this post, you will learn what causes this syncing problem, why it matters, and step by step ways to get your transactions flowing again.
What Does “Not Syncing” Actually Mean?
When your American Express account stops syncing with QuickBooks, it means the automatic connection between the two platforms has broken down. Normally, QuickBooks pulls in your Amex transactions every day or so. You see your purchases, payments, and credits show up without lifting a finger. But when syncing fails, that flow stops completely.
This issue can show up in a few different ways. Sometimes you get an error message telling you the connection failed. Other times, you notice that your last imported transaction is days or even weeks old. In some cases, QuickBooks might show your Amex account as “disconnected” or display a red warning icon next to it.
Leaving this unfixed creates real problems for your business records. Your account balances will look wrong because recent transactions are missing. You might accidentally pay a bill twice or miss a payment entirely. Tax time becomes messier because you have gaps in your expense tracking.
The issue usually sits on one of three sides: your QuickBooks account, your American Express account, or the connection between them. Understanding where the breakdown happens helps you pick the right fix, which we will cover shortly.
QuickBooks American Express Not Syncing: Common Causes
Before jumping into fixes, it helps to know what usually causes this sync failure. Once you spot the root cause, the solution often becomes clear.
1. Outdated Login Credentials
Your American Express password may have changed since you first connected the account. Banks and credit card companies often require password updates every few months for security reasons.
When your saved password in QuickBooks no longer matches your actual Amex login, the connection breaks. QuickBooks tries to log in with the old password, gets rejected, and the sync fails silently or with an error.
This is one of the most common causes because people update their Amex password on the American Express website but forget to update it inside QuickBooks.
2. Bank Server Downtime or Maintenance
American Express occasionally takes their servers offline for updates and maintenance. During these windows, QuickBooks cannot reach the Amex systems to pull your transaction data.
These maintenance periods usually happen late at night or on weekends. If you try to sync during one of these times, you will get a connection error even though nothing is actually wrong on your end.
3. Multi Factor Authentication Blocks
American Express uses extra security steps like verification codes sent to your phone or email. These multi factor authentication (MFA) prompts protect your account from unauthorized access.
However, QuickBooks sometimes struggles to handle these extra security steps during automatic syncs. The system tries to connect, hits the MFA wall, and cannot proceed without human input.
Over time, Amex may add new security layers that your existing QuickBooks connection was not set up to handle. This creates a mismatch that stops the sync cold.
4. Corrupted Connection Data
The link between QuickBooks and your Amex account stores certain data to keep the connection running smoothly. Sometimes this stored data gets corrupted or outdated.
Software updates on either side, browser cache issues, or even brief internet outages can damage this connection data. When that happens, the sync process hits errors it cannot recover from on its own.
5. QuickBooks Software Glitches
Like any software, QuickBooks has occasional bugs and glitches. A recent update might have introduced a problem with bank connections. Or your local QuickBooks installation might have files that got damaged.
These software level issues can block all bank feeds, not just American Express. If you notice other accounts also failing to sync, a QuickBooks glitch is likely the culprit.
QuickBooks American Express Not Syncing: DIY Fixes
Now that you know the common causes, here are practical fixes you can try at home. Work through these one by one until your sync starts working again.
1. Update Your American Express Credentials in QuickBooks
Start by making sure QuickBooks has your current Amex login information. Even if you think nothing changed, re entering your credentials often clears up connection problems.
For QuickBooks Online:
- Go to Banking from the left menu
- Find your American Express account in the list
- Click the pencil icon to edit
- Select Edit sign in info
- Enter your current Amex username and password
- Complete any security verification that pops up
- Save your changes
After updating, wait a few minutes and check if new transactions appear. Sometimes the sync needs a little time to restart.
2. Disconnect and Reconnect Your Amex Account
When a simple credential update does not work, try removing the connection entirely and setting it up fresh. This clears out any corrupted data and builds a clean new link.
For QuickBooks Online, go to your Banking section, click on your Amex account, and look for the option to disconnect. Confirm that you want to remove the connection. Then add the account again as if it were brand new, entering all your login details from scratch.
For QuickBooks Desktop, open the Chart of Accounts, find your Amex account, and edit its properties to disable bank feeds. Save that change. Then go back in and enable bank feeds again, following the prompts to reconnect to American Express.
This fresh start fixes a surprising number of stubborn sync problems.
3. Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies
If you use QuickBooks Online through a web browser, stored cache and cookie data can interfere with bank connections. Old or corrupted browser data sometimes blocks the secure handshake between QuickBooks and Amex servers.
Open your browser settings and find the option to clear browsing data. Select cookies and cached images and files. Clear this data, then close your browser completely. Open it again, log back into QuickBooks, and try syncing your Amex account.
Using a different browser or an incognito window can also help you figure out if browser data is causing the issue.
4. Check American Express for Service Alerts
Before spending more time troubleshooting on your end, verify that American Express itself is working normally. They post service alerts when their systems have problems.
Log into your American Express account directly through their website or app. Look for any banners or messages about system maintenance or known issues. You can also check their social media pages or status page for outage reports.
If Amex is having problems, the only fix is to wait until they resolve it. Try syncing again after a few hours or the next day.
5. Update QuickBooks to the Latest Version
Running an outdated version of QuickBooks can cause all sorts of connection problems. Updates often include fixes for bank feed issues and improved compatibility with financial institutions.
For QuickBooks Online, updates happen automatically, but you can force a refresh by logging out and back in. For QuickBooks Desktop, go to the Help menu and select Update QuickBooks Desktop. Download and install any available updates, then restart the program.
After updating, try connecting to your Amex account again. Many users find that a simple update resolves their sync issues completely.
6. Contact Support If Nothing Works
If you have tried all the fixes above and your American Express still will not sync, it is time to get professional help. Some problems require access to backend systems that only support teams can reach.
Contact QuickBooks support through their help center or phone line. Have your account details ready and be prepared to describe what you have already tried. They can look at your specific connection and often fix issues that you cannot see from your end.
You may also want to call American Express to make sure there are no blocks or restrictions on third party access to your account. Sometimes a quick call to both support teams gets everything sorted out.
Wrapping Up
Getting your American Express to sync with QuickBooks again usually comes down to refreshing credentials, rebuilding the connection, or updating your software. Most of these fixes take just a few minutes and do not require any technical skills.
When your transactions start flowing smoothly again, your books stay accurate and your financial picture stays clear. And if the DIY route does not solve it, support teams on both sides are ready to dig deeper and get you back on track.