How to Convert a Bank Statement PDF to CSV

CSV (comma-separated values) is the closest thing to a universal language for transaction data. It's a plain-text file — one transaction per line, fields separated by commas — that almost every accounting package, spreadsheet app, and script can read. If you want to import your transactions somewhere else, CSV is usually the format you need.

CSV or Excel — which should you pick?

They solve different problems:

• Choose CSV when you're importing into another system — accounting software, Google Sheets, a database, or your own code.
• Choose Excel (.xlsx) when you'll work with the file yourself and want preserved date/number types, column widths, and formatting.

Many people end up using both: CSV to move the data, Excel to review it. If you're starting from scratch, see our walkthrough on converting a bank statement to Excel.

How to convert a statement PDF to CSV

1. Open the converter and select your statement PDF.
2. Let it detect the transactions and lay them out in a table.
3. Review the rows — check dates, amounts, and the debit/credit split.
4. Choose Download CSV.

Convert your bank statement with stmtify — it runs entirely in your browser, so your statement is never uploaded to a server. It's free, needs no signup, and works with statements from any bank.

Avoid the classic CSV import mistakes

A CSV is just text, so the program you open it in has to guess what each column means — and it often guesses wrong. Two things to watch:

• Dates get reformatted. A date like 03/04 can flip between March and April depending on regional settings.
• Long numbers lose digits. Account or reference numbers can be rounded or shown in scientific notation.

The fix is to import rather than double-click: in Excel use Data → From Text/CSV, in Google Sheets use File → Import, and set date and reference columns to Text so they're left alone.

Importing into accounting software

Tools like QuickBooks and Xero accept CSV uploads, but each expects columns in a particular order (date, description, amount). You'll usually map your CSV columns to theirs during import. Our guide on importing statements into QuickBooks and Xero covers the exact steps.