# Bank statement to YNAB

YNAB imports a file with five columns — Date, Payee, Memo, Outflow and Inflow. Upload your statement and the CSV comes out in exactly that layout, with dates as MM/DD/YYYY and money out and money in in separate positive columns.

## What the YNAB CSV contains

- A header row YNAB recognises: Date, Payee, Memo, Outflow, Inflow
- Dates as MM/DD/YYYY, the format YNAB’s importer reads
- Money out in Outflow and money in in Inflow, both as positive numbers
- The statement’s description as the payee, with the memo left empty for you

## What YNAB expects

YNAB’s file import (Import on the account, then choose the file) reads CSV, OFX, QFX and QIF. The CSV has to use YNAB’s columns, and outflows and inflows go in separate columns rather than one signed amount.
That is the layout this page produces, so the import lines up without remapping. Categories are yours to assign in YNAB after the import — a statement does not print them.

## How to convert

1. **Upload your statement** — Drop in the PDF or CSV you downloaded from your bank.
2. **Keep YNAB selected** — The YNAB layout is preselected on this page.
3. **Import into YNAB** — Open the account in YNAB, choose Import, pick the CSV, and approve the transactions.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I import a bank statement into YNAB?

Convert the statement here with the YNAB layout selected, then open the account in YNAB, choose Import and pick the CSV. YNAB shows the transactions for you to approve.

### Why use a file when YNAB can link my bank?

Some banks and card issuers cannot be linked, links break, and linked imports only reach back so far. A statement file fills those gaps, including months from before you started using YNAB.

### What format does YNAB need?

A CSV with Date, Payee, Memo, Outflow and Inflow columns, or OFX/QFX/QIF. This page produces the CSV in that exact layout.

### Why are there no categories?

Categories are a budgeting decision, not something printed on a statement. You assign them in YNAB after the import.

### Is my statement kept after conversion?

No. The file is used only to produce your converted copy and is deleted right after.

### Do I need an account?

No. The converter works without signing up.

## Related

- [Bank statement to Monarch](https://statementconverterai.com/bank-statement-to-monarch)
- [Bank statement to Actual Budget](https://statementconverterai.com/bank-statement-to-actual)
- [Bank statement to Copilot](https://statementconverterai.com/bank-statement-to-copilot)
- [Bank statement to CSV](https://statementconverterai.com/bank-statement-to-csv)
- [All bank statement converters](https://statementconverterai.com/)