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Import a bank statement into Xero

Xero brings transactions in from a CSV, not from a statement file of its own. Convert the statement to CSV, upload it through the bank account, and map the columns at the import step.

The four steps

  1. Download the statement

    From your bank, as a PDF or CSV.

  2. Convert it to CSV

    Xero has no statement format of its own — its bank import reads CSV.

  3. Open the bank account in Xero

    Go to Accounting, then Bank accounts, and pick the account.

  4. Import and match the columns

    Upload the CSV, then map Xero’s columns to the ones in the file.

Why CSV and not a Xero file

Some accounting tools define their own statement format. Xero does not — its bank import takes a CSV and asks you to say which column is the date, which is the description, and which is the amount.

That is why bank statement to Xeroproduces a plain CSV: one row per transaction with those three fields, and nothing merged or recalculated in the way.

Two things to check before importing

  • Debit and credit on one column or two. Xero expects a signed amount or a separate column depending on the template you pick. Match the file to the template, not the other way round.
  • The date format. A statement that prints dates day-first and a Xero account set to month-first will import silently wrong. Check the first few rows after the import.

Frequently asked questions

What format does Xero import?

CSV. Xero has no statement file format of its own; its bank import reads a CSV with a date, a description, and an amount per row.

Does the column order matter?

Not for the conversion — the columns are read from the content of the statement. It matters at the import step, where you map the file’s columns onto Xero’s fields.

Why are there no categories in the file?

Categories are a bookkeeping decision rather than data printed on a statement, so they are set in Xero during or after the import.

Can I import a PDF into Xero directly?

No. Convert the PDF to CSV first; Xero’s bank import does not read PDFs.

Is my statement kept?

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

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