How to convert a Capitec statement
- On the Capitec app, open the account, tap the three dots in the top right corner and tap Statement.
- Choose the date range, tap Share PDF Statement and send it to your own email address.
- Open the email and save the attached PDF. If it asks for a password, open it and save an unlocked copy, because the converter cannot read a locked file.
- Sign in to Payslip Generator with a free account and open the bank statement converter.
- Upload the PDF. Each page counts once against your free pages for the month.
- Check the preview: the number of transactions, the money in and money out totals, and the balance on the last row.
- Choose the export you need, such as Excel, CSV, or a file for Xero, QuickBooks or Sage, and download it.
What happens to Capitec's Money In and Money Out columns
A Capitec statement keeps money coming in and money going out in separate columns. That is easy to read on paper, but a spreadsheet then needs two sums and a subtraction for every total, and most accounting imports want one amount column.
The converter merges the two. An amount in the Money In column stays positive. An amount in the Money Out column becomes negative. The balance column is kept as it is, so you can still see the running balance after every transaction.
| On the Capitec statement | In the exported file |
|---|---|
| Amount in the Money In column | Positive amount |
| Amount in the Money Out column | Negative amount |
| Balance | Balance, unchanged |
| Description running onto a second line | One description on one row |
The net figure above the preview is money in minus money out. Add it to the opening balance on the statement and you should arrive at the closing balance.
Getting the PDF from your phone to the converter
Capitec sends statements by email rather than saving them to your phone, which is the step people get stuck on. Sending the statement to yourself first also lets you check the dates before it goes anywhere else.
The converter works in a phone browser, so if your email app can save the attachment to your files, you can upload it from the same phone. On a computer it is easier: open the email, download the attachment, and upload it from your downloads folder.
- Capitec does not support its app on tablets, so use a phone for the app step.
- No smartphone? Capitec's USSD banking on *120*3279# can email a statement, once you have registered for it at a branch.
- Online banking on a computer also lets you view and download statements, with no monthly subscription fee.
Converting several months at once
Capitec's fee guide prices statements covering 1 to 3 months, which are free on the app for the Main Account. It does not publish how far back the app will go, so for six or twelve months try the longer range in the app first.
A long range produces one long PDF. A single upload can be up to 20 pages, so if a year of statements comes to more than that, request it in shorter ranges, such as one quarter at a time, and convert each file. The exported CSV or Excel files can then be pasted one under another.
Asked to share statements with a lender through Capitec's Secure Statement Sharing? Then there is nothing to convert: the lender receives the information directly, with no PDF changing hands.
Uploading a CSV instead
If you already have your transactions as a CSV with separate debit and credit columns, from Capitec or from another program, upload that instead. The converter finds the debit, credit, description and balance columns by name and merges the amounts the same way it does for a PDF.
A CSV is read in your browser, does not need an account and counts as one page however long it is. For anything that has to match an official statement, such as your records for SARS, convert the stamped PDF.
Before you upload
- A free account converts 5 pages a month. Each PDF page counts as one, and a CSV counts as one however long it is. After that you can buy credits, and Premium subscribers convert without a monthly page limit.
- One PDF upload can be up to 20 pages and 8 MB. Split anything longer by month.
- The PDF must have selectable text. A scanned or photographed statement has none, so download the digital version from online banking instead.
- Password-protected PDFs have to be unlocked first. Our guide to password-protected bank statements shows how.
- Where a statement prints dates without the year, the converter takes the year from the statement period. If a statement runs from December into January, check those dates in the preview.
- A PDF is read in memory over an encrypted connection and is not saved. A CSV never leaves your browser.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert a Capitec statement to Excel for free?
Yes. A free account converts 5 pages a month. After that you can buy credits, and Premium subscribers convert without a monthly page limit.
Where do I find the PDF after I tap Share PDF Statement?
In the email you sent it to. Capitec emails the statement rather than saving it on your phone, so open the email and save the attachment before uploading it.
Why does the export have one amount column when Capitec has two?
Most spreadsheets and accounting imports want one signed amount. The converter keeps money in as positive and turns money out negative, so a single sum gives you the net movement.
My Capitec statement is more than 20 pages. What do I do?
Request it in shorter date ranges from the app, for example a quarter at a time, and convert each PDF. The exported files can be combined afterwards.
Is my Capitec statement stored when I convert it?
No. A PDF is sent over an encrypted connection, read in memory, and the transactions are sent back to your browser. The file itself is not saved.