How to import a statement into Sage Business Cloud Accounting
- Convert the statement PDF and choose the QuickBooks / Sage Accounting export.
- In Sage Business Cloud Accounting, open the Banking menu and go to the banking screen for the bank account.
- Choose Import Bank Statements.
- Choose CSV as the file type and dd/mm/yyyy as the date format, to match the file.
- Browse to the file and import it. The transactions appear on the banking screen, ready to allocate.
The layout Sage Accounting asks for
Sage's South African knowledge base sets out the CSV rules for a bank statement import: headings in the first row, in the order Date, Description, Amount, spelled exactly like that. Payments are negative and receipts positive, and any other columns should be removed. Sage describes no step for matching columns during the import, so get the file right before you start.
The QuickBooks / Sage Accounting export meets each rule as it stands. The general CSV does not: it has five columns and writes dates with hyphens, which are not among the date formats Sage lists.
| Sage asks for | The export has |
|---|---|
| Headings in row 1 | Date, Description, Amount in row 1 |
| Columns in the order Date, Description, Amount | Exactly those three, in that order |
| dd/mm/yyyy, yyyy/mm/dd or mm/dd/yyyy dates | dd/mm/yyyy, such as 15/03/2026 |
| Payments negative, receipts positive | Money out negative, money in positive |
If the import misreads dates or amounts, Sage recommends setting Windows to English (South Africa) with a full stop as the decimal symbol, a comma as the list separator, and dd/mm/yyyy as the short date.
Sage 50cloud Pastel Partner
Sage 50cloud Pastel brings bank statements in through Pastel Bank Manager. Sage's knowledge base describes the file it imports: a CSV with the headings Date, Description and Amount in row 1, in columns A, B and C. That is exactly the layout of the converter's 3-column export.
The one thing Sage's article does not state is which date format Bank Manager expects. The export writes dd/mm/yyyy, so import a single month first and check that the dates and amounts come through as they should before importing a full year.
Sage 200 Evolution
Evolution has two routes. Its Bank Manager module imports a statement file exported from online banking, and Sage does not publish the layout it expects, so we cannot say whether the 3-column export works there. Its manual route imports a cashbook batch from Sage's own template, Cashbook Batch IMPORT.csv, with columns such as an Is Debit flag and an account type that none of the converter's exports contain.
For the template route, open the converter's Excel export alongside Sage's template and copy the date, description and amount columns across, filling in the template's other columns as your bookkeeper sets them up. Use dd/mm/yyyy dates, as Sage's article asks.
About the Sage Pastel journal export
The converter also has an export labelled Sage Pastel. It writes every transaction as a two-line journal, debit and credit, using placeholder account codes: Bank 1100, Income 4000 and Expense 7000. It does not match the layout of any Pastel import we have been able to confirm.
Treat it as a working file for a bookkeeper who wants to see the double entry before posting, not as something to import directly. For an import, use the 3-column export described above.
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
Which export do I choose for Sage Accounting?
The QuickBooks / Sage Accounting export. It has the Date, Description and Amount headings Sage asks for, in that order, with dd/mm/yyyy dates.
Why does Sage reject the general CSV?
It has five columns and hyphenated dates. Sage Accounting wants exactly Date, Description and Amount, and does not let you map columns during the import.
Does the file work with Pastel Partner?
Sage describes the Bank Manager file as Date, Description and Amount in columns A to C with headings in row 1, which is the 3-column export. Its date format is not stated, so test one month first.
Can I import the Sage Pastel journal export directly?
We do not recommend it. It uses placeholder account codes and does not match a Pastel import layout we have confirmed. Use the 3-column export for imports.
Is converting a statement for Sage free?
A free account converts 5 pages a month. After that you can buy credits, and Premium subscribers convert without a monthly page limit.