How to import a bank statement into Xero
- Convert the statement PDF and choose the Xero export.
- In Xero, go to Accounting, then Bank accounts.
- Find the bank account, open its menu and choose Import a Statement.
- Browse to the CSV and import it.
- The first time, assign each column: Date to Transaction Date, Amount to Transaction Amount, and Description and Reference to their matching fields. Xero remembers this for the next import.
- If Xero asks which date format the file uses, choose day, month, year.
- Review the statement lines and click Complete import. The lines are now ready to reconcile.
What is in the Xero file
The Xero export uses the headings from Xero's own CSV template, with the asterisks Xero puts on the two required columns. Only Date and Amount have to be filled in. The rest help when you reconcile.
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| *Date | The transaction date as DD/MM/YYYY, such as 31/03/2026 |
| *Amount | Money in as a positive number, money out as a negative number, no thousands separators |
| Payee | Left empty: a bank statement has no separate payee column |
| Description | The bank's description of the transaction |
| Reference | The reference, where the statement has one |
| Cheque Number | Left empty |
Do not upload the general CSV export to Xero. It has a Balance column, and Xero asks you to delete balance columns because it calculates the balance from the transactions itself.
Limits and duplicates
- Xero accepts up to 100,000 lines in one CSV, far more than any monthly statement.
- Transactions that match ones already in Xero are treated as duplicates and are not imported, so importing a month twice by mistake does not double it up. The review step shows which lines will be skipped.
- Keeping the converted files named by account and month makes it easy to see what you have already imported.
- Amounts must not contain thousands separators. The converter removes them, so 21,412.90 on the statement becomes 21412.90 in the file.
Checking the import against the statement
A statement import is only useful if every line made it across with the right sign. Two counts tell you that, and both take a minute.
- Before exporting, note the number of transactions and the net figure shown above the converter's preview.
- Check that the net figure, added to the opening balance on the PDF, gives the closing balance. If it does, the conversion is complete.
- In the review step, check that the number of lines matches the preview. Any shortfall is listed there, either as duplicates of transactions already in Xero or as lines with an error.
- Reconcile as usual. If a line looks wrong in Xero, find it in the preview and the PDF before changing anything.
Statement imports and bank feeds
If your Xero bank account has a live bank feed, transactions arrive on their own and you will rarely need a statement import. Imports are most useful for months before the feed was connected, for accounts that have no feed, and for catching up when you take over a set of books part-way through a year.
Xero prefers OFX and similar formats to CSV when you have the choice. FNB, for one, lets you export a recreated statement as OFX, although FNB says a recreated statement is not an official one. Where your bank only gives you a PDF, the converter's CSV is the practical route.
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
Will the converted file import into Xero without editing?
Yes. The Xero export uses Xero's template headings, day-first dates and signed amounts. You assign the columns once, on the first import.
Which date format do I choose in Xero?
Day, month, year. The Xero export writes dates as DD/MM/YYYY, such as 31/03/2026.
Why is the Payee column empty?
Bank statements do not have a separate payee column, so the bank's text goes into Description, where you still see it while reconciling.
Can I import a statement from FNB, Absa, Capitec, Nedbank or Standard Bank?
Yes. The converter reads PDFs from all five and writes the same Xero file for each.
Can I import several months into Xero at once?
Yes. Convert each month, paste the rows into one CSV under a single heading row, and import that. Xero accepts up to 100,000 lines in one file.
Is converting a statement for Xero free?
A free account converts 5 pages a month. After that you can buy credits, and Premium subscribers convert without a monthly page limit.