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Importing Bank Transactions
Addsworth Accounting can import bank transactions from a CSV (comma-separated values) file. This is the fastest way to load statement activity for reconciliation and journal entry creation.
Who is this for?
Bookkeepers and business owners who download transaction data from their bank's online portal and need to bring it into Addsworth Accounting.
Prerequisites
- A company created in Addsworth Accounting (see Getting Started with Addsworth Accounting)
- At least one bank account set up and linked to a GL account
- A CSV file exported from your bank or prepared manually
CSV File Requirements
The CSV file must be UTF-8 encoded with a header row as the first line. A file with no header row is read as date, description, debit, credit, in that order. Addsworth Accounting recognizes these columns:
| Column | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| transactionDate | Yes | The date of the transaction |
| description | Yes | A text description of the transaction |
| debitAmount | No | Withdrawal or payment amount (defaults to 0.00) |
| creditAmount | No | Deposit or receipt amount (defaults to 0.00) |
| amount | Yes, if there is no debit or credit column | One signed amount. A positive value is a deposit. A negative value is a withdrawal. |
Tip: Each row needs a positive debitAmount or creditAmount. If a row has neither, the app refuses the whole file and names the row. If a row has both, the app uses the credit and ignores the debit.
Accepted Header Aliases
Addsworth Accounting is flexible with column names. You don't need to rename your bank's headers. Common variations are recognized automatically:
| Canonical Name | Also Accepts |
|---|---|
| transactionDate | transaction_date, date, posted_date, posting_date |
| description | memo, details, transaction_description |
| debitAmount | debit_amount, debit, withdrawal, withdrawals |
| creditAmount | credit_amount, credit, deposit, deposits |
| amount | transaction_amount |
Header matching is case-insensitive, so Date, DATE, and date all work.
Accepted Date Formats
The transaction date column accepts these formats:
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| YYYY-MM-DD | 2025-03-15 |
| YYYY/MM/DD | 2025/03/15 |
| MM/DD/YYYY | 03/15/2025 |
| DD/MM/YYYY | 15/03/2025 |
| MM-DD-YYYY | 03-15-2025 |
Tip: Use YYYY-MM-DD. A date such as 03/04/2025 reads as month first (March 4), not day first.
Amount Formatting
- Currency symbols (
$) and thousands separators (,) are automatically stripped. - In
debitAmountandcreditAmount, negative values are converted to their absolute value. - Values like
$1,250.00,1250.00, and1250are all valid.
Sample CSV File
Here is a minimal example you can use as a template:
transactionDate,description,debitAmount,creditAmount
2025-01-02,Opening Deposit,0.00,10000.00
2025-01-05,Cheque #1001 - Office Supplies,150.00,0.00
2025-01-10,E-Transfer from Yentare Ltd.,0.00,2500.00
2025-01-12,Monthly Bank Fee,12.50,0.00
2025-01-15,Payroll - Gregory Tarnovek,3200.00,0.00
Tip: Use Download CSV Template on the Import screen to save a CSV file with the correct headers and sample rows.
Importing Step by Step
- Open Banking from the sidebar.
- Right-click a bank account and choose Reconcile.
- Tap Import Statement in the toolbar. The Import Bank Transactions screen opens.
- Select the Bank Account to receive the transactions. The bank account must be linked to a GL account.
- Choose a Default Offset Account (for example, Undeposited Funds or a clearing account). Each row starts with this account as the other side of its entry. You can change the account on any row before you import.
- Tap Select CSV File and choose your file.
- Review the rows. Each row is a card you can edit: date, deposit or withdrawal, description, amount and offset account.
- Tap Import N Transactions.
Before it imports, the app checks every row: a positive amount, an active offset account, and a date in an open period. If one row fails, no journal is made and the row shows the reason. Each journal is a draft named "Bank Import: <description>", with the source Bank Reconciliation. Draft journals do not affect your financial statements or appear in reconciliation until posted. Open the Journals screen to review, adjust if necessary, and post them.
The import does not look for duplicates. If you import the same file twice, you get two sets of draft journals. Delete the extra drafts in Journals.
Common Issues
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| "Required column not found" | Check that your CSV has a transactionDate and description column (or a recognized alias). |
| "Invalid date format" | Ensure dates use one of the accepted formats listed above. |
| "Invalid amount" | Remove non-numeric characters other than $, ,, and . from amount columns. |
| "Row N has only X columns, expected at least Y" | The row has fewer columns than the header. Check for a missing value or a stray quote. Extra columns on the right are ignored. |
| "Transaction '...' has no amount" | Give the row a debit or credit amount, or delete the row, and select the file again. |
Exporting From Your Bank
Your bank's website offers a download of a statement period as CSV or Excel; choose CSV.
This guide in the app
Open Help from the Help button in the toolbar of Addsworth Accounting, or of Addsworth Companion on an iPhone or iPad, and search for “Importing Bank Transactions”.