How to Import a Bank Statement into FreshBooks (PDF to CSV)

FreshBooks imports transactions from CSV — never a PDF. If your bank connection isn't set up, dropped, or you're reconciling an older period, you're left converting the statement by hand first.

Here's the short path: turn the statement PDF into a clean CSV, then upload it.

The two ways FreshBooks takes a CSV

FreshBooks has two import paths, and picking the right one matters:

• Bank reconciliation import — for matching a statement against transactions you've already entered. Needs Date, Amount, Description.
• Expense import — creates new expense records from the file, for bank data that isn't in FreshBooks yet. Needs Date, Amount, Category, Description, Merchant.

For most catch-up work — where nothing's been entered — the expense import is the one you want.

Convert the statement (with a balance check)

1. Open Convert Bank Statements and drop in the PDF or scan.
2. Every transaction is extracted — date, description, amount.
3. The balance check is the safety net: each account is reconciled (beginning balance + deposits − withdrawals = printed ending balance). If a digit was misread, the math breaks and the row is flagged for review instead of silently exported. (More on the balance-verification logic.)
4. Export as CSV.

Import into FreshBooks

1. Go to the account (Accounting → Bank Reconciliation, or Expenses for the expense route).
2. Choose the CSV upload option and drop your file in.
3. Map the columns — Date (MM/DD/YYYY), Description, Amount — and confirm.
4. Stay logged in while it processes; a large file can take a few minutes.

FreshBooks-specific tips

• 500 transactions per file. FreshBooks caps a CSV at 500 rows — split a long statement (or a full-year catch-up) into monthly files.
• Save as UTF-8. From Excel on Windows, use "CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)", not "CSV (MS-DOS)", or accented descriptions break.
• Dates as MM/DD/YYYY. The export is already in this format, so the upload maps cleanly.
• Drag-and-drop upload only shows up on a manually created bank account with no imported transactions yet — set that up first if you don't see the option.
• Scanned or photographed statements work too; the balance check catches OCR misreads. See the scanned statement guide.

Is it accurate?

Every account is reconciled the way a bookkeeper would check it. If a row breaks the math, it's flagged for review instead of silently exported. Your file is auto-deleted in 24 hours and never used to train AI. See our security page.

FAQ

Does FreshBooks accept PDF bank statements? No — FreshBooks imports CSV only. Convert the PDF first.

Reconciliation import or expense import? Expense import creates new records (best for catch-up); reconciliation import matches against entries you already have.

How much does it cost? 15 free pages on sign-up. Page packs start at $12 and never expire. See pricing.

Convert a statement for FreshBooks →

Related guides

• Import a bank statement into Wave (CSV or OFX)
• Import a bank statement PDF into Xero (OFX or CSV)
• Convert a scanned bank statement (OCR)
• Catch-up bookkeeping: convert a year of statements

---

Not affiliated with or endorsed by FreshBooks. FreshBooks is a trademark of 2ndSite Inc.