How to Import a Bank Statement into Wave (CSV or OFX)

Wave uploads bank statements as OFX, QBO, QFX, or CSV. It cannot read a PDF. If your bank connection dropped, was never set up, or the account is closed, you're left converting statements by hand — often for a full catch-up.

Here's the short path: turn the statement PDF into an OFX-family file (or a clean CSV), then upload it.

Why the bank feed isn't enough

Wave's automatic bank connection only pulls recent activity, and it breaks often — a re-authentication, a bank that isn't supported, a prior year you need for taxes. For any gap, the statement PDF is all you have, and Wave won't take it directly.

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 OFX (Wave reads it cleanly) or CSV.

Import into Wave

1. In Wave, go to Accounting → Transactions.
2. Click More (top right) and choose Upload a statement / Upload transactions.
3. Upload your file. For an OFX/QBO/QFX, Wave maps the fields automatically. For a CSV, Wave needs three columns — Date, Description, Amount — and dates in MM/DD/YYYY.
4. On the mapping step, pick the correct date column (transaction date for bank accounts; posting date for credit cards), then review and confirm.

Wave-specific tips

• Prefer OFX over CSV. OFX carries the fields Wave expects, so there's less manual mapping and fewer date/amount mistakes.
• Three columns, exact format. For CSV, Wave wants Date / Description / Amount with dates as MM/DD/YYYY — the export is already shaped this way, so it uploads without cleanup.
• Credit-card statements convert with the correct sign convention, so Wave doesn't read a purchase as income.
• Scanned or photographed statements work too; the balance check is what 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 — so a misread digit can't sneak into your books. Your file is auto-deleted in 24 hours and never used to train AI. See our security page.

FAQ

Does Wave accept PDF bank statements? No — Wave takes OFX, QBO, QFX, or CSV. Convert the PDF first.

OFX or CSV for Wave? OFX (or QBO/QFX). It maps automatically; CSV needs the Date/Description/Amount columns in the right format.

How much does it cost? 15 free pages on sign-up. Page packs start at $12 and never expire — built for lumpy catch-up work, not subscriptions. See pricing.

Convert a statement for Wave →

Related guides

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

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