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

Xero imports bank statements as OFX, CSV, or QIF. It cannot read a PDF. If your bank feed is missing months, was never connected, or the account is closed, you're left converting statements by hand.

Here's the short path: turn the statement PDF into OFX (or CSV), then import.

Why the bank feed isn't enough

Xero's direct bank feeds usually only reach back a limited window. That leaves three common gaps:

• Catch-up work. You're reconstructing 12–24 months and the feed won't go that far back.
• No feed available. Plenty of smaller banks and credit unions have no Xero feed at all.
• Closed accounts. The account is gone; only the PDFs remain.

In all three cases the statement PDF is the only source of truth you have.

Convert the PDF

1. Open Convert Bank Statements and drop the statement PDF in.
2. Every transaction appears — date, description, amount, running balance.
3. Check the Balances verified badge, then download OFX (recommended for Xero) or CSV.

The first 5 pages are free, no sign-up.

Import it into Xero

In Xero: Accounting → Bank accounts → pick the account → Manage Account → Import a Statement.

• OFX is the cleaner path. It carries dates, amounts, and descriptions in a format Xero understands, so there is nothing to map.
• CSV also works. Our CSV has four columns — Date, Description, Amount, Balance — with ISO dates (2026-05-04). Xero's import wizard asks you to map columns and pick a date format; map Date, Description, and Amount, and simply leave Balance unmapped (Xero doesn't need it).

Then reconcile in Xero as usual.

Why the balance check matters here

Importing into Xero is a one-way door — once transactions land in the ledger, finding a single missing row later is painful. So every statement is re-totaled and checked against the printed opening and closing balances:

opening balance + Σ transactions = closing balance   (±$0.01)

If a page doesn't reconcile, those rows are flagged before you import, not discovered three months later when the account won't balance.

FAQ

Does Xero accept OFX from any source? Yes — Xero's statement import takes OFX regardless of who produced it.

What about duplicate transactions? If a date range overlaps what the feed already pulled in, Xero will flag the duplicates during import. Convert only the months your feed is missing.

Multi-currency statements? Each account is exported separately, so you import one account at a time into its matching Xero bank account.

Is my data safe? Your PDF is auto-deleted in 24 hours. Results auto-delete after 7 days and are never used to train AI. See Privacy Policy and Security.

Convert a statement for Xero →

Related guides

• Convert a bank statement PDF to Excel
• Bank statement to CSV: a bookkeeper's guide
• Catch-up bookkeeping: convert a year of statements
• Convert a scanned bank statement (OCR)

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