How to Get a Scanned Bank Statement into Xero

Xero imports bank statements as OFX, CSV, or QIF — never a PDF, and definitely not a scan or a phone photo. But scanned statements are exactly what you end up with for older periods, closed accounts, or a client who mailed you paper. Here's how to get a scanned statement into Xero cleanly.

Why scanned statements are the hard case

A digital PDF has a text layer you can extract. A scan or photo has no text — it's just an image, so it needs OCR (optical character recognition) before any of the numbers exist as data. And OCR is where accuracy quietly breaks: an "8" reads as a "3", a decimal drifts, and the export looks fine until Xero won't reconcile weeks later.

That's the whole reason to verify, not just convert.

Convert the scan (with a balance check)

1. Open Convert Bank Statements and drop in the scanned PDF or photo.
2. OCR reads every transaction — dates, descriptions, amounts, running balance.
3. The balance check is the safety net: each account is reconciled (beginning balance + deposits − withdrawals = printed ending balance). If OCR misread a digit, the math breaks and the row is flagged for review instead of silently exported. (More on the balance-verification logic.)
4. Export as OFX (best for Xero) or CSV.

Import into Xero

1. In Xero go to Accounting → Bank accounts, pick the account.
2. Choose Manage account → Import a statement.
3. Upload the OFX file — Xero maps the fields automatically. (For CSV, you map Date / Amount / Payee once and Xero remembers it.)
4. Review and confirm. The transactions land in the bank account ready to reconcile.

Tips for scans specifically

• Straighten and crop before uploading — a flat, full-page scan OCRs far better than a skewed phone photo.
• Include the summary line (beginning and ending balance). That printed total is what makes the balance check possible — without it there's nothing to verify against.
• Multi-account or credit-card scans are split per account with the correct sign convention, so Xero doesn't read a card purchase as money in.
• Prefer OFX over CSV for Xero — it carries the fields Xero expects, so there's less manual mapping.

Is it accurate enough to trust?

That's the point of reconciling every account. A clean scan that balances to the cent is safe to import; one that doesn't tie tells you exactly which line to check. A misread digit can't sneak into Xero unnoticed. Your file is auto-deleted in 24 hours and never used to train AI — see our security page.

FAQ

Can I import a phone photo of a statement? Yes — a clear, flat photo works. Straighten it first; better image quality means better OCR.

OFX or CSV for Xero? OFX. It maps automatically; CSV needs a one-time column mapping.

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

Convert a scanned statement for Xero →

Related guides

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

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