How to Import Bank Statements into FreshBooks
To import a bank statement into FreshBooks, convert the statement PDF to a CSV with Date, Description, and Amount columns, then use FreshBooks' bank transactions CSV upload and map those columns. FreshBooks brings the transactions in so you can categorize them and match them to expenses and income.
What FreshBooks needs
FreshBooks imports bank data from a CSV with a Date column, a Description column, and an Amount column. As with any accounting tool, the amounts need consistent signs and the dates a consistent format. Producing that from a PDF statement by hand is the slow, error-prone part.
The fast path
Convert the statement PDF to a categorized CSV first, then upload it to FreshBooks. The converter signs amounts correctly and cleans each description, so the mapping is straightforward and the transactions arrive ready to categorize against clients, projects, and expense categories.
Step by step
- Convert the statement. Upload the PDF statement and download the categorized CSV.
- Open bank transactions. In FreshBooks, go to the bank/transactions area and choose to import a CSV.
- Map the columns. Map Date, Description, and Amount to the CSV columns, then import.
- Categorize. Review and categorize the imported transactions.
FAQ
Does FreshBooks accept PDF statements?
No. FreshBooks imports CSV files for manual bank uploads, not PDFs. Convert the statement PDF to CSV first.
Keep reading
- How to Convert a PDF Bank Statement to Excel (or CSV)
Three ways to turn a PDF bank statement into an Excel/CSV spreadsheet — copy-paste, Excel's PDF import, and an automatic converter — with the pros and cons of each.
- How to Import Bank Statements into QuickBooks
How to get transactions from a PDF bank statement into QuickBooks Online using a CSV — the format QuickBooks expects, and how to prepare it in seconds.
- How to Categorize Business Expenses for Taxes
A practical guide to categorizing business transactions from your bank statements so tax time is painless — and how to get a pre-categorized CSV to start from.
- How to Convert a Bank Statement PDF to CSV
The fastest way to turn a bank statement PDF into a clean CSV — what a CSV needs to contain, why manual methods break, and how to do it in seconds.