How to Import Bank Statements into Wave
To import a bank statement into Wave, convert the statement PDF to a CSV with Date, Description, and Amount columns, then in Wave go to Accounting → Transactions → Upload a bank statement and select the CSV. Wave imports the rows so you can categorize them and reconcile the account.
What Wave needs
Wave imports transactions from a CSV containing a Date column, a Description column, and an Amount column (a single signed value, or separate debit and credit columns). The upload is quick; the effort is turning a PDF statement into that clean CSV, which is exactly where retyping by hand goes wrong.
The fast path
Convert the statement PDF to a categorized CSV automatically, then upload it to Wave. Because amounts are signed consistently and descriptions are cleaned up, Wave maps the columns without fuss and the transactions come in ready to categorize against your accounts.
Step by step
- Convert the statement. Upload the PDF statement and download the categorized CSV.
- Open the upload. In Wave, go to Accounting → Transactions → Upload a bank statement.
- Select the CSV. Choose the CSV file and confirm the column mapping.
- Categorize. Review the imported transactions and assign categories.
FAQ
Can Wave import a PDF statement directly?
No. Wave imports CSV, OFX, QFX, or QBO files, not PDFs. Convert the PDF statement to CSV first, then upload it.
Is Wave still free for this?
Wave's core accounting has long been free; importing a CSV bank statement uses that standard functionality. Check Wave's current plans for the latest details.
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.