How to import a bank statement into FreshBooks

Two ways to get statement data into FreshBooks

FreshBooks has two CSV imports, and only one is meant for bank statements. Use bank reconciliation for a statement; use the expense import only to bulk-add expenses.

	Bank reconciliation import	Expense import
Where	Accounting → the bank account → Add Bank Transaction → Import from File	Expenses → More Actions → Import Expenses from a File
Takes money in and out	Yes	Money out only (negative amounts)
Required headers	Date, and Amount or Amount Spent + Amount Earned	Amount, Category, Date, Description, Merchant
Duplicate handling	Lines wait to be matched	Imports everything, duplicates included
Best for	Statements, catch-up, accounts without a feed	Bulk-loading expense records

The rest of this guide uses the bank reconciliation import.

Before you start: set up the bank account

Bank reconciliation needs the account to exist in FreshBooks first. FreshBooks lists the feature on Plus, Premium and Select plans, and on trials.

• Account already connected? Import only the dates the connection doesn’t cover.
• No connection possible? Create a manual bank account with a starting balance. FreshBooks notes that a manual account can’t be deleted once created, so name it carefully.
• Check the Opening Balance Start Date. Imported transactions dated before it don’t show up for matching until you change it.

Step 1: Convert the PDF statement to CSV

Download the PDF statement from online banking, then convert it. BankConv reads the transaction table and returns one row per transaction.

1. Upload the PDF to BankConv’s bank statement to CSV converter. Password-protected PDFs work.
2. Compare the rows on screen with the PDF.
3. Download the CSV. A free account is needed to download.

US business statements often group deposits, checks and withdrawals in separate sections. Sort the CSV by date afterwards. The Chase and Bank of America pages show how those layouts convert.

Step 2: Shape the CSV for FreshBooks

FreshBooks reads the header names, so they must match its wording. Open the CSV in Excel or Google Sheets and make these changes.

1. Rename headers. Use Date, Description, and either Amount or Amount Spent and Amount Earned.
2. Pick one amount layout.
   • One column: money in positive, money out negative.
   • Two columns: positive numbers only in both.
3. Delete the Balance column and any opening balance, closing balance or total rows.
4. One date format, oldest first. FreshBooks wants a single date format in chronological order, with slashes or dashes, such as 09/17/2026 or 09-17-2026.
5. Plain numbers. No $, no thousand separators, no brackets for negatives.
6. One sheet only. Save as CSV so there are no extra tabs.

A file FreshBooks reads cleanly looks like this:

Date,Description,Amount Spent,Amount Earned
09/03/2026,Gusto payroll,4120.00,
09/05/2026,Client payment INV-1042,,3500.00
09/24/2026,State Farm insurance,168.43,

Step 3: Import the CSV in FreshBooks

The import lives in the Accounting section, inside the bank account’s list of unreconciled transactions.

1. Go to Accounting.
2. Next to the bank account, click the # left to match, Add Transactions or Upload CSV link.
3. If FreshBooks shows Likely Matches, choose Skip or Confirm and Continue.
4. Under Unreconciled Bank Transactions, click Add Bank Transaction, then Import from File.
5. Select the CSV and match each field to its column.
6. Choose the Amount Format: 1 Column or 2 Columns.
7. Choose the Date Format your file uses, then click Import Transactions.

The import can take up to 15 minutes. Stay logged in until it finishes, or it stops. Imported lines show “Imported via CSV” in the description, ready to match.

Common FreshBooks import errors and fixes

Most failures are header names, file size or dates. Check those first.

What you see	Cause	Fix
Import fails straight away	Header names don’t match	Rename to Date, Amount, or Amount Spent and Amount Earned
File too large	Over 500 transactions, 1,000 rows or 5 MB	Split into monthly files
Dates in the wrong month	Date format chosen doesn’t match the file	Pick the matching format, or reformat the column
Money in shows as money out	Signs reversed in a 1-column file	Make withdrawals negative, or switch to 2 columns
Amounts missing	$, commas or brackets in amounts	Keep digits and a decimal point only
Lines don’t appear for matching	Dated before the Opening Balance Start Date	Adjust the start date
Duplicates of feed lines	File overlaps the bank connection	Trim to the missing dates

Undoing a bad import. Open Accounting, click # left to match, tick the imported lines under Unreconciled Bank Transactions, then Bulk Actions → Delete. Fix the CSV and import again.

Check the import against the statement

FreshBooks won’t flag a missing row. Check three things before you reconcile.

1. Row count. Transactions on the PDF equal lines imported.
2. Totals. Total money in and money out match the statement summary.
3. Closing balance. Opening balance plus the net total equals the PDF’s closing balance.

If a total is off, compare the file with the PDF page by page. Missing rows usually sit at page breaks.

Tips for freelancers and small businesses

• Import one month per file. It keeps you under the row limit and makes mistakes easy to delete.
• Keep a header template in Google Sheets and paste each month under it. Or send the result straight to Google Sheets.
• Convert several months in one go: BankConv takes up to 10 PDFs per batch. See pricing.
• Uploaded files and outputs are deleted after 24 hours. See security.
• Moving between tools? See how to import a bank statement into Wave.