Can Xero import my PDF bank statement? When to use CSV
Xero documents direct PDF statement import for eligible US and Canadian organizations. Check your organization, plan and statement type first. If PDF import is unavailable, you can upload a bank export or prepare a CSV from the PDF.
Which statement file should I use?
| Your situation | Next step |
|---|---|
| Your bank offers OFX for the period | Download the bank-issued OFX. Xero recommends it over PDF when available. |
| You already have a bank CSV | Check its dates and money columns, then map them during CSV import. |
| You have a PDF and your organization has PDF import | Check the file requirements and bank list. Review the extracted lines before confirming. |
| Your organization has no PDF option, or the file is rejected | Get a fresh bank export, or extract the PDF into a CSV and check the rows against the original. |
Xero’s dedicated PDF guide lists the US and Canada and excludes the Xero Ledger plan. It also specifies eligible user roles and document requirements, including an English-language, unlocked PDF. Check the current requirements for the organization you are working in. Xero’s PDF import requirements and bank list.
What if my bank is missing from Xero’s PDF list?
The list identifies banks and statement types for which Xero has validated extraction. Its PDF guide says an eligible organization may also be able to upload a statement from an unlisted bank, with variable extraction accuracy. Look at the upload option in the intended account. If it accepts your PDF, compare the first and last posted entries, amounts and transaction count with the original. If the importer rejects the file, a CSV gives you rows you can review and map yourself. Xero’s manual statement import guide.
Does 03/11/2026 mean March 11 or November 3?
Suppose the PDF covers November 1–30. It shows a $48.60 purchase on November 3 and a $120.00 receipt on November 18. In a day-first CSV those dates are 03/11/2026 and 18/11/2026. The second date makes the order clear because 18 cannot be a month. Select day/month/year in the import preview and check that the first row also lands in November.
Download the fictional November CSV. Its columns are Date, Amount, Payee, Description and Reference. Map the signed values to Amount and the bank’s wording to Description. The example leaves Payee empty because neither transaction names a confirmed counterparty. The reference lets you find each row again. Xero’s CSV mapping instructions.
How can I check the imported period?
The two sample rows add $71.40 to the checking balance. Starting from $1,000.00, you would expect $1,071.40 after the second row. Check the count as well as the total. If a bank feed already supplied the November 18 receipt, compare that entry with the existing line before confirming an overlapping upload.