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Import a PDF bank statement into Wave

Wave can't upload PDF statements. Convert the PDF to a Wave-ready CSV (free) or an OFX file (Pro) in your browser, then upload it under Accounting → Transactions.

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What Wave accepts

Wave's transaction upload takes OFX, QBO, QFX, ASO and CSV files. It does not take PDF statements, and an Excel file has to be saved as CSV first. Its CSV upload expects three or four columns (date, description, and either one amount column or separate deposit and withdrawal columns), dates written year first (YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY/MM/DD), and nothing else in the file.

Option 1: free CSV

  1. Drop your PDF statement into the converter above and check the balance badge.
  2. Download CSV. Dates are already YYYY-MM-DD, which Wave reads.
  3. Open the CSV and keep three columns: Date, Description and Amount. Delete Debit, Credit and Balance. Wave rejects files with extra columns.
  4. For a bank account, leave the signs as they are: deposits positive, withdrawals negative. For a credit card, Wave wants purchases positive and payments negative. If your purchases show as negative, multiply the Amount column by −1.
  5. Save as CSV with a short file name (Wave's help notes long names can fail), for example 2026-10-checking.csv.

Option 2: OFX (Pro)

Set the account type (checking or credit card) and download OFX. There are no columns to edit and no signs to flip, and with Pro you can merge several statements into one file. OFX is part of Pro, from $6 for 24 hours.

Upload it to Wave

  1. In Wave, go to Accounting → Transactions.
  2. Click More, then Upload transactions.
  3. Choose the file and the payment account (the bank or card account in your chart of accounts) it belongs to, then upload.
  4. For a CSV, confirm which column is the date, the amount and the description, then click Upload my statement.

After the import

Compare the account balance in Wave with the statement's closing balance for the same date. If you upload overlapping periods, check for duplicate transactions before you categorize anything. Want to try the conversion first? Use Try a sample statement above. It's a fictional statement and doesn't count against your free pages.

Wave's menus and rules as described in its help centre, checked 2026-11-10. Wave is a trademark of its owner; TidyLedger isn't affiliated with Wave.

Competitor details checked on 2026-10-27 from their public pages: Wave: upload a statement in CSV format, Wave: when it can't read a CSV. Prices change — check their site for the current offer. Product names are trademarks of their owners; we are not affiliated with them.

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FAQ

Can Wave import a PDF bank statement?

No. Wave uploads OFX, QBO, QFX, ASO and CSV files. Convert the PDF to CSV or OFX first; TidyLedger does that in your browser without uploading the statement.

Why does Wave say it can't read my CSV?

Usually there are too many columns, two date columns, dates not written year first, or symbols in the amount column. Keep only Date, Description and Amount, with dates as YYYY-MM-DD.

Is it really private?

Yes. The PDF is read by JavaScript running in your browser tab; the file and its contents are never sent over the network. You can verify it in your browser's developer tools (Network tab), or disconnect from the internet after the page loads — conversion still works.

Which banks are supported?

TidyLedger doesn't rely on per-bank templates. It reads the table layout of any text-based PDF statement, so it works with most banks and credit cards in Canada, the US, the UK, Europe and Australia. See the list of tested banks.

Does it work with scanned statements?

Not yet. Scanned or photographed statements have no text layer; OCR support is coming. Download the original PDF from online banking for best results.

What about password-protected PDFs?

Supported. You'll be asked for the password, which is used only inside your browser to open the file.

How accurate is it?

When the statement has a running balance, every transaction is verified against it and you'll see a green “balances reconcile” badge. Rows that don't add up are highlighted so you can fix them before exporting.

QuickBooks rejects my CSV or puts transactions in the wrong month. Can TidyLedger help?

That's usually the date column. QuickBooks reads CSV dates in the format you pick at upload, so 01/04 can land in January or April. TidyLedger's CSV and Excel use one unambiguous date format (YYYY-MM-DD) and plain numbers without currency symbols. With Pro, the QBO (Web Connect) file carries its dates in a fixed format, so there's no date step at all.

I already converted a statement with another tool. How do I know nothing was missed?

Use the free bank statement balance checker on this site. Paste the rows with the statement's opening and closing balance, and it shows where the running balance breaks: a missing row, a duplicate or a flipped sign. Nothing is uploaded.

What's free?

10 pages per day with CSV and Excel export, no account needed. Pro adds unlimited pages, batch conversion and QBO/OFX export.