Xero gets most transactions from bank feeds, but there are always gaps: months before the feed was connected, a feed that broke, or a bank with no feed at all. Xero can import statement files for those months — it accepts CSV, OFX, QIF and QBO. The simplest route from a PDF is a CSV in Xero’s own layout.
1. Turn the PDF statements into a Xero CSV
- Drop the statements on StatementEasy’s PDF to Xero converter.
- Check the balance check before going further.
- Under “Adjust the table”, set the dates so the file only covers the days missing from Xero.
- Choose Xero CSV and download. The file has Xero’s columns: Date, Amount (money out negative), Payee, Description and Reference.
Prefer OFX? Download OFX instead — Xero reads it without any column mapping.
2. Import it into Xero
- Go to Accounting → Bank accounts.
- Find the account, click Manage account → Import a statement.
- Browse to the file and click Import.
- For a CSV, check that Xero recognised the columns and the date format (day/month or month/day).
- Complete the import. The lines appear in the account’s Reconcile tab, ready to match or create.
Avoiding duplicates
- Xero warns about statement lines it thinks were already imported, but it is safer to send only the missing period. Set the dates under “Adjust the table” before exporting.
- Import statements in date order and check the statement balance Xero shows against the closing balance on the PDF.
- If you made a mistake, you can delete an imported statement from the account’s Bank statements view before reconciling its lines.
Common questions
Can Xero read a PDF statement directly?
No, Xero imports data files, not PDFs. Convert the PDF first.
Which sign does Xero expect?
One Amount column: money in positive, money out negative. The Xero CSV export does this for you.
My bank is not in Xero’s feed list. Can I still use Xero?
Yes. Convert each month’s statement and import it; reconciliation works the same way as with a feed.