Import Bank Statement CSV into Wave

Import bank statement CSV into Wave for free small business accounting

Wave is a free accounting platform popular with freelancers and small businesses. When Wave's automatic bank connection doesn't work with your bank, or you need to import historical data, a CSV converted from your bank statement PDF fills the gap.

Required format: CSV with Date, Description, and Amount columns. Wave's import wizard handles column mapping.

Step-by-Step: Import into Wave

Convert your bank statement PDF

Drop your bank statement PDF into the converter and download the CSV.

Go to Transactions in Wave

Log into Wave and navigate to 'Transactions' from the left sidebar.

Click 'Import CSV'

Select 'Import' or 'Upload CSV' from the transactions page.

Map and import

Upload your CSV, map the columns, and import the transactions into the correct account.

Workflow Examples

Freelancer bookkeeping: Import monthly bank statements into Wave to track income and expenses for free

Bank connection backup: When Wave's Plaid connection drops, import statements via CSV

New business setup: Import the first few months of transactions when setting up Wave

Tips for Wave Import

Wave is free for accounting and invoicing, making it a great pairing with this free converter
Import oldest statements first to maintain chronological order in Wave
Use Wave's categorization suggestions to speed up transaction coding
Export from Wave later as a report for your tax preparer

Cited Statistics

Data breaches in the financial sector increased 18% year-over-year.

Source: Identity Theft Resource Center 2024 Data Breach Report
U.S. consumers used an average of 5.3 financial products in 2023.

Source: Federal Reserve - Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households

Convert Your Statement to CSV →

Also Import Into

📊 Excel 📕 FreshBooks 📘 Xero 📗 Google Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wave really free?

Yes. Wave's accounting and invoicing features are free. They make money from payment processing and payroll. Combined with our free converter, you have a zero-cost bookkeeping setup.

Wave can't connect to my bank. Can this help?

Yes. When Wave's automatic bank connection (via Plaid) doesn't support your bank, download your statement as a PDF, convert to CSV, and import manually into Wave.

Can I import credit card statements into Wave this way?

Yes. Convert your credit card statement PDF to CSV and import it into a credit card account in Wave, the same way as a bank account.

Ready to Import Your Bank Statement?

Convert your PDF to CSV first, then follow the steps above to import into Wave.

Convert PDF to CSV →