Import Bank Statement into Moneydance

To import a bank statement into Moneydance, download it from your bank as an OFX or QFX file, or QIF if those aren't offered. In Moneydance choose File, then Import, or drag the file onto the account in the sidebar. Pick the target account, then confirm the new lines, which arrive marked as unconfirmed.

Which bank statement files does Moneydance import best?

Moneydance imports OFX and QFX bank files best, with QIF as the second choice and CSV a distant third. The Moneydance guide to manual downloads recommends downloading transactions as QFX or OFX files and falling back to QIF only if those aren't available.

The ranking follows how much each file says about itself:

1. OFX or QFX. Each field is labelled, and the file carries the account number, so Moneydance can match it to an account.
2. QIF. Labelled fields, but an older format with looser rules, especially for dates.
3. CSV. Plain columns. You tell Moneydance what each column means.

A PDF statement isn't on the list. If the bank only gives you PDFs for the months you need, convert them to one of these formats first. A CSV is the usual result of a PDF conversion, and Moneydance can read one with the settings described below.

Importing an OFX or QFX statement into a Moneydance account

Importing an OFX or QFX statement into Moneydance starts with File, then Import, and choosing the downloaded file. Moneydance shows the account number from the file and asks which of your accounts should receive it. On later imports from the same account, it tries to match the file to that account on its own.

The steps:

1. Download the OFX or QFX file from your bank's website and save it.
2. In Moneydance, choose File, then Import, and select the file. Dragging the file onto the account's name in the left sidebar does the same.
3. Check the account number Moneydance shows from the file.
4. Choose the matching Moneydance account below it.
5. Finish the import, then open the account to review the new lines.

Step 4 is the one to slow down on. Two accounts at the same bank, such as checking and savings, can look alike in a list. Use the last digits of the account number to pick the right one.

For a QIF file, the window lists your accounts instead. Pick the account you want, or choose Imported Bank Account to create a new one.

Date format and delimiter settings for QIF and CSV in Moneydance

Date format and delimiter settings decide whether a QIF or CSV import into Moneydance lands on the right days. The manual downloads guide warns that a QIF's date format may not be the one you expect, and suggests opening the file in a text editor to see it before you import.

For a CSV, the Moneydance guide to importing CSV files walks through the settings screen:

1. Choose File, then Import, and select the CSV.
2. Set the target account, the field delimiter, the date format and the decimal character, then click Next.
3. Set the number of fields to exactly match the CSV's columns, using More Fields or Fewer Fields.
4. Assign each field to the Moneydance field for that column.
5. Click Finish.

The field count in step 3 must match the file exactly. The guide says not to add extra fields set to Ignore and not to skip columns. If your CSV has five columns, Moneydance needs five fields, even if you don't want one of them.

Look at the dates in a text editor before step 2. A date like 04/05/2026 means April 5 in the US and 4 May in much of the world, and the wrong setting moves every line. Decimal commas, used by many banks outside the US, need the decimal character changed too.

Other personal finance apps have their own CSV quirks. For a comparison, see how YNAB imports a bank statement from a file.

What does Moneydance do with transactions it has already seen?

Moneydance marks every newly imported transaction as unconfirmed, shown by a solid blue dot, until you review it. Moneydance's article on recognising downloaded data says the dot turns into a blue circle once a transaction is confirmed. In version 2024.3 and newer, a merged transaction shows the circle with a line through it.

That confirmation step is your chance to catch repeats. A line you typed in by hand last week and the same line from the bank file are two records of one payment. Merging them keeps one. Confirming both leaves a duplicate.

Simple rules keep repeats down. Download each date range once. Don't overlap one file's start with the previous file's end. And work through the unconfirmed lines before importing the next file.

A throwaway Moneydance test account before the real import

A throwaway Moneydance test account is the right first step for any CSV import and for the first file from a new bank. The CSV guide suggests testing settings in a temporary account, such as one called Import Test, before importing into the real one. If dates or signs come out wrong, delete the test account.

Skip the test only for an OFX or QFX file from a bank you have imported before, where the match to your account already works.

The test is quick:

1. Create a bank account named Import Test.
2. Import the file into it.
3. Check three lines against the statement: the first, the last and one large one.
4. Compare the total change in balance with the statement.
5. If all match, delete the test account and import into the real one with the same settings.

Payee names deserve a glance too. If you later move to QuickBooks, those names become vendor records, and the guide to importing vendors into QuickBooks Online from a CSV shows why clean, consistent names save work. Business books may also end up in an ERP; see importing a bank statement into Odoo.

SimpleBankConvert is being built to turn PDF statements into CSV and QBO files for QuickBooks and Xero. A Moneydance CSV import isn't one of its stated targets, so try any such file in a test account first, and see what a converted file looks like.