Importing bank statements

1

I’m having difficulty importing the bank statements. I have them on a spreadsheet, and have saved it as a .csv file. I’ve done the columns as the program allows for. Though whenever I try to import the statement, I get an error message saying CSV file is missing date column. I’ve tried various ways of changing it, nothing seems to be working. Any advice would be appreciated.

2

please read and follow the below guide, especially the part related to csv files.
https://www.manager.io/guides/9240

3

I have read through that guide. Did everything they said. This error is still popping up.

4

Do your date formats match?

5

Yeah, everything matches. I’ve now downloaded the statements directly from the bank. I’ve deleted all the columns I can’t use, and I’m still having the same issue.

6

At the risk of repeating what you’ve read elsewhere in the Guides or on the forum, consider the following:

  • If your bank offers any option for exporting statements besides Excel or .csv format, use it.
  • You said you had the file in a spreadsheet. Be aware that while most spreadsheets will open and display .csv files, you are not looking at a .csv file, but at a file in the format of the spreadsheet program. You actually need a .csv file for your import to Manager.
  • Be sure you have included column headings and that they match those listed in the Guide exactly.
  • Eliminate all commas in the data. The .csv format interprets commas as delimiters.
  • Search the forum for solutions other users have found to their troubles with .csv files.
  • Try making sure everything is purely text.
  • Understand that there is no standard for .csv bank files. Banks put whatever they want in the various fields. So there really is no way to troubleshoot except by trial and error.
7

Thank you @Tut. I see the only thing making sense to me at this point is the commas. If I remove those, then obviously I won’t have the Cent value? Is that correct?

8

That’s a problem some people solve by substituting a decimal point with a text editor, changing Manager’s number format, etc. As I said, trial and error if you’re stuck with Excel exports. At some point you have to decide whether importing bank statement is worth the trouble. Depends on your volume of transactions, I suppose.

The problem is that banks don’t consider what you might be doing with an exported file. They are often just looking for the simplest way to give you the figures, and most people only want to put them in a spreadsheet.

9

You’re right. I’ve actually considered just doing manual entries. It’ll go a whole lot faster than trying to work out trial and error with this formatting. But thank you for your help anyway. You’ve explained it better than I understood anything else.