Convert a First Direct statement to checked Excel

first direct has never had a branch — it launched as a phone bank and has been digital-first ever since — so everything, statements included, comes through online banking or the app. The statements are clean because of it, but a PDF still can't be sorted or summed, which is where the conversion comes in.

What a first direct statement looks like

first direct runs on HSBC's banking systems, so its 1st Account statement uses a familiar UK layout:

The description marks how the money moved — a debit-card payment, Direct Debit, standing order, bill payment or transfer — and a longer payee can run onto a second line. A plain export reads that second line as its own row and nudges the balance out of step. The converter reattaches it, so a first direct month arrives as clean single lines that reconcile.

Because first direct sits within HSBC, the account uses HSBC sort codes, and the same conversion that handles an HSBC statement handles a first direct one — the difference is the brand on the page, not the structure.

Built for people who never visit a branch

first direct has run without a single branch since 1989, first by phone and now through its app and website — it's a bank built for people who'd rather do everything from a screen. That's convenient day to day, but it also means your records only exist as PDFs and app screens; there's no counter to print a ledger for you. So when a mortgage broker, an accountant or a landlord wants your account as something they can read and check, converting the PDF to a spreadsheet is the step that turns a digital-only account into a document you can actually hand over.

Where to download your first direct statement

1. Online Banking: log in at firstdirect.com, choose the account, open Statements, pick the period and download the PDF.
2. first direct app: tap the account, go to Statements, choose a month and save the PDF.

A statement downloaded this way is a digital PDF with selectable text, so the conversion is exact. If you only have a scan or a photo of a paper statement, the converter reads it with OCR — that just takes a little longer.

Getting the numbers where you need them

• Excel or Google Sheets — a clean `.xlsx` or CSV, one row per transaction, ready to total and filter.
• Xero or QuickBooks — an import-ready bank file so the lines arrive as statement entries to reconcile.
• Tally, Zoho and others — the same data in each one's format.

Before you download, the maths is checked: opening balance, plus money in, minus money out, has to reach the closing balance. On a multi-page statement, that check is what catches a single line dropped between pages.

Common snags with first direct statements

• Wrapped descriptions. A long payee on a second line is rejoined to its transaction.
• Regular Saver and linked accounts. If a PDF covers more than one first direct account, each keeps its own balance rather than being merged.
• HSBC systems. first direct runs on HSBC's platform, so an HSBC statement converts the same way.