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Plenty of accounting tools import OFX far more smoothly than they import a raw CSV — OFX carries transaction types and unique ids that make a clean, duplicate-free import. So if you've got a CSV and need an OFX, this guide explains what that conversion really involves and the routes that work. One honest, useful shortcut up front: Export Bank Statement can *produce* an OFX file — but it does so from a PDF statement, not from a CSV. If you still have the original PDF, that's the most reliable way to a good OFX.
What OFX needs that a CSV doesn't
A CSV is just rows and columns. An OFX file has to carry more, and that's why the conversion isn't a simple rename:
- A transaction type for each row — credit or debit — usually derived from whether the amount is positive or negative.
- Dates in OFX's format (YYYYMMDD), not whatever your CSV used.
- A unique transaction id (FITID) per row, so re-importing the same file doesn't create duplicates. This is the part casual converters get wrong.
- A currency and basic account header so the importing software knows what it's looking at.
Get the FITIDs or the signs wrong and the importing software either rejects the file or silently duplicates transactions — which is why a careful conversion matters.
How to convert a CSV to OFX
- Map your CSV columns first. Identify which column is the date, which is the amount (and how credits vs debits are signed), and which is the description. OFX needs all three.
- Use a reputable CSV-to-OFX converter. Good tools let you map columns, set the date format, choose a currency, and generate a stable id per row. Favour ones that produce a unique FITID for each transaction.
- Set a sensible currency and account type. OFX requires a currency (for example GBP, USD, EUR); don't leave it blank or the file may be rejected.
- Validate the output before importing. Open the OFX and confirm dates are YYYYMMDD, debits are negative, and every transaction has a distinct id.
- If you have the original PDF statement, skip the CSV entirely. Export Bank Statement converts the PDF and exports OFX directly, with stable per-transaction ids already built in.
Where Export Bank Statement fits — honestly
Export Bank Statement does not read a CSV and turn it into OFX — its input is a PDF statement. What it does do is export OFX (and QBO) as part of converting that PDF, and it builds each transaction a stable, unique id so re-imports don't duplicate. So the honest framing is simple: if your data is in a CSV because you extracted it from a PDF elsewhere, convert the PDF here instead and get a clean OFX in one step. If you only have a CSV and no PDF, use a CSV-to-OFX converter from step 2.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload a CSV to Export Bank Statement and get OFX?keyboard_arrow_down
No. It converts PDF statements, and exports OFX from the PDF. It does not take a CSV as input. If you have the PDF, that's the route to an OFX file.
Why not just rename my CSV to .ofx?keyboard_arrow_down
Because OFX isn't a CSV with a different extension — it needs transaction types, formatted dates, unique ids, and a currency header. Renaming produces a file every importer rejects.
What makes OFX import more cleanly than CSV?keyboard_arrow_down
The unique transaction id (FITID) lets accounting software detect duplicates, and the explicit credit/debit type avoids sign confusion. See OFX to CSV for the reverse direction.
Is it free?keyboard_arrow_down
Converting a PDF statement and exporting OFX is free to start.
Try it on your own statement
Clean Excel/CSV, with every transaction checked to balance.