One statement, many formats
Banks deliver PDFs; accounting tools need structured data. CSV and Excel are perfect for analysis and imports, while QuickBooks and MT940 serve specialized interfaces. Choosing the right format avoids rework and broken imports.
Below is a practical comparison and how KontoCSV exports each format without manual column mapping.
CSV vs. Excel
- CSV: Lightweight, system-friendly, ideal for automated imports. Make sure to use comma as decimal separator for EU data and keep UTF-8 encoding.
- Excel: Great for review and quick pivots. Watch out for date auto-formatting and thousand separators if you export to other systems.
For recurring imports, CSV wins. For visual checks or manual corrections, Excel is fine as long as you lock formats.
QuickBooks exports
QuickBooks expects strict column order and separators. KontoCSV ships a QuickBooks profile so you can export without manual mapping. Include the balance column to reconcile quickly inside QuickBooks Kanzlei-Rechnungswesen or Unternehmen online.
If you work with German statements, follow the QuickBooks bank statement import workflow to normalize PDF statements before import.
- DD.MM.YYYY dates, comma decimal separator.
- Consistent account numbers and currency columns.
- Balanced totals to detect missing lines instantly.
MT940 and banking APIs
MT940 is a legacy banking format still used for direct imports. If your bank cannot export MT940 for historic statements, converting PDFs to CSV/Excel is the fastest workaround.
For modern integrations, prefer APIs (e.g., FinTS/PSD2) if available. Use CSV for backfilling periods where the API is missing transactions or balances.
Export profiles in KontoCSV
KontoCSV includes export profiles so you do not have to remember separators or column orders. Choose one after processing:
- Standard CSV (UTF-8, comma decimals, balance column intact).
- Excel for quick review and pivots.
- QuickBooks, Xero, and Wave presets.
If you need a custom profile, send us a sample export and we will add it.
For Xero users, see Import bank statements into Xero from CSV for a PDF-to-CSV import workflow that matches Xero mapping needs.
If you want software-specific landing pages, use these import workflows:
Best practices
- Keep the balance column to reconcile against bank totals.
- Use UTF-8 to avoid broken umlauts or special characters.
- Normalize dates before importing into accounting tools.
- Store the original PDF alongside the CSV/Excel export for audits.
Conclusion
Pick CSV for automation, Excel for review, QuickBooks for German accounting, and MT940 only when your bank provides it. KontoCSV exports all of them with one upload.
Test three pages for free and export the format your tool needs without manual mapping.