Overview
Need DKB transactions in Excel, Google Sheets, or your accounting tool? The easiest path is a native CSV export from online banking for recent periods.
For older months (or statement archives) banks often only provide PDFs. KontoCSV converts those PDFs to clean CSV/Excel, including multi-page statements and common layout quirks.
Quick summary:
- PDF statements are usually the most stable source for consistent imports.
- Structured conversion reduces manual cleanup in recurring monthly workflows.
- CSV, Excel, QuickBooks, and Xero can be handled in one process.
3 methods at a glance
KontoCSV
PDF-first conversion with consistent output fields.
Typically ~30 sec per page
Bank export
Native and free, but often limited by period or format.
Typically ~10 min
Manual entry
Works for tiny datasets, scales poorly for multi-page statements.
Typically ~5 min per page
Method 1: KontoCSV (Recommended)
- Automatic parsing of bank-specific PDF structures
- Stable columns for recurring monthly and quarterly runs
- Target profiles for CSV, Excel, QuickBooks, and Xero
- Lower manual correction effort after import
- Use original bank PDFs whenever possible
- Choose target profile explicitly for mixed currency workflows
- Run a short plausibility check before final booking
Method 2: Native banking export
Typical flow:
- Sign in to online banking and open the account
- Select period and open the export section
- Export and validate columns in your target system
Native exports are useful but not always consistent across periods and statement variants. For PDF-heavy bookkeeping, a standardized PDF-to-CSV workflow is often more reliable.
Method 3: Manual entry
Manual copy/paste can work for one-offs but becomes fragile quickly. Error risk rises with each additional page, especially for date, sign, amount, and balance consistency.
Method comparison
KontoCSV
Fast, consistent, and scalable for recurring imports.
Bank export
Free, but often constrained by period and layout changes.
Manual
Best reserved for exceptions, not recurring bookkeeping.
Step-by-step with KontoCSV
1. Export CSV from online banking (if available)
Look for an “Export”, “Download”, or “Transactions” section. CSV exports are usually limited to a date range (e.g. recent months).
2. Convert statement PDFs (for archives / missing CSV export)
Upload the PDF to KontoCSV. The parser removes headers/footers, keeps dates and signs intact, and merges multi-page statements into one export.
3. Choose the right export profile and import
Pick a target format like QuickBooks, Lexoffice, or sevDesk to avoid manual column mapping. Then import the CSV into your tool and quickly reconcile totals.
Best practices
- Use consistent file naming per client/account and month.
- Validate date, amount, sign, and balance before final posting.
- Keep one output profile per recurring workflow to reduce remapping.
- Keep both booking date and value date when your accounting workflow needs it.
- Avoid copy/paste from PDF into Excel: PDFs are optimized for printing, not for columns.
- If your statement includes balances, check that opening/closing balance matches after conversion (multi-page merge).
FAQ
Can I export CSV directly from DKB?
Often yes for recent transactions. For older periods, you may only get PDFs in the archive. Using both (CSV export + PDF conversion) is a common workflow.
What is the advantage of KontoCSV vs. generic converters?
Generic tools often break columns on German bank statements. KontoCSV focuses on statement layouts, preserves the sign of amounts, and supports accounting export profiles.
Which format should I use for QuickBooks?
Use the KontoCSV QuickBooks profile so delimiter/columns match common QuickBooks imports. If you import into other tools, pick their dedicated profile to reduce mapping work.
Conclusion
For PDF-based statement workflows, a standardized conversion process is usually the most reliable option for clean, repeatable imports.
It improves consistency across recurring monthly runs and reduces manual follow-up in accounting tools.
Try KontoCSVGerman original (more detail)
For the full German version with deeper context and local wording, open the original article: