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Bulk Upload Transactions

Why this matters

Bulk uploading transactions allows you to efficiently import large volumes of bank statement data into your account. This process automatically detects column formats, validates data, and provides intelligent categorization suggestions to streamline your financial record keeping.

Prerequisites

  • You must be logged in as an Owner or Administrator
  • Have an account set up in the system
  • Export your bank statement as CSV or XLSX format
  • Ensure your file contains Date, Description, and Amount columns

Steps

1. Navigate to Account Upload

Go to Accounts → Select your account → Click Upload Transactions

2. Prepare Your Bank Statement File

Export your bank statement in one of these formats:

  • CSV - Comma-separated values (most common)
  • XLSX - Excel format
  • XLS - Legacy Excel format
Required Columns:
  • Date - Transaction date (DD/MM/YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, or YYYY-MM-DD)
  • Description - Transaction description or narrative
  • Amount - Transaction amount (positive for credits, negative for debits)
Optional Columns:
  • Balance - Running balance after each transaction
  • Reference - Transaction reference number
  • Debit/Credit - Separate debit and credit columns

3. Upload Your File

Choose your upload method:

Method A: Drag and Drop
  • Drag your file from your computer directly onto the upload area
  • The file will be automatically selected and analysis will begin
Method B: Browse Files
  • Click Browse Files button
  • Select your bank statement file
  • Click Open

4. File Analysis and Column Detection

The system automatically analyzes your file and detects:

  • Column Types - Date, Description, Amount, Balance
  • Data Format - Date formats, number formats
  • File Statistics - Number of rows, date range
  • Reconciliation Checks - Overlapping transactions, balance continuity
Supported Bank Formats:
  • Commonwealth Bank - Date, Reference, Details, Debit($), Credit($), Balance($)
  • ANZ - Date, Description, Debit, Credit, Balance
  • Westpac - Date, Description, Amount, Balance
  • NAB - Date, Description, Debit, Credit, Balance
  • Generic CSV - Any format with Date, Description, Amount columns

5. Review File Analysis

Check the analysis results:

  • Column Detection - Verify Date, Description, Amount, and Balance columns are correctly identified
  • Row Count - Confirm the number of transactions matches your expectation
  • Date Range - Verify the date range is correct
  • Reconciliation Checks - Review any warnings about overlapping transactions or balance issues

6. Review Transaction Preview

After analysis, you'll see a preview table showing:

  • Date - Transaction date
  • Description - Transaction description
  • Amount - Transaction amount
  • Balance (File) - Balance from your file
  • Balance (Calc) - Calculated balance
  • Group - Suggested transaction group
  • Tags - Suggested categorization tags
  • Confidence - Confidence level of suggestions
  • Status - New, Duplicate, or Overlapping

7. Handle Reconciliation Warnings

If you see reconciliation warnings:

Balance Mismatch Warning:
  • Check if you selected the correct account
  • Verify the date range matches your existing data
  • Consider if there are missing transactions
  • Click Override and Continue if you're confident the data is correct
Missing Balance Column:
  • Enter the current account balance after the most recent transaction
  • This helps calculate running balances for each transaction

8. Review and Confirm Upload

Before finalizing:

  • Review the transaction count and date range
  • Check for any duplicate transactions (highlighted in the preview)
  • Verify the suggested categorizations look reasonable
  • Click Upload Transactions to import

9. Post-Upload Processing

After upload, the system will:

  • Import all transactions into your account
  • Apply suggested categorizations (unconfirmed)
  • Create transaction records with proper dates and amounts
  • Update account balance calculations

Expected Results

  • All transactions appear in your account transaction list
  • Suggested categorizations are applied (but not confirmed)
  • Account balance is updated to reflect imported transactions
  • Duplicate transactions are automatically filtered out
  • Success message shows the number of transactions imported

Example

Uploading a Commonwealth Bank Statement:

  • File Format: CSV
  • Columns: Date, Reference, Details, Debit($), Credit($), Balance($)
  • Date Range: 01/01/2024 to 31/01/2024
  • Transactions: 45 transactions
  • Duplicates Found: 2 (automatically filtered)
  • Result: 43 new transactions imported

Troubleshooting

  • Column detection fails → Ensure your file has clear headers and consistent data formats
  • Date format errors → Use DD/MM/YYYY, DD-MM-YYYY, or YYYY-MM-DD format
  • Amount parsing errors → Remove currency symbols and use decimal points (not commas)
  • File too large → Split large files into smaller chunks (max 10,000 transactions recommended)
  • Upload fails → Check file format is CSV, XLSX, or XLS

What Can Go Wrong

  • Wrong account selected → Transactions will be imported to the wrong account
  • Incorrect date format → Transactions may have wrong dates or fail to import
  • Missing required columns → Upload will fail with column detection errors
  • Duplicate data → May create duplicate transactions if not properly filtered
  • Balance mismatch → May indicate wrong file or missing transactions

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