Xero's bank import accepts CSV in a fixed schema: Date, Amount, Payee, Description, Reference, Cheque Number, Analysis Code. This hub covers exactly how to get a PDF bank statement into that schema cleanly — by bank, by country, and across reconciliation, statement lines, and bank rules.
Last updated 2026-09-10
Xero's manual statement import accepts: Date (DD/MM/YYYY for AU/UK/NZ/IE, MM/DD/YYYY for US), Amount (signed, negative for spend), Payee, Description, Reference, Cheque Number, Analysis Code. Date and Amount are mandatory; the rest are optional but strongly recommended for reconciliation.
ClearlyLedger's Xero CSV export emits this schema directly. The Payee column is trimmed to Xero's 30-character display limit and the Amount column carries the signed value so reconciliation works on first pass.
Xero supports direct bank feeds for many banks (yodlee-based or direct API). When a feed is unavailable, broken, or covers a closed-month gap, manual CSV import is the fallback — that's where converted PDFs come in.
Use ClearlyLedger to fill historical periods, audit-trail months, or accounts where the live feed missed transactions.
Once a statement is imported, Xero presents Statement Lines that need to be reconciled against Bank Transactions. Clean Payee and Description text — preserved by ClearlyLedger from the source PDF — is what makes Xero's suggested matches and bank rules fire correctly.
Xero's largest markets — Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada — each have country-specific bank statement layouts. The country hubs below cover the format quirks per region.
Xero's manual statement import requires Date and Amount as mandatory columns, with optional Payee, Description, Reference, Cheque Number, and Analysis Code. Date format follows your organisation's locale. ClearlyLedger emits this schema directly.
When a feed is available, working, and covers the period you need, use it. PDF conversion fills the gaps — historical months before the feed was active, closed periods that need re-import, accounts on banks Xero can't feed, or audit reconstructions.
Yes — Payee and Description text is preserved from the PDF source so Xero's suggested matches and bank rules fire on the imported Statement Lines. Date and Amount precision matches the source statement.
Yes. MYOB AccountRight and Business accept a similar CSV shape (Date, Description, Amount). The same export works for both MYOB and Xero with format choice at download time.
Use these canonical pages to compare formats, verify data handling, and move from PDF extraction into accounting review.
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