Can Moneydance import a PDF bank statement?

No. Moneydance imports OFX, QFX, QIF, and CSV files, but not a PDF. Convert the statement to an OFX or a QIF first, then bring it in through File, Import, or by dragging it onto the account in the sidebar.

How do I import a file into Moneydance?

Choose File, then Import, and select your converted file, then pick the account it belongs to. You can also drag the file from your desktop onto the account name in the left sidebar to start the same import.

Which format is best for Moneydance?

OFX or QFX are the best, since they carry structured transaction data, followed by QIF. CSV is a distant third because it has no fixed structure and requires mapping the columns by hand, so convert to OFX when you can.

How do I import a CSV into Moneydance?

Use File, Import, then assign each column in your CSV to a field in the account register, the date, description, and amount, and set the field delimiter, usually a comma. A converted file comes out cleanly delimited to make the mapping straightforward.

Does Moneydance download transactions directly?

Newer versions offer Moneydance+, an optional service that downloads transactions through the Plaid aggregator. File import is the alternative for a bank Plaid does not support or for older transactions than a feed provides.

Is my bank data stored?

No. The statement is processed to build the OFX or CSV file and then deleted automatically, so account activity is not retained on a server after conversion, and the transactions live only in your own Moneydance file.

Import a Bank Statement Into Moneydance (OFX/QIF)

TL;DR - Quick Summary

Moneydance imports transactions from OFX, QFX, QIF, and CSV files, not from a PDF. Convert your statement to one of those, ideally OFX, then choose File, Import and pick the account, or drag the file onto the account in the sidebar, and the transactions come in.

Why Moneydance won't import your PDF

Moneydance, the cross-platform personal finance app, reads several bank file types, OFX, QFX, QIF, and CSV, but a PDF is not one. A statement PDF is a printed page, not a list of transactions, so there is nothing for Moneydance to bring into an account register. When your bank does not connect through Moneydance's download service, or you need history from before you set that up, the statement is stuck in a document the app cannot open. Converting it to an OFX or a QIF gives Moneydance a file it imports directly, so a month of activity lands in the register ready to reconcile instead of being typed in.

File, Import or drag onto the account

Moneydance gives you two ways in, and both work the same on Mac, Windows, and Linux. The menu route is File, then Import, where you pick the converted file and choose which account it belongs to. The quicker route is to drag the file straight from your desktop onto the account name in the left sidebar, which starts the same import against that account. Either way Moneydance reads the transactions and stages them for the register. A converted statement comes out clean, so the import is a quick confirmation rather than a wrestle with a malformed download.

Which format: OFX first, CSV last

Not every format is equal in Moneydance. OFX and QFX are the best to hand it, since they carry structured transaction data and import with little fuss, and QIF is the solid second choice. A CSV works but is a distant third, because it has no fixed structure and makes you map its columns by hand. So if you can, convert your statement to OFX; reach for CSV only when that is the format you specifically need. Converting straight from the PDF to OFX skips the mapping step entirely and gives Moneydance the file it handles most cleanly.

Mapping a CSV and the field delimiter

When CSV is the route, Moneydance walks you through it. On import you assign each column in your file to a field in the Moneydance account register, the date, the description, and the amount, and you set the field delimiter, the character separating the columns, which is usually a comma but can be a tab. Getting the delimiter and the column mapping right is what makes a CSV import land correctly. A converted file helps by coming out with clean, comma-separated columns and clear headers, so the mapping is a confirmation rather than guesswork about which column is which.

When to use file import, and privacy

Newer Moneydance versions offer Moneydance+, an optional service that downloads transactions through the Plaid aggregator, which covers the ongoing case. File import is the path for what that does not: a bank Plaid cannot connect, an account you have not linked, or older transactions than a feed pulls. That is exactly when a converted statement earns its place. Because the file holds real account activity, it is processed to build the OFX or CSV and then deleted automatically, with nothing retained on a server afterward, so the transactions end up only in your own Moneydance file.

How it works

Convert the PDF: Convert the PDF statement into an OFX file, or a QIF or CSV, for Moneydance.
Import the file: Choose File, Import and select it, or drag the file onto the account name in the sidebar.
Choose the account: Pick the account to import into; for a CSV, map the columns and set the field delimiter.
Confirm the transactions: Review the staged transactions and confirm them into the account register.

Comparison

Format	Moneydance rank	Import
OFX / QFX	Best	Structured, little setup
QIF	Second	Imports directly
CSV	Distant third	Map columns and delimiter
PDF	Not supported	Must be converted first

A month of transactions converts to a Moneydance-ready OFX in about 30 seconds. Convert your statements now.

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