Import Bank Transactions with a CSV File

Budgie can import transactions from a CSV file, which is useful if you have downloaded your transaction history from your bank, credit card provider, or another finance app.

Before importing, arrange your CSV file using Budgie’s supported format. Each row should represent one transaction.

CSV Format

Your file must include the following columns:

ACCOUNT_FROM,DATE,CURRENCY,AMOUNT,PAYEE,CATEGORY,ACCOUNT_TO,TAGS,DESCRIPTION

Column	Required	Description
ACCOUNT_FROM	Yes	The account the transaction belongs to, such as Everyday Spending or Credit Card.
DATE	Yes	Transaction date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
CURRENCY	Yes	Currency code, such as AUD, USD, EUR, or GBP.
AMOUNT	Yes	Use positive amounts for income and negative amounts for expenses.
PAYEE	Yes	The merchant, employer, or person connected to the transaction.
CATEGORY	Required for non-transfers	Category name, such as Groceries, Salary, Rent, or Dining.
ACCOUNT_TO	Only for transfers	Target account for transfers. Leave blank for normal income or expense transactions.
TAGS	No	Optional tags separated by semicolons, such as food;home.
DESCRIPTION	No	Optional note or description.

Example

ACCOUNT_FROM,DATE,CURRENCY,AMOUNT,PAYEE,CATEGORY,ACCOUNT_TO,TAGS,DESCRIPTION
Everyday Spending,2026-06-01,AUD,5200.00,Lunar Hut Studio,Salary,,income;work,Monthly salary
Everyday Spending,2026-06-02,AUD,-86.40,Fresh Market,Groceries,,food;home,Weekly groceries
Everyday Spending,2026-06-07,AUD,750.00,,,Savings,savings;transfer,Monthly savings transfer
Credit Card,2026-06-10,AUD,-129.00,City Fitness,Health,,fitness,Monthly gym membership

Expenses, Income, and Transfers

For expenses, use a negative amount:

Everyday Spending,2026-06-02,AUD,-86.40,Fresh Market,Groceries,,food;home,Weekly groceries

For income, use a positive amount:

Everyday Spending,2026-06-01,AUD,5200.00,Lunar Hut Studio,Salary,,income;work,Monthly salary

For transfers, enter the source account in ACCOUNT_FROM and the destination account in ACCOUNT_TO. Leave PAYEE and CATEGORY blank:

Everyday Spending,2026-06-07,AUD,750.00,,,Savings,savings;transfer,Monthly savings transfer

Preparing a Bank Export

Most banks export transactions with different column names. Before importing into Budgie, rename or copy your bank columns into Budgie’s format.

Bank Export Column	Budgie Column
Account	ACCOUNT_FROM
Transaction Date	DATE
Debit / Credit / Amount	AMOUNT
Merchant / Description	PAYEE
Notes / Memo	DESCRIPTION

If your bank provides separate debit and credit columns, combine them into one AMOUNT column. Expenses should be negative and income should be positive.

Import Tips

• Keep the header row exactly as shown.
• Use one transaction per row.
• Use YYYY-MM-DD for dates.
• Do not use $ signs in the amount column.
• Use decimal numbers, for example -42.50.
• Use semicolons between tags.
• Leave ACCOUNT_TO blank unless the row is a transfer.
• Make sure transfer rows do not use the same account for both ACCOUNT_FROM and ACCOUNT_TO.

After Importing

Budgie will create any new accounts, categories, payees, and tags found in the CSV file. You can review and edit the imported data after the import is complete.