YNAB CSV import format: columns, dates and amounts

The short answer

File type: CSV (the vendor calls it the recommended and preferred format); QFX, OFX and QIF are also accepted. Required columns: Date, Outflow, Inflow. Optional columns: Payee, Memo. The converter on this site writes a file with the header Date,Payee,Memo,Outflow,Inflow.

These rules were read on 5 October 2026 from YNAB's own help page, named at the end of this page. Vendors change import rules without notice, so compare with the vendor's page before you rely on a detail.

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Required and optional columns

Columns of a YNAB bank CSV import
Column	Required by YNAB	In the file this site writes
Date	required	yes
Payee	optional	yes
Memo	optional	yes
Outflow	required	yes
Inflow	required	yes

Date and amount conventions

YNAB import conventions
Rule	What applies to YNAB
File type	CSV (the vendor calls it the recommended and preferred format); QFX, OFX and QIF are also accepted
Header row	optional; the import preview has a "No header row" option
Dates, on the vendor's page	not stated on the page; the columns and their reading are confirmed in the import preview
Dates, in the file this site writes	YYYY-MM-DD, for example 2024-03-04. The converter writes year-month-day because it cannot be misread as day/month or month/day. The vendor page does not list accepted date formats, so the user must check the dates in YNAB's preview before importing.
Amounts, on the vendor's page	Two positive columns: money out in Outflow, money in in Inflow. A single signed amount column is also accepted: the user selects the same column for both Inflow and Outflow in the import preview, and YNAB reads positive and negative values from it. The preview has a "Swap Inflow and Outflow" option.
Amounts, in the file this site writes	Separate in and out columns: Outflow holds money out and Inflow holds money in, each as a positive number.
Header of the file this site writes	Date,Payee,Memo,Outflow,Inflow

From the vendor's help page: "Select that same Amount column for both the Inflow and Outflow fields in the import dropdowns. You don't need to reformat your file or split it into two columns first—YNAB reads positive and negative values from a single column."

A worked example of 3 rows

Invented sample data. These 3 rows were made up for this page. They are not from a real statement and hold no real account, name or balance.

The file the converter on this site writes for YNAB from a bank file that has a date, a payee, a memo, a reference and an amount. Dates are written as YYYY-MM-DD.

Date,Payee,Memo,Outflow,Inflow
2024-03-04,Coffee Corner,Card purchase,4.50,
2024-03-05,Example Co,Salary March,,2500.00
2024-03-07,Sample Landlord,Standing order,1234.56,

Row 1: 4 March 2024, 4.50 of money out. In the file: Date 2024-03-04, Outflow 4.50.
Row 2: 5 March 2024, 2500.00 of money in. In the file: Date 2024-03-05, Inflow 2500.00.
Row 3: 7 March 2024, 1234.56 of money out. In the file: Date 2024-03-07, Outflow 1234.56.

The payee, memo and reference of each bank row go to the text columns this layout has; what has no column in it is left out.

Common import errors

Each line pairs a mistake with the rule above that it breaks. This page does not quote YNAB's own error messages.

What goes wrong	The YNAB rule behind it
A required column is missing or cannot be matched	Required columns: Date, Outflow, Inflow.
The first row is read the wrong way: a header taken as a transaction, or a transaction taken as a header	Header row: optional; the import preview has a "No header row" option.
Dates are refused or read as another day	Dates: not stated on the page; the columns and their reading are confirmed in the import preview.
Money out arrives as money in, or an amount lands in the wrong column	Two positive columns: money out in Outflow, money in in Inflow. A single signed amount column is also accepted: the user selects the same column for both Inflow and Outflow in the import preview, and YNAB reads positive and negative values from it. The preview has a "Swap Inflow and Outflow" option.

Also stated on YNAB's help page

The vendor states it is no longer necessary to format a CSV file before uploading it; columns are matched to fields with dropdown menus after upload.

Bank by bank: 40 CSV exports to YNAB

One page per bank layout, each with the column mapping from that bank's CSV to the YNAB file. The layouts come from public open-source importer files kept by volunteers, not from the banks.

United States (11)

Canada (11)

United Kingdom (10)

Australia (5)

United Kingdom and EU (1)

Revolut

International (2)

Source documents

The official YNAB help page "File-Based Import: a guide", at support.ynab.com/en_us/file-based-import-a-guide-Bkj4Sszyo (named as text, not linked). How it was read on 5 October 2026: page fetched. The official page was fetched and read on the checked date.

Also read: support.ynab.com/en_us/formatting-a-csv-file-an-overview-BJvczkuRq (named as text, not linked).

Import rules of four accounting and budgeting apps, taken from each vendor's own help pages. This project is not affiliated with or endorsed by YNAB, Intuit/QuickBooks, Xero or Wave; the names are trademarks of their owners. Vendors change import rules without notice.