A Complete Guide to Importing Bank Statements from UK Banks

Why CSV imports?

Bank statement CSVs are the universal format for financial data. Every major UK bank offers CSV exports, making them the most reliable way to get your transaction data into a budgeting app without sharing your bank login credentials. This privacy-first approach means your bank data never touches a third-party server.

JoinFunds supports automatic format detection for seven of the most popular UK banks, plus manual column mapping for any other bank that exports CSV files. For step-by-step export instructions for each bank, see our UK bank CSV export guide.

Supported banks with auto-detection

JoinFunds automatically recognises and parses CSV files from these banks:

• Nationwide -- standard statement export from online banking
• Barclays -- downloaded from the Barclays app or online banking
• HSBC -- statement downloads from HSBC personal banking
• Revolut -- exported from the Revolut app (both GBP and multi-currency)
• Monzo -- statement exports from the Monzo app
• Wise -- transaction history exports (supports multi-currency)
• Starling -- statement downloads from the Starling Bank app

For any other bank, you can manually map columns during the import process. JoinFunds supports 29 UK banks in total through its manual mapping feature.

How to export your CSV

The process varies slightly by bank, but generally follows these steps:

Online banking (desktop)

1. Log in to your bank's online banking portal
2. Navigate to your account statement or transaction history
3. Select the date range you want to export
4. Look for a "Download" or "Export" option
5. Choose CSV as the format
6. Save the file to your computer

Mobile banking app

Some banks also support CSV export from their mobile apps:

1. Open your banking app
2. Go to your account or transaction list
3. Look for export, download, or share options
4. Select CSV format
5. Save or share the file

The import process

Once you have your CSV file ready, the import wizard guides you through eight simple steps:

Step 1: Upload

Drag and drop your CSV file or click to browse. JoinFunds processes the file entirely in your browser -- your raw bank data is never uploaded to any server.

Step 2: Bank detection

The app analyses your CSV structure and automatically identifies your bank format. If it cannot determine the format automatically, you can select your bank from a list of 29 UK banks.

Step 3: Column mapping

JoinFunds maps the columns in your CSV to the required fields: date, description, and amount. For auto-detected formats, this happens automatically. For other banks, you can map columns manually.

Step 4: Account selection

Choose which account the transactions belong to, or create a new account. This links the imported transactions to the correct bank and account in your household.

Step 5: Category mapping

Review the automatic categorisation. JoinFunds applies 60+ built-in rules for common UK merchants and transaction descriptions. You can adjust any categories before importing.

Step 6: Preview

See a summary of all transactions that will be imported, including any duplicates that were detected. You can skip individual transactions if needed.

Step 7: Import

Confirm and import. Transactions are created in your household with the mapped categories and account.

Step 8: Summary

Review the results: how many transactions were imported, categorised, and any that were skipped as duplicates.

Handling duplicates

JoinFunds includes intelligent duplicate detection. If you import a statement that overlaps with a previous import, the system uses fuzzy matching to identify likely duplicates:

• Transactions within one day of each other
• Amounts that match exactly (or within 1% tolerance)
• Description similarity of 80% or higher

Detected duplicates are flagged during the preview step so you can decide whether to skip them.

Multi-currency support

If you have accounts in different currencies (common for Revolut and Wise users), JoinFunds handles the conversion automatically. Transactions are stored in their original currency and converted to GBP using current exchange rates.

The system supports GBP, EUR, and RON, making it ideal for UK households with international financial ties.

Tips for a smooth import

• Export regularly -- monthly imports keep your data current without overwhelming the categorisation step
• Use consistent date ranges -- avoid overlapping periods to minimise duplicate detection
• Check your categories -- after the first import, review the automatic categorisation and create custom rules for any recurring merchants that were not matched
• Set up categorisation rules -- once you create rules for your common merchants, future imports will be categorised automatically

Once your transactions are imported and categorised, you are ready to set up your household budget in under 10 minutes. If you are budgeting with a partner, see how to budget as a couple without a joint account.

For detailed bank-specific instructions, visit our bank export guides. You can also learn more about categories and rules or see all JoinFunds features.