UK Bank CSV Export: A Complete Guide for 2026

Why export your bank statements as CSV?

CSV (comma-separated values) is the universal format for financial data. Unlike PDFs, which are designed for human reading, CSV files are structured data that budgeting tools can actually work with. Every major UK bank offers CSV exports, making it the most accessible way to get your transaction history into a format you can analyse, budget with, and keep permanently.

Whether you use JoinFunds, a spreadsheet, or another tool, knowing how to export your bank CSV is a fundamental personal finance skill.

Quick reference: where to find CSV export

For detailed step-by-step instructions for each bank, see our individual bank export guides linked below.

Bank-by-bank instructions

Barclays

1. Log in to Barclays Online Banking at barclays.co.uk
2. Select your account from the dashboard
3. Click "Statements" in the account menu
4. Choose your date range (up to 12 months)
5. Click "Download" and select CSV format
6. Save the file to your computer

Barclays CSV files include the date, transaction description, and a single amount column (negative for debits, positive for credits). JoinFunds auto-detects Barclays format. For the full guide, see How to export from Barclays.

HSBC

1. Log in to HSBC Online Banking
2. Navigate to your account and click "Statements"
3. Select the statement period
4. Click "Download" and choose CSV
5. Save the downloaded file

HSBC uses separate debit and credit columns. JoinFunds handles both HSBC formats (personal and advance) automatically. Full guide: How to export from HSBC.

Nationwide

1. Log in to Nationwide Internet Banking
2. Go to your account and select "Statements"
3. Choose your date range
4. Click "Download" and select CSV format

Nationwide files include "Money in" and "Money out" as separate columns. Full guide: How to export from Nationwide.

Monzo

1. Open the Monzo app on your phone
2. Tap your account balance
3. Scroll down and tap "Statement"
4. Select the date range and choose CSV
5. Share the file to your computer (email, AirDrop, or cloud storage)

Monzo CSVs are particularly detailed, including the merchant category and notes. Full guide: How to export from Monzo.

Revolut

1. Open the Revolut app
2. Tap "Statements" from the account screen
3. Choose your date range and currency
4. Select CSV as the format and generate

Revolut supports multi-currency exports. If you hold GBP and EUR, you may want to export each currency separately. Full guide: How to export from Revolut.

Starling

1. Open the Starling Bank app
2. Go to your account and tap "Statement"
3. Select the period and choose CSV
4. Share the file to your computer

Full guide: How to export from Starling.

Tips for clean CSV exports

Choose the right date range. Export one month at a time to keep files manageable and reduce duplicates when importing into a budgeting tool.

Check your encoding. Most UK banks export UTF-8 encoded files, which handle pound signs correctly. If you see garbled characters, re-download and ensure your tool reads UTF-8.

Do not edit the file. Opening a CSV in Excel and saving it can change date formats and number precision. If you need to inspect the file, open it in a text editor or use "Open As" in Excel without saving.

Keep originals. Store your original CSV downloads in a dedicated folder. This gives you a permanent record of your bank statements independent of your bank's data retention policy.

What to do with your CSV

Once you have your bank statement CSV, the most common use is importing it into a budgeting tool. JoinFunds auto-detects formats from 12 UK banks, categorises transactions using 60+ built-in rules for UK merchants, and flags potential duplicates.

The entire process -- from CSV upload to categorised transactions in your budget -- takes under two minutes. Your data is processed entirely in your browser, so your raw bank statement never leaves your device. Read more about our privacy-first approach.

Banks not listed here

If your bank is not in the list above, do not worry. Almost every UK bank and building society offers CSV export. Check your online banking portal under "Statements", "Transaction history", or "Downloads". When you import into JoinFunds, you can manually map your CSV columns if automatic detection is not available.

For the complete list of supported banks and formats, see our bank CSV export hub.