“My UK bank CSV will not map correctly”
The UK high-street banks each export a different column layout, and none matches what US-built software expects. The files are valid; the mismatch is between their shape and the importer's assumptions.
Symptoms
The mapping screen shows columns that do not correspond to what you expect Balances import as transaction amounts Transaction types arrive as part of the description
What actually causes it
A running balance column
Most UK exports include the balance after each transaction. Mapping that instead of the amount imports the account total as though it were a payment, which is worse than a refusal because it succeeds silently.
Type and description in separate columns
Entries often carry a type code — DD, SO, FPI — apart from the description. Software expecting one description field either ignores the type or concatenates it awkwardly into the payee.
Day-first dates and pound signs
Dates are day-first and amounts sometimes carry a currency symbol. Either alone is enough for a strict importer to reject the row or read it as text.
How to fix it
- Run the file through the checker below to see its real column count and delimiter before you map anything.
- Identify the amount column and the balance column carefully; the values look similar and behave completely differently.
- Strip currency symbols from the amount column and set the date format to day-first.
- Where type and description are separate, decide deliberately which becomes the payee rather than letting the default choose.
Related import problems
Skip the manual edit — fix it automatically
The checker reports the real structure of the file, which is what turns a guessing game on the mapping screen into a decision. Free, no signup, no upload.
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