What Wave accepts and where to upload
Wave supports connecting bank and credit card accounts for automatic import, and it also accepts manual statement uploads. For manual uploads, common formats include CSV, OFX, QFX, and QBO. CSV is the most flexible because you control the columns, but the bank-standard formats (OFX/QFX/QBO) carry cleaner transaction data when your bank provides them.
To upload, go to the Accounting or Transactions area in Wave, choose the account you want to import into, and look for the option to upload a statement or import transactions. Wave will ask you to select the file and, for CSV, to map your columns to its fields.
If your bank connection works, prefer it. The manual upload is best when a connection is unavailable, has stopped syncing, or you are catching up on historical months that the live feed does not backfill.
Preparing a clean CSV
A CSV that imports without errors usually has a date column, a description column, and an amount column. Wave can typically handle either a single amount column (with negatives for money out) or separate debit and credit columns, but keep the layout consistent throughout the file.
Use a clear, unambiguous date format and apply it to every row. Remove header rows, running balances, page breaks, and summary lines that are not actual transactions. Statement PDFs often include these, and they cause import errors or duplicate entries.
If you only have a PDF statement, you need to convert it to CSV first. A conversion tool that turns statement PDFs into spreadsheet rows saves you from retyping and reduces transcription mistakes. After conversion, open the CSV and check that each row is a single transaction with the amount in the right sign or column.
Mapping columns and importing
When you upload a CSV, Wave asks you to match your columns to its expected fields, such as date, description, and amount. Take a moment to confirm the mapping is correct before you finish. A mismapped amount column is the most common reason imports look wrong afterward.
Decide how you are handling money in versus money out. If your file uses one amount column, deposits are usually positive and withdrawals negative. If it uses two columns, map debits and credits separately so Wave records the direction correctly.
Import one statement or one month at a time when you are catching up. Smaller batches make it easier to spot problems and undo a bad import without affecting good data.
Avoiding duplicates and reconciling
The biggest risk with manual imports is duplication, especially if a bank connection is also feeding the same account. Do not upload a date range that the automatic feed already covers. Pick either the connection or the upload for a given period, not both.
After importing, review the transactions list. Categorize each entry, merge or match any transfers between accounts, and delete stray rows that slipped through from the statement layout. Wave keeps uploaded and connected transactions in the same register, so uncategorized items are easy to find and fix.
Finish by reconciling the account against the statement. Compare Wave's ending balance for the period to the statement's closing balance. If they differ, the usual culprits are a missing or duplicated transaction, a wrong sign on an amount, or a date that landed outside the period.