Convert OFX files to CSV or Excel

OFX is plain text, but nobody wants to read it. Open it as a spreadsheet and check the closing balance.

Try a sample statement first, nothing to upload and no pages used:

Sample data: the US checking sample from Summit National Bank. Try it with the US checking (PDF) button.

Balanced Opening $5,234.10 + transactions = closing $14,670.88, the closing balance on the statement.

Opening
$5,234.10
Money in
$12,978.51
Money out
$3,541.73
Closing (statement)
$14,670.88
Closing (computed)
$14,670.88
Difference
$0.00

What is inside an OFX file

Open Financial Exchange has a header, a sign-on block, then a statement response. Each STMTTRN element holds a type (CREDIT, DEBIT, CHECK and others), a posted date (DTPOSTED), an amount (TRNAMT, negative for money out), an ID (FITID), and a NAME and MEMO. The ledger balance (LEDGERBAL) closes the statement.

OFX 1.x and 2.x

Version 1 is SGML-like: tags are not closed and the file starts with a plain-text header. Version 2 is well-formed XML. Banks still send both, and RowBalance reads either, including files with several accounts.

How rows are mapped

Payee and memo are joined into one Description, the signed amount is split into Money in and Money out, and the FITID is kept as the reference. The ledger balance is used to check the statement.

How to do it

  1. Drop the .ofx file above.
  2. Review the transactions and the balance check.
  3. Download CSV or Excel (free, up to 5 pages a day).

Excel and CSV are free for up to 5 pages a day, or 10 with a free account. QuickBooks, Xero and OFX files and batch conversion are on paid plans, from a $9 one-off pass: see pricing or go back to the converter.

Questions

How do I open an OFX file in Excel?

Drop the .ofx file above, check the balance, then choose Excel. You get an .xlsx workbook with a Transactions sheet (Date, Description, Money in, Money out, Amount, Balance) and a Balance check sheet.

Why does my OFX file show no running balance?

OFX only carries one balance, the ledger balance at the end of the statement. RowBalance computes the running balance from it.

Can I convert it back to OFX or QBO?

Yes. After loading the file, choose OFX or QuickBooks (.qbo) on a paid plan.

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