AMEX to MT940 converter
American Express has no IBAN and reports spend as a positive number — two reasons an AMEX export will not import as-is. Both are handled during conversion.
Upload your AMEX statement →2 free conversions · no credit card required
AMEX to MT940 in 3 steps
- Export the AMEX statement. Download the card statement as CSV from the American Express portal, one card at a time.
- Negate the amounts. AMEX shows spend as positive. In MT940 an expense has to be negative (debit), so tick 'negate amounts' to flip the sign.
- Download the MT940 file. A placeholder IBAN with valid check digits can be generated per card so your package can map the file to the AMEX ledger. Strict packages (such as Moneybird) can still reject it.
Booking AMEX correctly
No IBAN, so a generated one
AMEX works with card numbers. The generated placeholder has valid IBAN check digits; it is not issued by a bank and strict packages may reject it.
The direct debit is a transfer
The monthly AMEX collection on your bank account is not a cost — it is an internal transfer between the AMEX ledger and the bank ledger.
One ledger per card
Keep business and personal cards apart, each with its own ledger and account number, or the split is lost.
Spend arrives positive
Every AMEX export does this. Forgetting to negate puts every expense on the wrong side of the ledger.
Frequently asked questions
Does AMEX have an IBAN I can use in my accounting?
No. American Express works with card numbers and has no IBAN. If the source has no IBAN, StatementBridge can generate a placeholder account number with valid check digits and a non-bank code (PAYP, STRP, MOLL or CRED). It is not issued by a bank and does not guarantee acceptance: strict packages such as Moneybird can reject it. Use it only for a separate journal in your own administration and never the IBAN of a real bank account for PSP or card transactions.
Why do I need to tick 'negate amounts' for AMEX?
AMEX exports show spend as a positive number. In MT940 an expense has to be negative (debit). Negating flips the sign so your books read the transactions the right way round.
What do I book against the AMEX direct debit on my bank account?
The monthly AMEX collection on your business account is not a cost — it is an internal transfer between the AMEX ledger and the bank ledger. The individual expenses are booked on the AMEX ledger.
Can I mix business and personal AMEX cards?
Process them separately, with their own ledger and fictitious IBAN per card. Mixing them loses the split between business and personal spend.
My accounting package rejects the fictitious IBAN. Now what?
Some packages validate the IBAN mod-97 check. Use the 'Generate mock IBAN' function in the app rather than inventing a number yourself — the generated one has valid check digits. Packages that only accept bank files (such as Moneybird) may still reject it.