How to Import Bank Statements in Exact Online

Importing bank statements in Exact Online

Exact Online is one of the most widely used accounting packages in the Netherlands and Belgium. The platform supports importing bank statements in various formats, but in practice this doesn't always go smoothly. In this article we explain step by step how to import bank statements in Exact Online, which formats are supported and how to solve common problems.

Supported formats in Exact Online

Exact Online accepts the following bank statement formats for import:

• MT940 (SWIFT): The most commonly used format for bank statements at Dutch banks. Exact Online specifically expects the MT940 format as delivered by ING, ABN AMRO and Rabobank.
• CAMT.053 (ISO 20022): The newer XML format increasingly offered by banks. Exact Online supports CAMT.053 in most versions.

Note: Exact Online does not accept CSV files for bank statement import. If you have transaction data in CSV or Excel, convert it to MT940 or CAMT.053 first using StatementBridge.

Importing MT940 in Exact Online

Importing an MT940 file in Exact Online works as follows:

1. Navigate to Accounting > Cash & Bank > Statements in the menu.
2. Click Import (top right).
3. Select your MT940 file (extension .sta, .940 or .mt940).
4. Exact Online automatically recognises the bank account and transactions.
5. Verify that the account number is correct and that the bank account already exists in Exact Online.
6. Click Import to load the transactions.

Note: The bank account must already exist in Exact Online before you can import a statement. Go to Financial > Cash & Bank > Bank accounts to add an account if it does not exist yet.

Importing CAMT.053 in Exact Online

The import process for CAMT.053 is similar to MT940:

1. Go to Accounting > Cash & Bank > Statements and click Import.
2. Select your CAMT.053 XML file.
3. Exact Online automatically detects that it is an ISO 20022 file.
4. Review the recognised transactions and click Import.

Some versions of Exact Online do not support all CAMT.053 variants. If you receive an error message, it may help to convert the file to MT940 using StatementBridge.

Converting CSV or Excel for Exact Online

Exact Online does not accept CSV or Excel files for bank statement import. If you have transaction data in CSV or Excel — for example from a credit card company or a foreign bank — you need to convert it to MT940 or CAMT.053 first:

1. Upload your CSV or Excel file in StatementBridge.
2. Map the columns (date, amount, description) to the correct fields.
3. Enter the bank account IBAN.
4. Export as MT940 or CAMT.053.
5. Import the converted file in Exact Online via Accounting > Cash & Bank > Statements > Import.

Common problems and solutions

Problem	Cause	Solution
"Bank account not found"	The IBAN in the file does not match a bank account in Exact Online	Create the bank account in Exact Online with the correct IBAN
"Invalid file format"	The file is not in the expected MT940 or CAMT.053 format	Convert the file with StatementBridge to the correct format
Duplicate transactions	The same statement has already been imported before	Check whether the statement number has already been processed. Exact Online does not always warn about duplicates
Balance mismatch	Opening or closing balance in the file differs from the administration	Check the previous statement and always import statements in order
CAMT.053 not recognised	Version or namespace conflict in the XML file	Convert the file to MT940 with StatementBridge

Converting bank statements for Exact Online

Do you have a bank statement in a format that Exact Online doesn't accept? With StatementBridge you can convert any bank statement to the correct format. Upload your file, choose the desired output format and download the converted file — ready to import in Exact Online.

StatementBridge converts CSV, Excel, PDF, OFX and more to MT940 or CAMT.053 — the two formats Exact Online accepts for bank statements.