Import Credit Card Statements in Twinfield

Why importing credit card statements is difficult

Credit card companies deliver transaction overviews in proprietary formats that are not directly compatible with Twinfield. Unlike regular bank statements, credit card statements do not contain an IBAN, no opening or closing balance, and often have non-standard column layouts. Twinfield expects bank statements in MT940 format or via the built-in bank connection — and credit card files do not meet those requirements.

In this article we explain how you can still import credit card statements from American Express, Visa and Mastercard in Twinfield, including the most common problems and their solutions.

Option 1: Convert credit card CSV to MT940

The most reliable method to get credit card transactions into Twinfield is to convert the CSV file to a valid MT940 file. Here's how it works:

1. Download the CSV overview from your credit card company. For American Express you'll find this under "Statements" in the online portal. For ICS (Visa/Mastercard) you can export transactions as CSV.
2. Upload the file in StatementBridge and select CSV as the input format.
3. Map the columns: Assign the date, amount and description columns to the correct fields. Use the "Invert amount" option if costs are shown as negative amounts.
4. Complete the account details: Enter the IBAN of your credit card account (you can find this on your credit card invoice). Optionally set the opening and closing balance.
5. Export as MT940 and download the converted file.
6. Import in Twinfield: Drag the MT940 file to the Cash & Banks tile (new interface) or upload via General > File management > Import (Classic).

Option 2: Process PDF overview with AI

Do you only have a PDF overview of your credit card? With StatementBridge's AI PDF extraction (available with a Pro subscription) you can have transactions recognised automatically:

1. Upload the PDF overview in StatementBridge.
2. The AI analyses the document and recognises all transactions.
3. Review the recognised transactions and correct any errors.
4. Export as MT940 and import in Twinfield.

Configuring Twinfield for credit card import

Before you can import credit card transactions, you need to configure Twinfield correctly:

Step 1: Create a credit card account

Create a separate journal in Twinfield for your credit card. Use the IBAN of your credit card account as the account number. If you don't have an IBAN, you can use a fictitious account number (e.g. CC-AMEX-001) and adjust it later.

Step 2: Import the MT940 file

In the new Twinfield interface: Drag the MT940 file to the Cash & Banks tile at the top of the page. Twinfield automatically recognises it as an electronic bank statement.

In Twinfield Classic: Go to General > File management and upload the file. Then click the action menu (blue icon to the left of the file) and choose Import. Select "Via electronic bank statement" to use the processing wizard.

Step 3: Process transactions

After import you can match the credit card transactions via Accounting > E-bank statements. Twinfield offers the "Reconciliation" function for this, allowing you to link transactions to invoices or expense bookings.

Common problems and solutions

Problem	Cause	Solution
"Journal not found"	The IBAN in the MT940 file does not match a journal in Twinfield	Adjust the IBAN in the journal or enter the correct IBAN during conversion in StatementBridge
Amounts are reversed	Credit card statements often use a different debit/credit system	Use the "Invert amount" option in StatementBridge when mapping columns
Dates not recognised	The date format in the CSV differs from what is expected	Select the correct date format (DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY) in StatementBridge
Empty descriptions	The description column is not correctly mapped	Check the column mapping and assign the correct column to "Description"
Balance mismatch	Credit card files usually do not contain balance information	Manually enter the correct opening and closing balance during conversion

Tips for a smooth import

• Export monthly: Import credit card transactions monthly to keep your administration up to date and prevent duplicate imports.
• Use a fixed IBAN: Always use the same IBAN for your credit card account, so Twinfield automatically links transactions to the correct journal.
• Check debit/credit: With credit cards, charges are often debit and payments credit. Verify this after import in Twinfield.
• Use booking rules: Set up booking rules in Twinfield for recurring credit card transactions to speed up processing.