YNAB can import any of the file formats listed below. For a more details on each of the formats listed please check out our Importing Overview page.
All of the files listed above can be viewed/edited in any program that can read plain text files (such as Notepad in Windows or TextEdit on Macs).
CSV is the file of last resort. It's the only one that lacks an industry standard by which to go by and as such each bank formats them differently. If at all possible see if your bank can provide you with a different format with which to import.
In order to import a CSV file into YNAB it must follow a specific structure. The 3 line example below outlines exactly how a file might look if it contained only 2 transactions.
Date,Payee,Category,Memo,Outflow,Inflow
01/25/12,Sample Payee,,Sample Memo for an outflow,100.00,
01/26/12,Sample Payee 2,,Sample memo for an inflow,,500.00
To format your file the way YNAB requires, open it in a text editor and make your transactions look like the sample ones above.
You'll notice every field is separated by a comma so it's important that every field is present in each line, even if your transactions don't fill every field. Always include the "Date,Payee,Category,Memo,Outflow,Inflow" line at the very top as it is required.
Any field can be left blank except the date. Valid date formats:
DD/MM/YY
DD/MM/YYYY
DD/MM//YYYY
MM/DD/YY
MM/DD/YYYY
MM/DD//YYYY
Categories will only import if the category already exists in your budget file with the exact same name. Otherwise the categories will be ignored when importing the file.
A free CSV editor can be found at http://csvconverter.gginternational.net/ that converts your CSV file into a QIF file. YNAB then imports it without trouble. Once you've defined what format you need, you can save it on their site for future conversions.
There is an option to convert to an OFX file but QIF conversion works better.
Windows - CSVed - Cardware
Mac - XTabulator - $19.99 USD