What an OFX file is
OFX stands for Open Financial Exchange, a format banks designed so that money software could read transactions without guessing. Instead of rows and columns, an OFX file is a list of tagged records. Each transaction sits inside a <STMTTRN> block with its own fields: DTPOSTED for the date, TRNAMT for the signed amount, NAME and MEMO for the payee and details, and FITID, a unique ID that stops the same transaction being imported twice.
Two generations exist. OFX 1.x, still the most common, looks like loose HTML: tags often aren’t closed and the file starts with a block of OFXHEADER:100 lines. OFX 2.x is proper XML. This converter reads both.
Why convert OFX to CSV
OFX is great for software and awkward for people. A spreadsheet shows it as one long column of tags, and apps without an OFX importer can’t read it at all. A CSV turns every transaction into one row — so you can sort, filter, total and send it — and almost every accounting, budgeting and tax tool can import a CSV.
How to convert OFX to CSV
- Download the OFX file from online banking. Banks label it in different ways: “OFX”, “Microsoft Money” or “Money (OFX)” are common.
- Drop it on the converter above. It reads the transactions and shows how many it found, the date range and the totals.
- In step 3, Clean CSV (all columns) is already selected. Choose a date format and an order, then download.
Need a CSV in a particular app’s layout instead? The same step offers the QuickBooks Online 3- and 4-column CSVs and Xero’s statement CSV.
The columns in the CSV
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Date | The posted date, in the format you choose (the OFX time and time zone are dropped). |
| Description | The payee name and the memo combined, so nothing from the OFX is lost. |
| Debit / Credit | Money out and money in as positive numbers, in separate columns. |
| Amount | One signed amount: negative for money out. |
| Balance | Empty for OFX files — OFX gives one ledger balance for the whole statement, not a balance per line. |
| Reference | Filled when the bank includes a reference number (REFNUM). |
| Check No. | The check number for cheque payments (CHECKNUM), when present. |
Common problems
- Several accounts in one file. Some banks put every account into a single OFX. The transactions are read into one list, so download one account at a time if you need them apart.
- Dates with a time zone. Values like
20260105120000[-5:EST]are normal; only the date is used. - Credit card signs. In a card OFX, purchases are negative and payments positive — the same as a bank account from your point of view.
- The file won’t load. If your “OFX” is really a QIF or a PDF renamed, the converter says so. Download the OFX option again.
Prefer a workbook with real Excel dates? Use OFX to Excel. Going the other way, CSV to OFX builds an OFX file from a spreadsheet.
Frequently asked questions
Is the OFX to CSV converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no limit on files or transactions. The site is supported by advertising.
Is my OFX file uploaded?
No. The file is read by your browser and the CSV is created on your device. Nothing is sent to a server.
Does it work with OFX 2 (XML) files?
Yes. Both the older SGML-style OFX 1.x files and XML-based OFX 2.x files are read.
Why is the Balance column empty?
OFX files carry one balance for the whole statement, not one per transaction, so there is no running balance to copy.
Can I convert a QFX or QBO file the same way?
Yes. QFX and QBO are OFX with an extra Intuit tag, so the same converter reads them.