How-to · PDF to OFX

Convert a bank statement PDF to an OFX file

Many banks keep only PDF statements for older months, while money apps import OFX. Pennyrow reads the PDF statements in your browser, checks them, and writes one OFX file per account. Nothing is uploaded.

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Which PDFs work

Pennyrow reads PDF statements that your bank made as text. Scans and photos can't be read, so download the PDF from your bank's statements page instead. Pennyrow reads them with general rules, not a template for each bank, so check the row count and totals against your statement. The guides by bank say what was checked for each bank.

Steps

Download the PDF statements for the months you need. You can mix in CSV, OFX or QFX downloads for other months or accounts.
Open Pennyrow and drop in the files. Check the badge on the Statements tab, then the Catch-up tab for missing months, duplicates and transfers.
On Export, find the account under Per account and choose OFX. Your browser saves the file to your device.
Import the file in your money app the way it imports a bank's OFX download.

What is in the OFX file

One account per file, as OFX 1.0.2, marked inside as made by Pennyrow.
Each transaction with its date, amount and name. A name longer than 32 characters is cut there, and the full description goes in the memo.
An ID for each transaction made from the account, date, amount and description, so the same transaction gets the same ID each time you export. A money app that checks these IDs can skip rows it already has.
The closing balance from your statements when they show one. When they don't, the balance is the total of the rows starting from $0, and the Export page says so.

Worked example

The first two transactions of the OFX file Pennyrow makes for Checking ••4821 in its made-up sample (the button "Try it with sample statements" in the app):

<STMTTRN>
<TRNTYPE>DEBIT
<DTPOSTED>20250102120000
<TRNAMT>-450.00
<NAME>FERNMOOR COWORK RENT
</STMTTRN>
<STMTTRN>
<TRNTYPE>DEBIT
<DTPOSTED>20250103120000
<TRNAMT>-29.99
<NAME>CLOUDBRAMBLE SOFTWARE 800-555-01
<MEMO>CLOUDBRAMBLE SOFTWARE 800-555-0199
</STMTTRN>

The second name is longer than 32 characters, so it is cut in the name and kept whole in the memo.

For QuickBooks

For QuickBooks® use the files made for it on the same Export page: the QuickBooks Online CSV (see Import bank statements into QuickBooks Online) or the QuickBooks Desktop .iif file.

Questions

Can Pennyrow read a scanned statement?

No. It reads PDFs your bank made as text. Download the statement PDF from your bank instead of scanning a paper copy.

Will importing the same months twice make duplicates?

Each transaction keeps the same ID in every export, so a money app that checks IDs can skip rows it already has. Pennyrow also drops a row that is in two of your files before it writes the OFX.

Why does the OFX balance differ from my bank?

When your files show no balance, the OFX balance is the total of its rows starting from $0. Statements that show balances give the real closing balance.

Does Pennyrow make a QFX or QBO file?

No. It makes OFX, a QuickBooks Online CSV and a QuickBooks Desktop .iif file.

Does Pennyrow upload my PDF statements?

No. The PDFs are read inside your browser tab. The converter page is locked so it can't make network requests. How to check that yourself.

Bank guides: Chase · Bank of America · Wells Fargo · all banks