Frequently asked questions
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Yes. Your PDF is opened and read inside your browser and the file is never uploaded. Only the transaction lines are ever sent, and your name, address, account number, IBAN and sort code are stripped out before they go. The only data we store is the extracted transaction data (not the PDF) of statements you explicitly choose to unlock and save to your account, which you can delete anytime.
Bank CSV export solves a narrower problem than it seems. It only works when you are the account holder, logged in, and looking at recent activity. Most people converting statements fail at least one of those conditions: accountants, bookkeepers, lenders, and solicitors work from PDF statements a client sent them, most banks only let you export the last 90 days to 18 months while older history exists only as archived PDF statements, and scanned or paper statements have no digital export at all. On top of that, every bank formats its CSV differently (inconsistent columns, date formats, and sign conventions), so it usually needs manual cleanup before Xero or QuickBooks will accept it. PivotBank turns any PDF statement, from any bank and any year, into a clean, import-ready file.
PivotBank supports over 1,000 banks worldwide, including major UK banks (Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Halifax, Nationwide), digital banks (Monzo, Revolut, Starling, Chase UK), and international banks across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. If your bank is not supported, submit a request and we will typically add support within a few working days.
PivotBank exports to six formats: Excel (.xlsx) with a formatted summary sheet, CSV for universal compatibility, QBO (Web Connect) for QuickBooks, OFX for Xero, Sage and most accounting software, QIF for Quicken, QuickBooks Desktop and GnuCash, and JSON for developers and API integrations. All formats include dates, descriptions, amounts, and running balances where available.
One parser reads every statement: it finds the rows that begin with a date, takes the last two figures on each as the amount and the running balance, and works out direction from how the balance moved. There are no per-bank rules to fall out of date. The check on its accuracy is the statement’s own arithmetic: the opening balance, plus every credit, minus every debit, has to land exactly on the closing balance, and a gap is reported with its size so you can see which page went wrong. Scanned and photographed statements go through OCR first, and are the ones worth checking against that figure.
Yes. Any statement converts free: you see the first five rows, checked against the running balance, with no account and no daily limit. To get every row, unlock that statement with a one-time payment (around $2.99), no subscription and no account required, you can pay as a guest. Unlocking converts that whole statement and adds accounting exports (QBO for QuickBooks, OFX for Xero, QIF for Quicken), JSON export, auto-categorisation, spending insights, recurring-payment detection, and merchant analysis. If you sign in, unlocked statements are saved to your account to re-download anytime. See our pricing page for current rates.
You can process multiple PDFs in a single session by dropping several files at once, PivotBank reads each one in turn, and no file is uploaded. Each shows its free preview, and you unlock the statements you need with a one-time payment per statement.
Yes. PivotBank offers an API for developers and businesses who need to integrate bank statement parsing into their own applications. The API processes PDFs server-side with the same parsing engine used in the browser version. API access is available on our API plan. Visit the API Access page for documentation and pricing.
No account is needed at any point, not even to pay. You can drop a PDF and see the preview immediately, and you can unlock a whole statement as a guest with a one-time payment. Creating a free account saves your unlocked statements so you can re-download them anytime; statements you bought as a guest are attached to your account automatically when you sign up with the same email.
PivotBank sends as little as it can. The PDF is opened on your device and the file never reaches our servers. Only the transaction lines are ever sent, and your name, address, account number, IBAN and sort code are stripped out before they go. The only data we hold is the extracted transaction data of statements you explicitly choose to save to your account, which you control and can delete anytime.
If a statement does not parse correctly, you can submit a support request through our contact page. Include the bank name and a description of the issue (but never send the actual statement). Our team will investigate and update the parsing rules. Most fixes are shipped within a few working days.
Yes. PivotBank works on mobile browsers, and the PDF is opened on the phone rather than uploaded. However, the experience is optimised for desktop and tablet screens where you can more easily review transaction tables and manage file exports.
Most bank statement converters require you to upload your PDF to their servers for processing. PivotBank is different because your PDF is opened on your device, so the file itself is never uploaded. Only the transaction lines are ever sent, with your name, address and account number stripped out first, and only statements you explicitly choose to save are stored. This makes PivotBank one of the most privacy-focused options available, especially for professionals handling client financial data like accountants, law firms, and mortgage brokers.