CSV Import
Definition
CSV import is the process of loading transaction data from a CSV file (exported by a bank or payment platform) into a bookkeeping system. AI-powered CSV import auto-detects the file's format, columns, and data types without requiring manual mapping.
Detailed Explanation
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is the universal exchange format for financial data. Every bank and payment platform exports CSV differently — different column orders, date formats (MM/DD/YYYY vs DD/MM/YYYY vs YYYY-MM-DD), delimiters (commas, semicolons, tabs), decimal separators (dots vs European commas), and currency representations. Traditional CSV import requires you to manually map columns ('Column A = Date, Column B = Description'). AI CSV import eliminates this — the system analyzes the data, detects what each column contains based on patterns, and parses everything automatically. AI import also handles: Stripe's cents format (1000 → $10.00), headerless CSVs, and CSVs in non-English languages.
Freelancer Example
A freelancer downloads three CSVs: PayPal (comma-delimited, USD, MM/DD/YYYY), Wise (semicolon-delimited, EUR with European decimal commas, DD.MM.YYYY), and a Chinese bank (Chinese headers, CNY, YYYY-MM-DD). AI imports all three in under 30 seconds without any column mapping. Manual reformatting would have taken 30-45 minutes.