Convert a American Express statement to Wave
Wave won't read a PDF, and American Express won't export straight to Wave. Convert your American Express statement into a clean, categorized CSV, then import it into Wave Accounting in a couple of clicks.
Fictional sample output
Preview a American Express statement CSV for Wave
Statently turns separate withdrawals and deposits into one signed Amount column, cleans descriptions, and adds a category. This preview uses a fictional statement.
| Date | Description | Amount | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-03 | Northwind Payroll | +3,450.00 | Income |
| 2026-06-04 | Harbor Market | -84.21 | Groceries |
| 2026-06-06 | City Utilities | -126.40 | Utilities |
| 2026-06-08 | Cloudwork | -18.00 | Software |
Private by design. Your uploaded PDF is processed in memory to create the CSV and is not stored.
Always review before importing. Compare totals and a sample of transactions with the original statement before reconciliation, tax filing, or accounting import.
Why American Express statements don't import into Wave directly
Wave imports bank data from CSV, not PDF, so a American Express statement has to be converted first. Amex statements omit a running balance; the converter leaves the Balance column blank rather than guessing. You get one clean, Wave-ready ledger instead of fighting merged cells and split columns.
How to import a American Express statement into Wave Accounting
- 1. Convert the statement. Upload your American Express statement PDF and download the categorized CSV.
- 2. Open the upload screen. In Wave: Accounting → Transactions → More → Upload a bank statement, and pick the account.
- 3. Map & import. Match Date, Description, and Amount to the CSV columns and import.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I import a American Express PDF into Wave directly?
- No. Wave imports CSV, not PDF. Convert your American Express statement to CSV first, then import it.
- Is my American Express statement stored anywhere?
- No. Your PDF is processed in memory to extract the transactions and is never stored.
- Does Wave accept PDF statements?
- No — Wave imports CSV, OFX, QFX, or QBO files. Convert the PDF to CSV first, then upload.
Export American Express to another tool
Convert another bank to Wave
Related guides
- How to Import Bank Statements into Wave
How to get transactions from a PDF bank statement into Wave Accounting using a CSV — the columns Wave expects and how to prepare the file in seconds.
- How to Convert a Bank Statement PDF to CSV
The fastest way to turn a bank statement PDF into a clean CSV — what a CSV needs to contain, why manual methods break, and how to do it in seconds.
- How to Convert a Scanned Bank Statement to CSV
Scanned or photographed bank statements have no selectable text, so most converters choke on them. Here's how to turn an image-only PDF into a clean CSV.
- How to Import Bank Statements into QuickBooks
How to get transactions from a PDF bank statement into QuickBooks Online using a CSV — the format QuickBooks expects, and how to prepare it in seconds.
Not affiliated with American Express or Wave Accounting. Your statement is processed in memory to extract transactions and is never stored.