HSBC statement to CSV

What a HSBC statement looks like, and what we do with it

Dates abbreviate the month and shorten the year, written 02 Aug 24.

We read them and write them as 2024-08-02.

A transaction runs over three lines: the type code and reference, then the counterparty, then the description with the amount and the balance.

We join all three into one row with one amount.

Two payments to the same payee on the same day, where only the second carries a balance.

We carry the first amount forward and check both against the next printed balance.

The list opens with a BALANCE BROUGHT FORWARD row.

We take the opening balance from it and leave it out of the export.

The text in this PDF is broken mid-word, so the Account Summary reads "Ope ning Balance" and "Paym e nts In".

The transaction table still reads, because we find columns by where the figures sit, not by the headings. The summary block does not, so this statement is checked against its running balance only.

We have tested one real HSBC business current account statement: three pages, seven transactions, and every running balance matched from the brought forward figure to the closing balance.

We have only tested the HSBC business current account statement. Scanned or photographed statements do not work, because there is no text in them to read.

Once it is converted, the import steps for each accounting package are the same for every bank.

Questions