Supported File Types
Stessa supports the following formats for bulk uploads:
QIF (Quicken Interchange Format)
QFX (Quicken Financial Exchange)
OFX (Open Financial Exchange)
CSV (Comma-Separated Values)
Uploading QIF, QFX, or OFX Files (Preferred)
QIF, QFX, and OFX files are the preferred formats for uploading because they require no additional formatting. To upload:
Download your transactions file from your bank or lender in QIF, QFX, or OFX format.
Go to your Transactions page in Stessa.
Click the “Import” button in the upper right corner.
Assign a Property - if you don't assign a property, you'll need to match each transaction manually.
Assign to an existing Connected Account - use the No Account option if needed.
Choose Transaction Type - income, expense, or both.
Upload the file.
Uploading CSV Files
CSV files require more prep work than QIF, QFX, or OFX files. Only use CSV format when other options are not available.
Step 1: Prepare Your CSV File Use Stessa's official CSV template as a starting point. Open your data file alongside the template and transfer only the required fields, ensuring no extra columns or metadata disrupt the format.
Required Columns (in this order):
Date – Format must be MM/DD/YYYY
Amount – Expenses must be entered as negative numbers
Payee
Description
Optional Columns:
Category – Must match existing Stessa categories exactly (e.g., use "Rental Dwelling" instead of "Insurance > Rental Dwelling")
Property – Must match your exact property name in Stessa (including proper spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.)
Unit – Must match the exact unit label in your Stessa account
Exact spelling, punctuation, and spacing matter for Property and Unit names.
Step 2: Clean and Format Your File
Follow these best practices:
Use negative values for all expenses (e.g.,
-125.00). Negative amounts should include both the negative sign and a dollar symbol, e.g.,-$125.00, rather than parentheses or other formats.Organize your file by Property whenever possible. This avoids manual property assignment post-upload.
Combine extra data into the Description column using Excel’s
=CONCATENATE()formula if needed.
Example:arduinoCopyEdit=CONCATENATE(A2, " - ", B2)
Then right-click → Paste Special → Values to lock the content.
Step 3: Upload Your CSV File
Once your file is clean and properly formatted:
Go to your Transactions page in Stessa.
Click the “Import” button in the upper right corner.
Assign a Property.
Assign to an existing Connected Account.
Choose Transaction Type.
Upload the file.
Your transactions will appear on the Transactions page after upload.
Common CSV Import Errors
If your file is rejected, double-check for:
Incorrect or misspelled column headers:
Date,Amount,Payee,Description, etc.Incorrect date format: Must be
MM/DD/YYYYMissing negative signs on expenses
Extra symbols, formulas, or unsupported characters
Property name mismatch: Ensure property names in the CSV exactly match those listed in Stessa, including capitalization and spacing.
Data not reflecting after upload: Ensure the file follows the CSV template strictly, with no modified headers or missing fields.
File import errors: Avoid extra data such as document names and use only transaction data. Confirm correct use of dollar symbols and negative values (
-$1.00format).