Watch this 6-minute demo video for a detailed look at how to efficiently upload income and expense transactions in bulk via data files.
Upload a QIF, QFX, or OFX Data File from Your Bank
If your bank can export your data to Quicken Interchange Format (QIF), QFX, or OFX, you can bulk import it directly into your Stessa account to get things current. QIF, QFX, and OFX imports are highly preferred to CSV files because you don't need to do anything to prepare your file in advance. Just download it from your bank, upload it to Stessa, and you're done!
Once you've downloaded the QIF, QFX, or OFX file and are ready to import, click the blue "Import" button on your Transactions page. Be sure to select a Property (or Portfolio) if all the transactions in the file should be associated with a single address. If you fail to select a Property (or Portfolio) before uploading, you will have to assign every transaction one by one. If you like, you can also associate the uploaded data with one of your existing linked accounts. Once uploaded, you'll see your new data on your Transactions page.
Upload a CSV Data File from Your Bank or PM
If your bank or property manager can generate a Comma-Separated Values (CSV) file with historical transaction data, you can bulk import it directly into your Stessa account to get things current. This is more work than using a QIF, OFX, or QFX file, so we only recommend pursuing this option when these other preferred file types are not available. You must also be prepared to manipulate your data in Excel before uploading it to Stessa. A CSV TEMPLATE is available at the bottom of the page.
You'll first want to clean up and prepare your CSV files for a successful import. Spend the time now to organize your data properly and it'll save you plenty of headaches later. Here's how to prep your CSV files:
Make sure all expenses are shown as negative numbers.
Positive numbers will upload as income, so expenses always need a minus sign in front of the dollar amount.
Organize your data into separate CSV files for each Property.
This will save you the hassle of manually matching each transaction to a Property after import. Note that if your CSV file has transaction data commingled for multiple properties, you're not required to separate it now. If you prefer, you can simply upload it to "Multiple Properties" and manually assign each transaction later.
Consolidate the data into four (4) mandatory columns and three (3) optional columns.
Date*, Amount, Payee, Description, Category, Property, and Unit. Columns should be in this order and with these specific column headers in row 1. Category, Property, and Unit are optional (see below for more information on how these three optional columns work). *Please use the MM/DD/YYYY format for the Date column.
Use Excel's CONCATENATE formula to preserve data if needed.
If the CSV from your bank or PM includes other columns like Category, Tenant, Unit, Payment Method, etc., open your file in Excel and use the =CONCATENATE formula to combine everything into a single new Description column if you don't want to lose any of this data. Remember to cut and "Paste Special" in this new column as "Values" before deleting the source columns.
Add a "Category" column to manage auto-categorization (optional).
Simply include an optional column labeled "Category" to tell Stessa exactly how you'd like each income and expense line item categorized. Exact matches to Stessa's existing top-level or sub-categories will be instantly categorized upon upload. When referring to sub-categories, do NOT include the top-level category. For example, if you want something categorized as "Insurance > Rental Dwelling" just enter "Rental Dwelling" to create a perfect match.
Add a "Property" column to manage property assignments (optional).
Simply include an optional column labeled "Property" to tell Stessa exactly how you'd like each income and expense line-item assigned to your existing properties. Exact matches to your existing property addresses in Stessa will be instantly assigned upon upload. Only exact matches will work, so please be precise in terms of spelling, blank spaces, and abbreviations.
Add a "Unit" column to manage unit assignments (optional).
Simply include an optional column labeled "Unit" to tell Stessa exactly how you'd like each income and expense line-item assigned to your existing units. Exact matches to your existing unit label in Stessa will be instantly assigned upon upload. Only exact matches will work, so please be precise in terms of spelling, blank spaces, and abbreviations.
Once your files are ready to import, click the blue "Import" button on your Transactions page or the blue "+ Data File" button on your Data Sources page. Both buttons accomplish the same task. Be sure to select a Property if all the transactions in the file should be associated with a single address and you're not using the optional "Property" column discussed above.
Once uploaded, you'll see your new data on your Transactions page.
Common Errors
If your CSV file is rejected with the message that your file, "does not contain any Money Out transactions. Please confirm the amounts," you'll need to add a single dummy transaction for -$1.00 and try your upload again. Then simply delete the dummy transaction and you'll be all set.
Stessa rejects CSV files that include only positive amounts since these are usually credit card statements that are in fact 100% expenses (negative).
Still, Having Trouble with a File Upload?
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