Import a CSV and review the results

Before you begin

Starting a CSV import and creating import profiles require Pro in Penniva 1.1. Eligible Founders keep these local features. The access change is part of the upcoming release; check the Pro comparison for the distinction.

Save a transaction CSV somewhere you can select through the Files picker. Keep the original file unchanged while you work. If Penniva already contains records you want to preserve, create and save a full backup first. CSV import adds transactions; it is not the same as restoring a full Penniva backup.

1. Inspect the file’s columns

Identify the date, merchant or description, amount, and any category or account columns. Check whether the first row contains column headings and whether the separator is a comma or semicolon. Some exports put expenses in negative amounts; others use positive expenses or separate debit and credit columns.

Here is a small synthetic example of a file’s contents. It is illustrative data, not a bank statement or a screenshot of an import result.

Date	Merchant	Amount	Category
2026-09-01	Sample Market	-24.50	Groceries
2026-09-02	Sample Employer	1500.00	Salary

For this example, a negative amount is an expense. A date such as 03/04/2026 would need extra care because different exports use month-first or day-first dates.

2. Create or select an import profile

Open More → Import → Import CSV. In Select Import Profile, choose an existing profile that matches this export, or choose Create Profile. When profiles already exist, the add action is New Profile.

In Import Profile, name the profile and set Delimiter and Has Header. Under Column Mapping (name or index), map Date Column, Merchant Column, and the amount field or debit/credit fields your export uses. Add optional category, note, type and account mappings when those columns exist.

For the synthetic example, map Date, Merchant, Amount, and Category to their corresponding fields. Choose Negative = Expense under Sign Convention. Use Date Format (optional) or Date Interpretation when the date structure needs to be explicit. Check Default Account Name if the file has no account column, then save the profile.

3. Pick the file and check the preview

Choose Pick CSV File and select your CSV. Preview Rows shows the first 20 mapped rows, so it is a sample of the file, not proof that every row will import successfully.

Check dates, merchant names, expense versus income direction, amounts, categories and accounts. If everything appears in one column, check the delimiter. If dates or signs are wrong, edit the selected profile and rebuild the preview before continuing. Refresh Preview and Detect Delimiter are available after selecting a file.

Do not continue just because the preview contains rows. The mapping should explain the file correctly, including a known expense and a known income entry where present.

4. Import and verify what was saved

Choose Import CSV once the preview is right. Read the summary, including imported transactions, skipped duplicates and any Failed Rows. A preview can look correct while a later row fails, so inspect the final result. If you stop an import, rows already saved remain; check the summary before retrying.

Use Review This Import to examine the batch’s records, or Open Migration Center for its checklist and account links. Compare the imported date range, transaction count and amounts with the source file, allowing for skipped duplicates and failed rows. Then use Reports with the same date range to check the overall spending and income picture.

If the file or mapping was wrong

Open the affected batch in Migration Center and inspect it before using Undo Import. The confirmation explains that Penniva removes transactions and imported setup created by that batch; manual edits outside the import stay in place. Undoing is a data change, so read the confirmation carefully before proceeding.

Import history, review and undo remain accessible after Pro ends. If a failure is unclear, contact support with the error and app version. A small, redacted or synthetic example is more useful than sending your full financial history.