Guides
How to export a statement from your bank
The upload path needs no bank connection at all — you export a file yourself and choose what to upload. (Prefer not to? With Plus, you can connect an account through Plaid instead.) Here's how to get a file LowScout can read.
Before you start
- • Use a computer browser — many banking apps can only export PDF, and web exports are more complete.
- • Export 3 or more months if you can: recurring detection needs the same charge to appear at least twice.
- • CSV parses most reliably. PDFs work when they contain real text; scanned-image PDFs cannot be read.
- • Checking accounts and credit cards usually export separately — upload each account you want audited.
- • The upload path needs no bank connection at all: you download the file yourself and choose what to upload. (Prefer not to? With Plus, you can connect an account through Plaid instead.)
Common banks
Bank websites change their menus regularly — these steps describe the stable path. If your bank's screens differ, look for a download/export control near the transaction list.
Chase
- Sign in at chase.com and open the account you want.
- On the transactions/activity list, look for the download icon (near the search and filter controls).
- Choose the spreadsheet/CSV format and set the date range (try 3–12 months), then download.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Bank of America
- Sign in at bankofamerica.com and open the account.
- Above the transaction list, choose Download (or Download transactions).
- Pick the file type — choose CSV/spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel format also parses) — and your date range.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Wells Fargo
- Sign on at wellsfargo.com and choose the account you want.
- Open Download Account Activity under the Accounts tab.
- Check the From and To dates — the range starts at the last 90 days, so move the From date back for more history.
- Select Comma Delimited (the CSV option), then choose Download.
Wells Fargo says checking and savings history is available for up to 18 months, but credit card history only for up to 90 days or 300 transactions. For a longer card history, download the monthly PDF statements instead.
Checked 2026-10-03 against Wells Fargo: Account Activity Questions.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Citi
- Sign in at citi.com (or online.citi.com) and open the card/account activity.
- Look for the export/download control on the activity page.
- Choose CSV and the widest date range offered.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Capital One
- Sign in at capitalone.com and open the account.
- On the transactions view, choose Download/Export transactions.
- Select CSV and your date range.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
American Express
- Sign in at americanexpress.com and open Statements & Activity.
- Use the Download options on the activity view.
- Choose CSV and select the billing periods you want (grab several).
Amex CSVs sometimes list amounts with charges as positive numbers — LowScout handles both sign conventions.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Discover
- Sign in at discover.com and open the card activity.
- Choose Download/Export near the transaction list.
- Pick CSV/spreadsheet and the date range.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
U.S. Bank
- Sign in at usbank.com and open the account.
- Use Download transactions (often behind the export icon on the activity page).
- Choose CSV and your date range.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
PNC
- Sign in at pnc.com and open the account activity.
- Look for the Export control on the transactions view.
- Choose CSV format and download.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Ally
- Sign in at ally.com and open the account.
- Choose Download transactions on the activity page.
- Select CSV and the date range you want.
Got the file? Upload it for a free recurring-charge review →
Have the file? See what repeats in it
Upload the CSV or PDF and LowScout lists the recurring charges it detects, with the transactions behind each one. Uploading is free. Upload at least 2 months of statements for a useful review. 3 or more months is recommended for stronger recurring-charge detection.
Questions
- How do I export transactions from Wells Fargo?
- Sign on at wellsfargo.com in a browser, choose the account, and open Download Account Activity under the Accounts tab. Check the From and To dates, select Comma Delimited, and choose Download. The date range starts at the last 90 days, so move the From date back if you want more. Wells Fargo says checking and savings history is available for up to 18 months, and credit card history for up to 90 days or 300 transactions.
- Should I download a CSV or a PDF statement?
- A CSV if your bank offers one. It is a plain list of transactions — date, description, amount — so it opens in any spreadsheet and is the format LowScout reads most reliably. A PDF statement also works when it contains real text. A scanned or photographed statement is an image of the text, and cannot be read.
- How many months of transactions should I export?
- Upload at least 2 months of statements for a useful review. 3 or more months is recommended for stronger recurring-charge detection. LowScout looks for repeated activity over time, so one statement may not be enough to distinguish recurring charges from one-time purchases.
- Why can’t I find a download option in my bank’s mobile app?
- Many banking apps only offer PDF statements, or no export at all, while the same bank’s website has a download or export control next to the transaction list. If you cannot find one in the app, sign in on the bank’s website from a computer and look near the transactions.
- What can I do with the file once I have exported it?
- You can open a CSV in any spreadsheet and sort it by description to look for charges that repeat. Or upload it to LowScout, which lists the recurring charges it detects in those transactions and shows the transactions behind each one. Uploading statements is free and does not involve connecting a bank account.
Bank not listed, or steps drifted?
The general recipe works almost everywhere: sign in on the web → open the account → find Download/Export near the transactions → choose CSV and a 3+ month range. If LowScout still can't read your file, the upload page tells you exactly why — and if it just doesn't recognize the columns, you can point out which is which right there.
Stuck on a bank that isn't here? Email lowscoutsupport@gmail.com with the bank's name — never the statement itself — and we'll reply within 2 business days. Bank requests are how this list grows.