Bank statement formats: CSV, GPC, MT940 and camt.053
The same bank statement (výpis z účtu) is often available as several files. They differ in how the data is written. Here is what you will find in them.
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Four formats in one table
Fio banka, for example, offers statements in CSV, GPC, MT940 and ČBA XML (camt.053), among others. These four are covered here.
| Format | How it is written | Who describes it |
|---|---|---|
| CSV | Text, values separated by a character | RFC 4180 the general form, the bank decides the columns |
| GPC | Text, fixed-length records | The bank, in its documentation |
| MT940 | Text, tagged fields | Based on the SWIFT format |
| camt.053 | XML | The ISO 20022 standard |
CSV: a table in a text file
Each line is one movement and a character separates the values. RFC 4180 describes only the general form of CSV, not which columns a statement should have. So the bank decides their names, order and number.
Two things matter when you open one: the delimiter (semicolon, comma or tab) and the encoding (UTF-8 or Windows-1250). With the wrong encoding, Czech letters break.
GPC: fixed-length records
According to Fio banka's description, each record has 130 characters with no separator between the items. An item's position in the record gives it its meaning.
| Record starts with | What it contains |
|---|---|
074 | About the statement: old and new balance, turnovers |
075 | One movement on the account |
- The movement's amount has 12 digits with leading zeros and is in hellers (haléře).
- Posting code:
1debit,2credit,4reversed debit,5reversed credit.
MT940: tagged fields
Fio banka says its statement in this format is based on the international SWIFT MT940 format, the file has the extension STA, and it can be used only for statements, not for a list of movements.
The file consists of fields introduced by a tag. In Raiffeisenbank's description, for example, a movement is on the :61: line and its details are in the :86: field.
camt.053: XML under ISO 20022
camt.053 is an account statement in XML under the international ISO 20022 standard. Fio banka describes ČBA XML as the Czech national format based on ISO 20022 CAMT.053.001.02, and SBA XML as the Slovak one.
The data sits in named elements, so a program does not have to guess which column is which.
How to tell which one you have
Open the file in a text editor and look at the content:
- XML with a
BkToCstmrStmtelement: camt.053. - Lines starting with
:61:: MT940. - Lines starting with
074and075: GPC. - A line of column names with values separated by a character below it: CSV.
The Do koruny app recognises these formats by itself and reads them on your phone: CSV, GPC, MT940, camt.053 and ČSOB's XML. Steps for each bank are on the Banks page.
Frequently asked questions
Which format should I choose?
To view or edit the statement in a spreadsheet, CSV. To move it into a program, GPC, MT940 and camt.053 have an advantage: their structure is fixed, so there are no columns to match.
Why is the amount in GPC a hundred times bigger?
Because it is in hellers, with no decimal point. CZK 12.50 is written in the file as 000000001250.
Is camt.053 the same as ČBA XML?
ČBA XML is the Czech national format, based on ISO 20022 CAMT.053.001.02 according to Fio banka's description. So it is camt.053 in its Czech form.
Sources
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