Automate Your Bookkeeping: Import UBS & PostFinance Bank Statements

If you're still manually checking bank statements against your invoices, you're spending hours on something that can be done in seconds. Swiss banks like UBS and PostFinance let you export transactions as CSV files — and with the right software, you can import these to automatically match payments and categorize expenses.

Why Import Bank Statements?

Manual bookkeeping for a typical freelancer means:

• Logging into e-banking, scrolling through transactions
• Comparing each incoming payment to your open invoices
• Manually marking invoices as paid
• Categorizing expenses into accounting categories (Kontenrahmen KMU)
• Keeping track of which receipts match which bank transactions

With bank CSV import, all of this happens in one click.

How It Works

1. Export — Download your transactions as CSV from UBS e-banking or PostFinance
2. Import — Upload the CSV file to SwissQRBills
3. Auto-match — The system matches incoming payments to your open invoices using the QR-Reference number
4. Auto-categorize — Expenses are automatically categorized using AI and supplier rules
5. Review — Confirm the matches and categories, adjust any that need it

Payment Matching with QR-References

This is where QR-bills really shine. When you send an invoice with a QR payment slip, the reference number travels with the payment through the banking system. When your client pays, that same reference appears in your bank statement.

SwissQRBills reads these references from the CSV and automatically matches them to the correct invoice. The invoice status changes from "sent" to "paid" — no manual work needed.

Foreign Currency Handling

If you work with international clients or pay for services in USD/EUR, bank statements include exchange rate information. UBS, for example, includes fields like "Card transaction amount: -216.20 USD; Exchange rate: 0.795106" in the description.

SwissQRBills parses these details automatically, converts to CHF at the bank's actual rate (including any card fees), and matches the expense correctly. No manual currency conversion needed.

AI Expense Categorization

For outgoing transactions (expenses), SwissQRBills uses AI to categorize them into the correct Kontenrahmen KMU accounts:

• Office supplies → 6500 Büromaterial
• Software subscriptions → 6530 IT-Aufwand
• Travel → 6640 Reisespesen
• Phone/internet → 6510 Telefon/Internet

You can also set up supplier rules: "Transactions from Swisscom always go to 6510" — and they'll be categorized instantly without AI, every time.

Getting Started with Bank Import

Bank CSV import is available on the Pro plan (CHF 19/month). Here's how to set it up:

1. Go to your UBS or PostFinance e-banking
2. Navigate to account statements / transactions
3. Export as CSV (UBS: "Export" button; PostFinance: under "Transactions" → "Download")
4. In SwissQRBills, go to Expenses → Import and upload the file
5. Review the auto-matched payments and categorized expenses
6. Confirm to update your books

Most freelancers import their bank CSV once a month or once a quarter (before MwSt reporting). The whole process takes about 2 minutes.