PayPal to Xero CSV Converter (Free, Private)

PayPal → Xero in three steps

The cleanest way to get PayPal into Xero is to treat PayPal like a bank account. PayPal collects your sales, takes its fees and then pays out the rest. Import that activity into a “PayPal” account and your books show gross income, real fees and payouts that match your checking deposits.

1. How to download your PayPal Activity CSV

Sign in to PayPal (business or personal) and go to Activity → Statements → Activity report (also at Reports → Activity download).
For Transaction type choose Balance affecting, so authorizations and memos that never moved money are left out.
Pick CSV as the format and set your date range, then select Create Report.
When the report shows as ready, select Download.

Even if you export “All transactions”, the converter skips rows whose Balance Impact is Memo and rows that aren't Completed, and tells you how many it skipped.

2. Convert it here

Drop the file into the converter above. The source is detected from the column headers, and the summary shows money in, money out and the net change so you can sanity-check against PayPal's own totals before downloading.

3. How to import the file into Xero

Add a bank account for PayPal: Accounting → Bank accounts → Add Bank Account, and if your provider isn't listed, add it as an account you'll import statements into. Name it “PayPal” and set the right currency.

Go to Accounting → Bank accounts.
On the PayPal account, open the menu (⋯) and select Import a Statement.
Browse to the converted CSV and select Next.
Assign the columns: Date → Transaction Date, Amount → Transaction Amount, Payee → Payee, Description → Description, Reference → Reference. Xero remembers this mapping next time.
Confirm the date format matches the one you chose here, then Save → Import. The lines appear in the reconcile tab, ready to match or create.

Xero needs a Date and a single signed Amount column (income positive, expenses negative, no thousands separators). Payee, Description and Reference are optional but make reconciliation much faster. Accepted date formats include DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY and YYYY/MM/DD. The converter writes UTF-8, comma-separated files with exactly these columns.

What each PayPal row becomes

PayPal row	In the Xero file	Typical category
Payment received (Express Checkout, Website, Mobile, Invoice…)	Gross as money in, plus a separate PayPal fee line	Sales / Income and Merchant fees
Payment sent / subscriptions	Money out	The relevant expense
Payment Refund / Reversal	Money out (with any fee credit back in)	Refunds / contra-income
General Withdrawal (transfer to bank)	Money out of the PayPal account	Transfer to your checking account
General Authorization, holds (Balance Impact = Memo)	Skipped	–
Other currencies	Converted one currency at a time (pick in Options)	Use a separate PayPal account per currency

The Xero format we produce

Column	Contents
`Date`	DD/MM/YYYY, MM/DD/YYYY or YYYY/MM/DD (pick what matches your org)
`Amount`	Signed, no currency symbols: 1250.00 / -36.55
`Payee`	Customer name or the platform (Etsy, Stripe, PayPal)
`Description`	Type, item and details. Shows as Particulars in Xero
`Reference`	Order #, Stripe balance transaction ID or PayPal transaction ID

PayPal quirks the converter handles

PayPal localizes numbers. A US file uses 1,250.00, many EU files use 1.250,00. Both are read correctly.
Dates follow your account country (US files are MM/DD/YYYY). The converter infers day/month order from the file, and you can force it in Options.
PayPal's Fee column is already negative and Net = Gross + Fee. Each row is verified.
Multi-currency balances: each currency is its own balance in PayPal, so convert and import them separately.

Avoid double-counting. When the payout reaches your bank, Xero will also see it in your checking account's feed. Record that as a transfer from PayPal, not as income. The sales were already recorded from this file.

FAQ

Do my PayPal files get uploaded anywhere?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript, and the file is never sent to a server. You can check this by loading the page, switching off your Wi-Fi and converting a file. It still works. We don't use analytics or tracking scripts either.

Why are fees on separate lines instead of netted?

Your PayPal payout is gross sales minus fees. Recording both lets your books show true gross income (which is what a 1099-K reports) and a deductible fee expense. If you prefer net amounts, untick “Split fees into separate lines” in Options.

Won't this double-count income that already shows up in my bank feed?

Not if you use the clearing-account method. The PayPal statement goes into a “PayPal” account in Xero. When PayPal pays out, the payout line leaving PayPal is matched as a transfer to the deposit in your checking account, so it isn't booked as new income.

What date format should I choose?

Choose the format your Xero organisation uses: MM/DD/YYYY for US orgs, DD/MM/YYYY for UK/AU/NZ. YYYY/MM/DD can't be misread either way. Confirm the same format on Xero's import screen.

Is it free?

Files that produce up to 20 rows convert and download for free, and you can preview any file. Bigger files need a Pro pass. You can download the first 20 rows to test the import before you buy.

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Last reviewed October 2026. Platform menus change from time to time. If a step looks different for you, email support@payouttobooks.com and we'll update the guide.

Convert PayPal CSV to Xero

PayPal → Xero in three steps

1. How to download your PayPal Activity CSV

2. Convert it here

3. How to import the file into Xero

What each PayPal row becomes

The Xero format we produce

PayPal quirks the converter handles

FAQ

Other converters

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