How to Export a CSV from BMO
The 2026 step-by-step method for downloading your BMO (Bank of Montreal) chequing, savings, or credit-card transactions as a CSV file — and how to turn that file into a full cashflow dashboard in under a minute.
The 5 steps
Export your BMO transactions
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Sign in to BMO Online Banking
On a desktop or laptop, head to bmo.com and sign in with your BMO debit card number and password. If you usually bank in the BMO mobile app, you'll need to switch to a desktop browser for this — the CSV download option doesn't exist in the app.
TipBMO may ask you to verify your identity with a one-time code sent to your phone or email. Have your phone handy in case you're prompted. -
Navigate to the account's transaction history
After signing in you'll land on the Account Summary page. Click the chequing, savings, or credit-card account you want to export. BMO will take you to that account's transaction history view.
You'll need to repeat this for each account you want in FlowVista — but you can upload multiple CSVs in one go later.
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Select your date range
On the transaction history page, look for the date-range filter near the top of the transactions list. BMO lets you pick a preset period (e.g. "Last 30 days", "Last 3 months") or set a custom range with specific start and end dates.
Grab as much history as you can — FlowVista's forecasts get sharper the more data they have to learn from.
Heads upThe download reaches back much less far than the screen does. BMO's own help centre describes the spreadsheet export as covering roughly the last two months (customers often see about three), while the on-screen history runs closer to two years. Take the widest range the picker will give you — and see the note after step 5. -
Click Download and choose CSV format
Look for the Download button above or near the transactions table. Click it, and BMO will show a file-format dropdown. Select CSV (Spreadsheet). You'll also see options for
.qfx,.qbo, and.ofx— you don't need those for FlowVista.TipBMO downloads only the transactions visible within your selected date range. Make sure you've applied the range you want (step 3) before clicking Download. -
Save the file and upload to FlowVista
Your browser will save the file — usually to your Downloads folder — with a name like
account_history.csvorexport.csv.That's the file you upload into FlowVista. No spreadsheet tweaks needed — the FlowVista parser reads BMO's format directly, including date formatting, merchant descriptions, and the separate debit/credit columns BMO uses.
Pro tipRepeat steps 2-5 for each BMO account. FlowVista de-duplicates transactions across uploads, so you can safely batch them all together.
Be realistic about what the CSV can reach. BMO's spreadsheet download covers only the most recent stretch of activity — its help centre says about two months, and customer reports cluster around three — so a date range you set today generally can't be re-run for last year. Your PDF statements (eStatements) go back about seven years inside Online Banking for your own records, but they aren't a CSV substitute.
The practical move is to start exporting now and keep exporting regularly — once a month, or every time you sit down with your numbers. FlowVista merges and de-duplicates every file you upload, so overlapping ranges never double-count and your history builds forward even where BMO won't reach back. FlowVista also imports investment-statement PDFs — Questrade, RBC, and Sun Life statements today, with more formats rolling out.
Separate debit/credit columns. Unlike some banks that use a single amount column with positive and negative values, BMO's chequing CSV splits transactions into separate "Debit" and "Credit" columns. FlowVista handles this automatically — no manual merging required.
Date format varies. BMO CSVs sometimes use MM/DD/YYYY and sometimes
YYYY-MM-DD depending on your account type and language settings. FlowVista detects and parses
both formats.
Pending transactions are excluded. BMO only includes posted (cleared) transactions in CSV exports. If you just made a purchase, wait a day or two for it to clear before downloading.
Now upload your BMO CSV to FlowVista
Drag the file into FlowVista and you'll have categorized transactions, a cashflow forecast, and spending insights in under a minute. No credit card, no bank connection, nothing shared with third parties — just your transactions on your private dashboard.
Open FlowVistaTroubleshooting
Common issues
I only see PDF options, not CSV
You're almost certainly on the BMO mobile app. The app only offers PDF statement downloads. Sign in at bmo.com on a desktop or laptop browser and the Download button will appear on the transaction history page.
If you only have your phone, the best option is to wait until you can reach a desktop browser, since CSV is the format FlowVista imports today. (For investment accounts, FlowVista also imports investment-statement PDFs — Questrade, RBC, and Sun Life statements today, with more formats rolling out.)
My download only covers the last month or two
That's a BMO-side limit, not a FlowVista one. BMO's help centre describes the spreadsheet download as covering roughly the last two months of activity — customers commonly report about three — even though the account view on screen shows far more. BMO publishes no separate download figure for credit cards, so expect the same short window there. Take the widest range the picker offers, then keep exporting regularly: FlowVista merges and de-duplicates every upload, so your history grows forward from today even though the download can't reach backward. (BMO keeps about 7 years of PDF eStatements online for your own records. FlowVista also imports investment-statement PDFs — Questrade, RBC, and Sun Life statements today, with more formats rolling out.)
The Download button doesn't appear
Make sure you've clicked into a specific account's transaction history — the Download option isn't on the Account Summary page. If you're on the right page and still don't see it, try a different browser or clear your cache. BMO's interface occasionally hides interactive controls when the session is stale — signing out and back in usually fixes this.
Why does my BMO CSV have different columns than expected?
BMO uses different column layouts for chequing accounts versus credit cards. Chequing CSVs typically have columns for Date, Description, Debit, Credit, and Balance. Credit-card CSVs omit the Balance column and may label amounts differently. FlowVista's BMO parser handles both layouts automatically — don't try to edit the CSV to "fix" it.
Does FlowVista need a special CSV format?
No. FlowVista's BMO parser reads the default CSV that BMO exports — including its column names, date
format, and debit/credit conventions. Don't open the file in Excel before uploading; some versions of
Excel silently reformat dates and break the import. Upload the raw .csv file as it came from
BMO.
Can I combine multiple BMO accounts into one FlowVista upload?
Yes. You can upload multiple CSVs at once — chequing, savings, and each credit card. FlowVista de-duplicates across files by date, amount, and description, so you won't double-count anything. You can also mix BMO CSVs with exports from other banks in the same upload.
Is it safe to download and upload my transaction data?
The CSV stays on your computer until you upload it. Once inside FlowVista, your data is encrypted at rest, protected by row-level security (so other users can't see your data), and never shared with advertisers. FlowVista has no connection to BMO — it only sees the file you chose to upload. Full details: Privacy Policy.
More guides
Other Canadian banks
FlowVista supports every major Canadian bank. Here are the other export guides: