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 upBMO caps downloadable history at roughly 18 months for chequing and savings and about 12 months for credit cards. For older transactions, 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.
BMO keeps up to seven years of transactions as PDF statements (eStatements) inside Online Banking. FlowVista's PDF parser reads those too — so if you need older history than the CSV export allows, download your monthly eStatements and upload those alongside your CSVs.
The app merges and de-duplicates everything automatically. Your reports will cover the full horizon, not just the last year.
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, no data shared — just your file on your 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, you can upload PDF statements to FlowVista instead — the PDF parser handles BMO account statements.
My credit card only shows 12 months of transactions
That's a BMO-side limit, not a FlowVista one. Credit-card CSV history is capped at roughly 12 months; chequing and savings go back about 18 months. For anything older, download the PDF eStatements (BMO keeps 7 years online) and upload those to FlowVista alongside your CSV. The app reads both formats and merges them.
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 only your account can read it), 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: