First Direct + Zoho Books: Bridge the Gap
Need to get your First Direct (HSBC) bank statement into Zoho Books? First Direct uses DD MMM YYYY and minimalist single-column layout with transaction type codes and running balance, similar to HSBC but with simplified headers — which needs converting to CSV (Date, Description, Withdrawal, Deposit — Zoho Books requires separate columns for money in and money out) for Zoho Books import.
How BankScan AI Converts First Direct for Zoho Books
BankScan AI's CSV output imports directly into Zoho Books' banking module. Transaction dates, descriptions, and amounts are correctly formatted. First Direct statements follow an HSBC-family format but with a distinct minimalist layout. BankScan AI detects the variant automatically.
How It Works
Upload your First Direct PDF
Drag and drop your First Direct statement. Supports PDF with DD MMM YYYY handling.
AI converts for Zoho Books
Our AI parses First Direct's layout, converts dates to DD/MM/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD, and outputs CSV.
Import into Zoho Books
In Zoho Books, go to Banking > select your account > Import Statement. Upload the CSV, map Date, Description, Withdrawal, and Deposit columns, then import.
Zoho Books Import Tip
Date, Description, Withdrawal, Deposit — Zoho Books requires separate columns for money in and money out
First Direct to Zoho Books Features
- First Direct optimised — Trained on First Direct's minimalist single-column layout with transaction type codes and running balance, similar to HSBC but with simplified headers with DD MMM YYYY parsing
- Zoho Books formatted — Output as CSV with Date, Description, Withdrawal, Deposit — Zoho Books requires separate columns for money in and money out
- Date conversion — Converts DD MMM YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD automatically
Import First Direct Data into Zoho Books
After converting your First Direct statement with BankScan AI:
- In Zoho Books, go to Banking > select your account > Import Statement
- Upload the CSV, map Date, Description, Withdrawal, and Deposit columns, then import
Common Import Issues
Zoho Books requires separate Withdrawal and Deposit columns — a single Amount column will fail. Also rejects files larger than 5MB.
Import First Direct into Zoho Books Today
Automatic date conversion (DD MMM YYYY to DD/MM/YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD), column mapping, and format validation.
Import First Direct to Zoho Books Free