About
Applies to: Finaloop Accounting
Finaloop Accounting, Finaloop's real-time bookkeeping and accounting service, imports your American Express card activity automatically once you connect American Express, and you can export a CSV of your transactions or a PDF billing statement from American Express and upload it whenever we need data the connection can't provide.
In certain cases, we may need your help getting transactions or reports we can't import automatically from your bank or financial institution. We'll ask for these in a mission, a task in My missions where we ask you for information we need. Here's how to connect American Express, how to find the relevant reports in your American Express account, and how to upload them to Finaloop.
1. Connect American Express to Finaloop
American Express connects to Finaloop automatically through Plaid, a secure service that links bank and card accounts, so your transactions flow into your books without uploads. If American Express isn't connected yet, follow these steps:
Click Connect banks and cards.
In Select institution, search for American Express and select American Express.
Follow the on-screen instructions to sign in to American Express and choose your cards.
Your American Express cards then appear in Banks & Cards → Accounts overview.
When we ask you to upload files
Once American Express is connected, you only need to upload files when we ask for them in a mission on your American Express account. This usually happens when:
We need transactions from before your connection's history starts, or for a period the connection missed. We'll ask for a CSV.
We need to confirm your balances, for example during onboarding or at year end. We'll ask for PDF billing statements.
Note: For year-end closing balance reviews, we ask American Express customers for both the PDF statement and a full-year CSV, so have both ready.
2. Exporting a CSV file of your American Express transactions
This guide will walk you through downloading a CSV file containing your transaction history for your American Express account. American Express lets you download your recent activity and your past six billing statements as a CSV file. Source: American Express's How do I download my transactions to accounting/financial management software?
What you'll need to export a CSV
Your American Express account login credentials (Username & Password)
Steps to export a CSV
Log in to your American Express account using your username and password.
At the top of the homepage, click Statements & Activity.
On the left-hand side under Card Activity, you'll see a list of options. Click Custom Date Range.
Enter the dates relevant to your mission in Start Date and End Date, click Search, and then click Download.
① Statements & Activity, ② Custom Date Range, ③ Start Date and End Date, ④ Search, ⑤ Download.
In the pop-up you'll see four different options. Select CSV, and check the box to include all additional transaction details.
Click Download to save the file to your device.
① CSV, ② the additional transaction details checkbox, ③ Download.
Head over to your mission in Banks & Cards → Accounts overview and upload your CSV file, following the steps in "Uploading your CSV or PDF to Finaloop".
3. Exporting a billing statement (PDF) from your American Express account
As part of our onboarding and year-end reviews, we may ask for billing statements to confirm your card balances and keep your books accurate.
What you'll need to download a statement
Your American Express account login credentials (Username & Password)
Steps to download a statement
Log in to your American Express account using your username and password.
At the top of the homepage, click Statements & Activity.
On the left-hand side under Card Activity, click All PDF Billing Statements.
You'll now see all your monthly PDF statements, grouped by year. Click the year relevant to your mission, then look for the month relevant to your mission.
Click the statement's PDF link to save the file to your device.
① All PDF Billing Statements, ② year, ③ the month's PDF.
Head over to your mission in Banks & Cards → Accounts overview and upload your PDF file, following the steps in "Uploading your CSV or PDF to Finaloop".
4. Uploading your CSV or PDF to Finaloop
In Banks & Cards → Accounts overview, click Review on your American Express account (the button shows the number of open requests, for example Review (1)).
Click Review on the request.
Click Upload attachments (for a CSV request) or Upload PDF Statement (for a statement request) and choose your file.
Click Submit.
You'll see Data submitted successfully once your file is on its way to us.
Tip: Upload your CSV in its original format and currency, and avoid converting a PDF into a CSV or altering any data.
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