Should I download "Balance affecting" or "All transactions"?

Pick balance affecting if you are offered the choice. Either way, the converter leaves out holds, their releases and Memo rows, because they do not change your PayPal balance.

How are PayPal fees handled?

By default each payment is written as the gross amount plus a separate fee line, so the fee can go to a merchant fees expense account and the running balance still matches PayPal. Choose "Net amount only" in the options for one line per payment.

My PayPal account has more than one currency. What happens?

PayPal keeps a separate balance per currency. The converter writes one currency per file, the most common one in the export, and the notes tell you which rows in other currencies were left out. Keep each currency in its own account in your books.

PayPal CSV converter

PayPal's activity download has separate Gross, Fee and Net columns, date and time in separate columns, three rows for a currency conversion, and holds that never change your balance.

Convert a PayPal export

PayPal export

Choose file

Download.CSV from PayPal Activity > Download

Your file stays on this device

It is read and converted by this page, inside your browser. Nothing from the file is uploaded, and the converter keeps working offline once the page has loaded.

Choose where it is going

How to export from PayPal

Sign in to PayPal on a computer and open Activity.
Click the Download icon (or go to Reports > Activity download).
Choose a date range of up to 12 months and the CSV format.
Pick "Balance affecting" transactions if you are offered the choice.
Download the file (large reports are emailed) and upload it here.

What to know about PayPal files

Columns can be added or removed in PayPal, so we read them by name.
Date and number formats follow your PayPal country (for example 01/31/2025 and 1,234.56 in the US, 31/01/2025 and 1.234,56 in Europe).
Fees are negative and Net is Gross plus Fee.
A purchase in another currency appears as three rows (the payment and two "General Currency Conversion" rows); each currency is its own balance.
Holds and their releases, and "Memo" rows, do not change your balance and are left out.
The file may start with an invisible byte-order mark.
Headers are translated if your PayPal is not in English; switch to English before downloading.

Questions

Should I download "Balance affecting" or "All transactions"?: Pick balance affecting if you are offered the choice. Either way, the converter leaves out holds, their releases and Memo rows, because they do not change your PayPal balance.
How are PayPal fees handled?: By default each payment is written as the gross amount plus a separate fee line, so the fee can go to a merchant fees expense account and the running balance still matches PayPal. Choose "Net amount only" in the options for one line per payment.
My PayPal account has more than one currency. What happens?: PayPal keeps a separate balance per currency. The converter writes one currency per file, the most common one in the export, and the notes tell you which rows in other currencies were left out. Keep each currency in its own account in your books.