Why does one transaction import as two rows in Xero?

A hidden line break inside the description field is read as the end of a row, splitting the transaction. It's invisible at a glance.

How do I stop transactions splitting on import?

Strip embedded newlines from the description column before importing. StatementFlow does this automatically as it processes the file.

Guides / One transaction splitting into two rows in Xero

CSV import fix

A transaction splitting into two rows in Xero

If a single transaction imports as two rows in Xero — one with the amount, one with a stray fragment of the description — the cause is almost always a hidden line break inside the narrative field of your CSV.

Why it happens

Some banks embed carriage returns or newlines inside the description text (a multi-line payee reference, for example). When the CSV is parsed, that line break is read as the end of the row, so one transaction is split in two. It's invisible in a quick look at the file, which is why these reconciliation errors are so hard to trace — they start in the spreadsheet, not in Xero.

The manual fix

Manually, you'd hunt for embedded newlines with a find-and-replace on line breaks inside quoted fields — fiddly, error-prone, and easy to miss in a large file.

The faster way

StatementFlow cleans description fields on the way through — stripping embedded line breaks and normalising whitespace — so every transaction stays on one row and reconciles cleanly. No hunting through the CSV.

Fix it in one click

Drop your CSV, pick your bank and accounting software, download a file that imports first time. Free to start, client-side, nothing uploaded.

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