Online Banking Formats

This page shows some classification of the different file formats used by online banking and data exchangein GnuCash. In general they can be distinguished by

• traditional line oriented versus modern XML based formats and
• regional versus international validity.

It is expected, the XML based variants will replace the traditional formats in the next years.

Line oriented formats

Regional

DE

by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Banking_Industry_Committee

Probably the first public available and in Gnucash usable formats was Datenträgeraustauschverfahren (DTAUS). In 1976 defined for magnetic 9 track tapes, it was also used on newer media including the internet for national transfers in Germany and survived until SEPA became authoritative in Europe. Since 2016 it is no longer official supported.

In 1986 they released also DTAZV for transfer into foreign countries, but that got not implemented in GnuCash.

US

developed by Intuit

Quicken Interchange Format (QIF) can be used for import only. Successor: OFX

International

IETF RFC 4180 standard

Comma-separated values (CSV) are a common representation of database tables and in theory date back to punched cards. They can be used in GnucCash for import and export.

UN

United Nations/Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT) ISO 9735 is a very complex standard. Parts of it were adapted by some countries for their national banking standard.

SWIFT MT (message type)

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication defined many formats. Again there are traditional line oriented formats and modern XML based formats according ISO 20022 [see below]. Most traditinal formats are for B2B use, but class 9 is for exchange with consumers.

MT940

Customer End of Day Statement Message

MT942

Customer Intra-day Transaction Report

This can be imported into Gnucash.

XML based formats

Regional

US and friends

developed by Microsoft, Intuit and CheckFree from OFC and QIF

Open Financial Exchange (OFX) used for Direct Connect.

QFX is a proprietary variant of OFX used in Intuit's products for Web Connect.

International

SWIFT et al.

ISO 20022

There are at least 2 important groups of formats:

CAMT

Cash management, available in many contries,

PAIN

Payment Initialization, already in use within SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area)

For each exist many different forms. For use in Gnucash they are handled by Aqbanking.