In short
Both work well: file import works on every plan and goes back as far as your export, while the bank connection through finAPI (Solo and Family) conveniently fetches new days.
File import (CSV or CAMT)
- On every plan, including Free.
- History goes back as far as the export from your online banking.
- No bank login in this flow. It's a private route: no licensed AISP (account information service provider) reads along.
- Best for a first picture, older months, or if you don't want a live connection.
Bank connection through finAPI
- On Solo and Family.
- At your bank you grant read-only access. Westara can't send payments.
- finAPI sees the raw transactions in order to read them, so this route isn't hidden from a third party.
- Every fetch, including the first, covers about the last 90 days. It doesn't load older years.
- Cash lands in Actuals, broker transactions in Activity. CAMT is for current accounts, not for your depot.
Both together
Many households import one long statement once, then connect the bank for new days. File rows that the bank connection has already brought in on the same cash account, with the same day and amount, are skipped.
Sandbox bank
If the app shows Sandbox bank, the connection is running against a test environment. Those bookings aren't carried over to the live app.
Read Is the bank connection safe? before you grant access.
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Related articles
- How do I import a bank statement as a CSV or CAMT file? Download the statement from your online banking as a CSV or CAMT file and drop it under Import → Bank statements, or under Actuals → Import bank statement. This works on every plan.
- How do I connect my bank through finAPI? On Solo and Family, you connect your bank under Accounts → Connect bank. Through finAPI you grant read-only access at your bank, then you match the accounts and fetch the bookings.
- Is the bank connection safe? Yes. The bank connection is a licensed account information service (AIS): it reads balances and transactions and can't move money.