{"id":29251,"date":"2026-08-29T07:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T07:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bilnex.io\/en\/bank-connection-vs-csv\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T07:00:01","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T07:00:01","slug":"polaczenie-bankowe-a-csv","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bilnex.io\/pl\/polaczenie-bankowe-a-csv\/","title":{"rendered":"Po\u0142\u0105czenie bankowe a import CSV: co jest lepsze dla Twojej firmy?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In short: choose the workflow, not the tool<\/h2>\n

For most small businesses in Latvia and Estonia, a bank connection (the automatic, ongoing transfer of account data into your accounting software) is the better daily setup, since it keeps balances and transactions current without manual work. CSV import, a one-off account statement file you upload by hand, still makes sense when transaction volume is low, you bank with just one or two institutions, and you want tight control. A bank connection grants only read access to your account, under Article 67 of the EU’s Payment Services Directive<\/a> (PSD2), and it never replaces an invoice, receipt, or statement as proof of a transaction. Latvia’s Accounting Law<\/a> (Gr\u0101matved\u012bbas likums) lets a confirmed bank statement count as a supporting document only when a person the company has made responsible has verified it under a procedure the company itself set up. The choice in August 2026 isn’t “automatic versus manual.” It’s a workflow that keeps cash flow visible, keeps your paper trail intact, and keeps account-data access under your own control.<\/p>\n

The difference between the two approaches isn’t just convenience. It’s also a question of accountability: who sees your account data, for how long, and on what basis. That’s worth settling before you click “approve” on any bank connection request.<\/p>\n

What a bank connection actually does, and what CSV import does<\/h2>\n

Bank connection and the Account Information Service (AIS)<\/h3>\n

A “bank connection” usually means an Account Information Service, or AIS: a third party’s right to read your account’s transactions and balance directly from the bank, under Article 67 of PSD2<\/a>. It’s a read right, not an action right. The provider sees what landed in your account and what left it, but it can’t move money on its own. Initiating payments is covered by a separate part of the directive, the Payment Initiation Service, or PIS. These are two different licences and two different services, even though both get lumped together under “bank connection.” If your accounting software only reads and matches transactions, you’re looking at AIS. If it can also trigger payments, that’s a separately licensed service.<\/p>\n

CSV import as a snapshot in time<\/h3>\n

A CSV file (Comma-Separated Values, a plain-text table your bank generates from an account statement) works on entirely different logic. It’s a snapshot. You download one period’s transactions, import them into your software, and the file doesn’t refresh itself. When tomorrow’s payment order comes in, you have to download a new file and import it again. A connection, by contrast, pulls data continuously, often daily, sometimes several times a day.<\/p>\n

Five decision criteria for a small business<\/h2>\n

The decision comes down to five questions, not one.<\/p>\n