Two ways to go from an Excel spreadsheet to a ready-to-upload ABA file.
Option 1: Use the createABA Excel Add-in (Recommended)
The createABA Excel add-in lets you generate an ABA file directly from your spreadsheet, without exporting to CSV, opening a browser, or mapping columns every time.
Step 1: Install the Add-in
- Open Excel (Windows, Mac, or Excel Online)
- Go to Insert → Add-ins → Get Add-ins
- Search for createABA in the Microsoft AppSource store
- Click Add
The add-in appears as a task pane on the right side of your screen.
Step 2: Generate a Payment Sheet
Click Generate Payment Sheet in the task pane. The add-in writes a structured template into your active workbook:
- Rows 1–5: your bank details (BSB, account number, business name, payment type)
- Row 6 onwards: payment rows with columns for Name, BSB, Account, Amount, and Reference
Each row has a live status formula in the last column. It shows ✓ when the row is valid and ✗ with a reason when something is wrong, so you don’t need to wait until you try to upload.
Step 3: Fill In Your Payments
Enter your recipient details directly in the sheet. You can paste from another spreadsheet, type manually, or pull data from a named range. The status column updates as you type.
Step 4: Generate the ABA File
Once all rows show ✓, click Generate ABA in the task pane. A Save As dialog appears. Save the .aba file to your desktop.
Step 5: Upload to Your Bank
Log in to your business banking portal and find the batch payments or ABA file upload section. The exact path varies by bank:
- ANZ: Payments → Batch Payments → Import File
- CBA (CommBiz): Payments → File Import
- NAB Connect: Payments → Upload Payment File
- Westpac: Payments → Batch Payments → Upload ABA
Select the file you saved and follow the bank’s confirmation steps.
Option 2: Upload Your Excel File Directly to createABA
If you’d rather not install an add-in, upload your .xlsx file directly to the createABA web app — no CSV export needed.
Step 1: Prepare Your Excel Sheet
Make sure your spreadsheet has at least these columns (the exact names don’t matter because you’ll map them in the next step):
| Column | What it contains |
|---|---|
| Name | Recipient’s account name (up to 32 characters) |
| BSB | 6-digit BSB in XXX-XXX format |
| Account | Account number (up to 9 digits) |
| Amount | Payment amount in dollars (e.g. 1250.00) |
| Reference | Payment reference shown on recipient’s statement |
Tip: Format your BSB and Account Number columns as Text before entering data. This prevents Excel from stripping leading zeros or converting BSBs like 013-006 into dates.
Step 2: Upload to createABA
- Go to createaba.com.au
- Drop your
.xlsxfile into the upload zone (or click to browse) - If your workbook has multiple sheets, choose which sheet contains your payment data
- createABA auto-detects your column headers. Review the mapping and adjust if needed
- Enter your bank details: BSB, account number, and business name
- Click Generate ABA file. The file downloads instantly.
The entire conversion happens in your browser. No payment data is sent to any server.
Prefer CSV? You can still export via File → Save As → CSV (Comma delimited) and upload that instead. Both formats work.
Step 3: Upload to Your Bank
Same as above: log into your bank’s business portal and upload the .aba file via the batch payments section.
Common Issues When Creating ABA Files from Excel
“Invalid BSB format”: Make sure BSBs are in XXX-XXX format (e.g. 062-000, not 062000). Excel sometimes strips the hyphen when it reformats cells as numbers. Format the column as Text before entering BSBs.
“Amount must be a number”: Check for dollar signs, commas, or spaces in your amount column. If the column contains $1,250.00, clean it to 1250.00 first.
“Account name too long”: ABA files allow a maximum of 32 characters for the account name. Truncate longer names before uploading.
“File rejected by bank”: Double-check that you selected the correct account type when entering your bank details. Most payroll runs use credit transactions (code 50 or 53). Westpac users should also read our guide to Westpac’s self-balancing requirement.
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