Convert comma decimals and European number formats in a CSV
A bank or ERP export from Germany, France or Spain writes one thousand two hundred and thirty-four euros fifty as 1.234,50, and an English-locale spreadsheet, database or accounting import reads that as text, or worse, as 1.2345. Upload the file and SpreadsheetFix converts amounts to plain dot-decimal numbers, removing currency symbols and thousands separators on the way. It runs in your browser without uploading anything. Normalize Numbers is a Pro rule.
- Plan
- Pro rule
- Account
- Not required
- Upload
- None
No file to hand?
Before and after
date,payee,amount,balance 2024-03-01,Stripe payout,"1.234,50","€12.480,75" 2024-03-02,Office rent,"-850,00","€11.630,75" 2024-03-04,Card refund,"1 299,00","€12.929,75" 2024-03-05,US client,"$1,050.00","€13.979,75"
date,payee,amount,balance 2024-03-01,Stripe payout,1234.50,12480.75 2024-03-02,Office rent,-850.00,11630.75 2024-03-04,Card refund,1299.00,12929.75 2024-03-05,US client,1050.00,13979.75
How it works
- 1
Upload the CSV or Excel export. With Pro, Normalize Numbers is switched on for you.
- 2
If the file has other numeric columns, such as phone numbers or reference codes, use the column picker to limit the rule to your amount columns.
- 3
Check the converted values in the preview and download a file that sums correctly.
How each value is read
SpreadsheetFix looks at the separators in each cell. When a dot is followed by three digits and the cell also has a comma (1.234,50 or 1.234.567,89), the dots are thousands separators and the comma is the decimal point. When commas group digits in threes before an optional dot decimal (1,050.00), the commas are dropped. A single comma with no dot, as in 89,90 or -850,00, is read as the decimal point. Spaces between digit groups, the French and Nordic style 1 299,00, are removed first.
Currency symbols are stripped
The symbols €, $, £, ¥, ₹, ₽, ₩ and ₪ are removed, so “€12.480,75” becomes 12480.75 and adds up in a SUM or pivot table. Currency codes written as letters, such as EUR or USD, are not removed, and a cell that still isn’t a valid number after cleaning (“12,50 EUR”, “n/a”) is left exactly as it was.
The one value it can’t tell apart
On its own, 1,234 could mean one thousand two hundred and thirty-four (US) or one point two three four (European). SpreadsheetFix reads a comma followed by exactly three digits as a thousands separator, so it becomes 1234. Likewise, 1.234 with no comma is left as it is, which dot-decimal software reads as 1.234. If your file has three-decimal values such as exchange rates, fuel prices or weights in kilograms, check those columns in the preview.
Questions
How do I change comma decimals to dots in a CSV?
Upload the file above and run Normalize Numbers. Values like 89,90 and 1.234,50 become 89.90 and 1234.50, and you download a CSV that English-locale tools read as numbers. The rule is part of Pro.
Why does Excel show my European numbers as text?
When your computer uses a dot as the decimal separator, Excel can’t read 1.234,50 as a number, so it keeps it as text and leaves it out of SUM and pivot tables. Converting the file to dot decimals first saves you from changing your system’s regional settings.
Will it change dates, phone numbers or IDs?
Dates like 2024-03-01 or 03.04.2024 aren’t valid numbers, so they’re left alone. Values that are numeric once spaces are removed do change: a phone number written +44 20 7946 0958 loses its spaces. Limit the rule to your amount columns if the file has other numeric columns.
Can I convert dots to commas instead?
Not from this page. It converts to dot decimals, which is what most databases, accounting imports and APIs expect, and the app doesn’t currently offer a switch for comma output.
Is my bank export uploaded?
No. The file is read and converted in your browser, so amounts, payees and balances never reach SpreadsheetFix’s servers.