Updated 2026-11-031 min read
Excel or CSV: Which File Should I Use?
Use whichever you prefer: Fees101 treats them the same, and your students end up exactly the same either way. If you're not sure, use the Excel template.
What's the difference?
- An Excel file (ending in .xlsx) is a full spreadsheet. It can have colours, formatting and several sheets.
- A CSV file (ending in .csv) is plain text: just rows of values separated by commas, with no formatting. Excel and Google Sheets can both open one.
To Fees101 the only thing that matters is the values in your columns. Colours, bold text and column widths are ignored.
Which should I choose?
- Excel: the easiest choice for most schools. Our template keeps phone numbers and admission numbers exactly as you type them.
- CSV: fine if your school's software exports CSV, or you're already working with one.
- Google Sheets: choose File → Download, then either Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma-separated values (.csv).
What to watch for
- Keep the column headings exactly as they are in the template, and keep your list on the first sheet. Fees101 only reads the first sheet.
- An older Excel file ending in .xls won't upload. Open it and save it as .xlsx first.
- Check the amounts are plain numbers, such as 25000. Commas and the ₦ sign are fine, but words such as "25k" aren't.
- Check the class names match your classes in Fees101.
If a phone number shows like 2.35E+12, Excel has shortened it and the last digits are gone. Format that column as Text and type the number again. Fees101 will flag these rows so they can't slip through.
Don't worry about how phone numbers are written. 08034567890, +2348034567890 and 2348034567890 all work, and so does 8034567890 if Excel dropped the 0. They are all saved the same way, so children sharing a parent's number still link as one family.
Adding your classes in bulk is the one upload that takes CSV only. In Excel, choose File → Save As, then CSV.
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