Organizing ETC Usage CSV for freee or Money Forward Cloud

1. Where this guide fits

The CSV that ships with ETC usage data — whether from the official inquiry service or from JTR's daily delivery — is primary data meant to be imported into accounting software rather than read by humans. This guide explains how to organise that CSV so it imports cleanly through the publicly documented import flow inside freee or Money Forward Cloud. JTR has NO capital, business, data, official-app, or certified-partner relationship with freee, Inc. or Money Forward, Inc. The final word on each tool's behaviour belongs to that vendor's help center and your tax advisor.

2. Check the CSV columns

Both the MEISAI download CSV and the daily CSV that JTR attaches to delivery emails are comma-separated primary data, header row followed by one row per trip. Column count and column names vary by issuer / delivery source / output period, so always open the actual file in an editor first.

• Trip date (or usage date)
• Entry interchange
• Exit interchange
• Toll amount (after discount)
• Applied discount type
• Vehicle class
• Last 4 digits of the ETC card
• Vehicle plate number (or management number)

3. Use freee's published import flow

The freee help center documents a CSV import flow under "取引 → 取引の一括登録（インポート）" (Transactions → Bulk Transaction Import). The import screen includes a download link for freee's own template CSV.

• Download the freee template CSV and confirm its required columns (date, account, tax category, amount, counterparty, memo)
• Map your ETC CSV columns to the freee template using a spreadsheet mapping table
• Set the counterparty consistently ("ETC card issuer" or "NEXCO ○○") so the auto-journal rules can match later
• After import, create a partial-match rule ("memo contains ETC → Travel Expense") so subsequent imports auto-classify
• Consumption-tax classification typically defaults to 10% taxable purchase; confirm with your accounting team for reduced-rate / non-taxable edge cases

4. Use Money Forward Cloud's published import flow

Money Forward Cloud documents CSV import under "自動で仕訳 → 連携サービスから入力 → インポート" (Auto-journal → Import from linked services). The import screen includes a template for passbook / card-statement CSVs.

• Open the import screen and confirm the expected template columns (date, memo, debit amount, etc.)
• Rearrange your ETC CSV columns to match the Money Forward template
• Create a partial-match auto-journal rule ("memo contains ETC → Travel Expense") so subsequent imports auto-classify
• The bulk-edit auto-journal-rule feature released recently lets you tidy or revise existing rules in batch

5. Auto-journal rules in practice

An auto-journal rule on the accounting side classifies every imported row containing ETC / NEXCO / Shutoko / Hanshin as a Travel Expense. For company-vehicle cards where business and private use mix, do not delegate the business / private apportionment to the auto-rule — review monthly.

6. Electronic Bookkeeping Law file naming

A common Electronic Bookkeeping Law (電帳法) file structure is folder "2026 / ETC / Usage / CSV" and filename "2026-04_card_xxxx_ETC_usage.csv". The original CSV must remain stored as the electronic transaction record under the Electronic Bookkeeping Law — do not delete after import.

7. Relationship to the qualified-invoice regime

Under the qualified-invoice retention regime (インボイス制度), Japan's National Tax Agency Q&A item 103 describes a per-operator "any one transaction" approach for ETC. The Q&A focuses on ETC credit-card use; treatment of ETC Corporate Cards and ETC Personal Cards must be confirmed against the relevant published guidance.

8. Neutral comparison — freee vs Money Forward Cloud

The two tools compete in the same market and JTR does not take sides. The table below summarises spec patterns derived from each vendor's public help center — not a quality ranking. In practice, use the tool your team already pays for.

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