Bank reconciliation checker

Bank reconciliation checker

Upload a bank statement and an export of your books. We match every transaction and list what's missing from your books, what hasn't cleared the bank, amounts that differ, reversed signs and duplicates. Free summary; full report as CSV and PDF.

Free summary, no sign-upPDF, CSV, Excel or OFXFiles deleted after 1 hour
Processed in memory, never stored
No files handy? Run it on a fictional bank statement and QuickBooks export:

Sample files to test with: bank statement CSV · QuickBooks export CSV · bank statement PDF

1. Upload two files

The bank statement (PDF, CSV, Excel or OFX) and an export of the same account from QuickBooks, Xero or any ledger.

2. We match every line

Exact amounts within a date window, the closest date and most similar description first, checks by number, and ledger debit/credit signs handled.

3. See what's off

Missing from the books, not cleared at the bank, amounts that differ, reversed signs and duplicates, adding up to the whole difference. Download CSV or PDF.

How to reconcile a bank statement with this tool

  1. Get the bank statement for the month: the PDF from online banking, or a CSV, Excel, OFX or QFX download for the same dates.
  2. Export the same account from your books for the statement's dates (a few days either side is fine): in QuickBooks Online an Account QuickReport or Transaction Detail by Account report exported to CSV or Excel; in Xero the Account Transactions report for the bank account; or any register or ledger CSV.
  3. Upload both above. We find the columns, read the dates, and work out whether your books show deposits as positive amounts or as debits.
  4. Read the summary: how many transactions matched, what's left in each group, and how those items add up to the difference between the two files.
  5. Fix your books in QuickBooks or Xero, then finish the reconciliation there. The full report (PDF and CSV) is your workpaper.

How matching works

  • Exact amounts, within a date window. Bank and book dates rarely agree, so a transaction matches within ±3 days by default (change it from 0 to 15 days on the results page).
  • Closest first. When several entries have the same amount (two $72.00 subscriptions), the closest date and the most similar description win, so each bank line pairs with the right entry. Descriptions are compared word by word after dropping bank noise like ACH DEBIT and POS PURCHASE.
  • Checks by number. CHECK 2041 on the statement matches check 2041 in the books (a Num column counts) up to 60 days apart, because checks clear when they're cashed, not when they're written.
  • Second look at what's left. The same amount with the opposite sign is a reversed entry. A similar description with a different amount is a keying error, and a difference that divides by 9 is flagged as possible transposed digits. An entry with an identical twin nearby is a possible duplicate.
  • Debits and credits. A ledger export of a bank account often shows deposits as debits. We run the match both ways and keep the one that pairs more transactions.

Which files work

  • Bank statement: PDF statements from online banking (the same reader as our statement converter, which also checks the statement against its own balances), CSV, Excel .xlsx, OFX, QFX and QBO.
  • Books: QuickBooks Online and Desktop report exports, Xero report exports, Wave, Zoho Books or any spreadsheet with a date, a description and either one amount column or separate debit and credit (or payment and deposit) columns. Title rows above the table and total rows are skipped.
  • Columns: picked automatically; change any of them, and the date format, on the results page. Name, Num, Memo and Reference columns are added to the description to help matching.

What each result means

ResultWhat it usually means, and what to do
On the bank statement, not in your booksBank fees, interest, card payments or transfers nobody entered. Record them (or find them in another account).
In your books, not on the bank statementOutstanding checks and deposits in transit, which clear on a later statement, or entries that were never real: a deposit recorded twice, a voided check left in.
Amount differsThe same transaction keyed with a different amount. A difference that divides by 9 usually means transposed digits (189.34 entered as 198.34).
Sign reversedA payment entered as a deposit or the other way round. It throws the balance off by twice the amount.
Possible duplicateThe same amount and payee entered twice, often after a bank feed and a manual entry or an import overlapped.
Dated outside the statement periodBook entries before or after the statement's dates. Listed for reference, not counted as problems.

Statement not tying out to its own balances first? Run it through the free bank statement balance checker. Only have PDF statements and need them in your books? The PDF statement to QuickBooks and PDF to Xero converters check every statement against its closing balance.

Pricing

The summary is free: matched count, issues by type, how they add up to the difference, and the first 3 items of each type. The full list with CSV and PDF reports uses 1 credit from the same $9 pack of 5 as our statement converter, or is unlimited on Pro at $19/month.

FAQ

Questions

What do I need to upload?

Two files for the same account and period: the bank statement (a PDF downloaded from online banking, or a CSV, Excel, OFX, QFX or QBO download) and an export of the same account from your books (a QuickBooks or Xero report exported to CSV or Excel, or any register or ledger CSV). We find the date, description and amount, or debit and credit, columns automatically, and you can change them.

How are transactions matched?

On the exact amount, within a date window you choose (3 days by default), preferring the closest date and the most similar description. A check is matched by its number even if it cleared weeks after you wrote it. Then we look at what's left: the same transaction keyed with a different amount, the same amount with the sign reversed, and entries that appear twice.

What does the report show?

Every transaction in one of these groups: Matched; On the bank statement, not in your books (often bank fees, interest or a missed expense); In your books, not on the bank statement (outstanding checks, deposits in transit or entries that never happened); Amount differs, with a note when the difference divides by 9, the classic sign of transposed digits; Sign reversed; and Possible duplicates. The summary shows how the items add up to the whole difference between the two files.

My books export shows deposits as debits. Will that work?

Yes. In a ledger, money into a bank account is a debit, which is the opposite of a bank statement. We try your books both ways and keep the one that matches more transactions, and you can force either on the results page.

Is it free?

The summary is free: how many transactions match, how many issues of each kind and how they add up to the difference, with the first 3 items of each kind. The full list and the CSV and PDF report use 1 credit from the same $9 pack of 5 credits as our statement converter, or are unlimited on Pro at $19/month.

Are my files stored?

No. Both files are read in memory and never written to disk, and results are deleted after 1 hour. We never use your data for AI training, and transaction details are never sent to our analytics.

Does it connect to QuickBooks or Xero?

No, it works from exported files, so there's nothing to authorize and it works for any accounting software. It doesn't change your books: fix what it finds in QuickBooks or Xero yourself, then reconcile there.

Can I try it without my own files?

Yes. Click Try the sample under the upload boxes. It reconciles a fictional bank statement CSV against a fictional QuickBooks export with a few planted problems: a missing bank fee, an outstanding check, a doubled entry, a transposed amount and a reversed sign. Every download is free for the sample.

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