Bank vs ledger with CSV Reconcile
A bank statement with amounts like $1,200.00 and ($310.50) is matched to a ledger with 1200 and -310.50, by transaction reference and with month-first dates read as the same day as ISO dates. Two lines match, one differs by date, one is missing from each side.
- Export both sides as CSV with a column that holds the same reference in each, such as a transaction or invoice number.
- Load the bank file first and the ledger second.
- Choose the reference column as the key. Under Comparison rules, set Dates to match the bank's order (month first or day first).
- Press Compare. Removed lists bank lines that are not in the ledger, Added lists ledger entries with no bank line.
- Check the Changed tab for lines present in both but with a different date or amount.
What to know
Reconciliation is mostly formatting. The bank writes $1,200.00 and puts negative amounts in parentheses, the ledger writes 1200 and -310.50, and one system uses 10/01/2026 where the other uses 2026-10-01. If those counted as differences, every line would need a human to look at it. Numbers are therefore read as numbers, with parentheses meaning negative, and dates are read as calendar days in the order you choose, so identical transactions come out unchanged.
The order matters for dates. 10/05/2026 is 5 October with month first and 10 May with day first, and the page cannot tell which your bank means, so you choose. In the sample, month first is set. Reference T-9004 is the deposit dated 10/05/2026 at the bank and 2026-10-06 in the ledger: a one-day timing difference, which is the usual reason an item is cleared late. T-9003, a 75.00 fee, is in the bank file only and probably still needs a ledger entry. T-9005, a parking charge, is in the ledger only, so it has not cleared the bank yet.
This is a comparison, not an accounting system. It matches on one reference column, so statements that have no shared reference need another approach, such as an amount and date key, and then ambiguous rows are likely. It does not create journal entries and does not decide which side is right. Keep the exports as they came from each system and use the CSV of differences as the work list. The sample transactions are invented.
Updated · Cosmovex
Questions
Does it handle amounts in parentheses or with currency signs?
Yes. With numbers compared as numbers, ($310.50) is read as -310.50 and $1,200.00 as 1200. A value that is not a number is compared as text.
How are dates compared?
Set Dates to month first or day first. Then 10/01/2026, 2026-10-01 and 1 Oct 2026 are the same day. With Dates off, the cells are compared as text.
What if several transactions share a reference?
They are listed as ambiguous. Add the amount or date to the key, or if both files list them in the same order, turn on matching duplicates by position.
Can it match without a shared reference?
Only by combining columns you select as the key, for example date and amount. Because several transactions can share both, expect ambiguous rows.
Is bank data uploaded to a server?
No. The files are compared in your browser and not uploaded. Nothing from the files, not even column names, is sent in the usage measurements.
The free plan covers everything on this page. CSV Reconcile Pro ($29, paid once) is described on the CSV Reconcile page.
