Guide

A month-end bank reconciliation checklist

Opening balance

Start from last month's closing balance. If the opening figures do not agree, nothing after it will.

Same period on both sides

Cut both lists at the same dates. Items near the month end often fall on either side of the line.

Signs

Bank statements often show money in as positive. Bills in a ledger are often positive too. Decide whether bills should be compared with the opposite sign before you match.

Fees and interest

Bank fees, interest and card processor fees appear in the bank first. List them as unmatched bank items and book them.

Timing differences

Cheques and transfers can clear days after they are recorded. Allow a window of a few days and list what falls outside it.

Duplicates and reversals

A payment and its reversal should net to zero. Look for pairs with opposite signs and the same reference.

Unmatched items

Everything unmatched on either side needs a reason: not yet cleared, not yet booked, or wrong. Write the reason next to it.

Sign off

Keep the matched list, the unmatched list and the totals together so someone can check your work later.

Do it in your browser

The Bank Reconciliation Matcher pairs a bank CSV with an invoice or ledger CSV, groups batch deposits, lists unmatched rows on each side and downloads an Excel workbook. Files stay on your device. The free version reads the first 150 rows of each file.

Open the free Reconciliation Matcher

No row cap and offline use: the one-time $19 offline pack is here: https://xargaartools.gumroad.com/l/bank-reconciliation-matcher-offline-pack

It pairs rows you give it. A match is a suggestion for you to confirm, not accounting advice.