Bank Statement Balance Checks and Excel/CSV Export

You have downloaded a bank statement, but the spreadsheet needs checking before you send it to your accountant. A debit may have been read incorrectly, or an overlapping statement may have introduced the same transaction twice. This guide explains how to check running balances, review possible duplicates and export the reviewed rows using the free DAM Bank Statement Checker.

What a bank statement balance check actually compares

For each transaction, the calculation is: previous balance − debit + credit = next balance. A debit reduces the balance; a credit increases it. The checker uses integer paise so normal decimal rounding does not create a false one-paisa difference.

The first included transaction needs an opening balance: the balance immediately before that transaction. Without it, the tool starts comparisons from the next row. Confirm whether your statement lists the oldest or newest transaction first. It preserves the source order instead of guessing how to sort entries on the same day.

A ₹500 mismatch: a fictional example

The difference is ₹500. A debit of ₹12,500 would make these numbers agree, but that is only a candidate explanation. Check the original statement: the debit, balance or preceding row could be wrong, or a row could be missing. Do not change an amount merely to make the warning disappear.

CSV or PDF: choose the more reliable source

Start with your bank's CSV export when it is available. The free checker expects separate Date, Description, Debit, Credit and Balance columns; you can map columns with different headings. Use a decimal point and no more than two decimal places. Keep each account and currency in a separate file.

PDF support is experimental. It requires selectable text and recognizable single-line transaction tables. Scans, password-protected files, combined signed-amount columns and complex or wrapped layouts are not supported. Some rows or descriptions can be missed even if extraction returns results. Compare every source page and the extracted row count before exporting.

How to review and export in DAM's free website tool

1. Open the free Bank Statement Checker from Resources or the All Free Tools page. This is a website tool, not a mobile-app bank connection.
2. Select Choose a CSV or selectable-text PDF. The current limits are one file at a time, 10 MB, 10,000 transaction rows and 60 pages for a PDF. Use Try sample data first if you want to practise.
3. Confirm the five column mappings, select Transaction order and optionally enter Opening balance. Then choose Check transactions →.
4. Select Check warning or Review beside a row. Compare it with your original file. Use Save corrections only after checking the source. Corrections reset review confirmations because later comparisons may change.
5. Check possible duplicates individually. Use Exclude row only when you have confirmed an overlapping copy; equal payments may be legitimate. Excluded rows are omitted from exports and can be restored before downloading.
6. Review the included rows and confirm source completeness. Choose Download CSV or Download Excel. The export includes source references, review status and any remaining acknowledged warnings.

What the checker does not establish

• It does not verify a statement's authenticity or detect missing months.
• It does not compare your bank with your accounting ledger or determine tax treatment.
• It does not automatically assign ledgers, post to Tally or file a return.
• A possible duplicate is a matching date, description, debit, credit and balance—not a confirmed duplicate payment.

Frequently asked questions