PDFCellsReconcile a PDF bank statement against your ledger
Convert the statement in PDFCells, choose Reconcile with your ledger (.xlsx), and add your ledger export (CSV or .xlsx from QuickBooks, Xero or anything else). PDFCells matches transactions by amount and date and writes a Reconciliation sheet showing matched items, items on only one side and the adjusted balances.
Steps
- Open and check the statement as usual. Confirm the statement period when asked; the last transaction date is never used as the period end. If the dates have no year and no period is printed, pick the statement year first.
- Choose Reconcile with your ledger (.xlsx) and pick the ledger file: CSV (comma, semicolon or tab) or the first sheet of an .xlsx. Legacy .xls and .ods aren’t read.
- Check the column mapping. QuickBooks registers and reports, Xero account transactions and generic Date/Description/Amount or Debit/Credit layouts are mapped automatically.
- Review matches. Set the date window (3, 7, 14 or 30 days), match or unmatch by hand, and mark old items as still outstanding.
- Download the workbook with the Reconciliation sheet.
How matching works
- Same amount within the date window. Entries whose payees clearly match come first, then the nearer date, then payee similarity. A pick between equally good but different-looking entries is flagged “Check”.
- Splits: one line equal to the sum of 2–4 lines on the other side.
- Identical entries (same amount, date and payee) are paired in file order.
- Ledger entries dated before the statement go in Before this statement, each with a “Still outstanding” toggle, for a cheque written last month that cleared this month.
- “Debit” means money in on a bookkeeping ledger and money out on a bank export. PDFCells tries both readings against the statement and keeps the one that fits; you can swap it.
The Reconciliation sheet
| Line | Formula |
|---|---|
| Adjusted statement balance | Statement closing balance ± ledger items not yet on the statement |
| Adjusted ledger balance | Ledger balance ± statement lines not in the ledger |
| Difference | Adjusted statement − adjusted ledger (blank when no ledger balance is given) |
| Checks that read 0 | Matched amounts net to zero; opening balance plus every statement line equals closing; no match has unequal sides |
Every figure is a live formula over Excel Tables of matched pairs, statement-only lines and ledger-only entries, so it stays right after you sort or edit. PDFCells never says “Reconciled” while any match has unequal sides.
Privacy and limits
The ledger is read in your browser and never leaves your device. Ledger files are limited to 20 MB, 200,000 rows and 256 columns.
Questions
Which ledger exports work?
CSV or .xlsx exports with a date, a description and either one amount column or debit and credit columns. QuickBooks and Xero layouts are recognised from their headers; anything else can be mapped by hand.
Is my ledger uploaded?
No. Reading the ledger, matching and building the workbook all happen in your browser.
Can it match one deposit to several invoices?
Yes, when one line equals the sum of 2 to 4 lines on the other side within the date window.