To extract bank statement data, first check whether your bank can export transactions directly. A structured download avoids turning a readable PDF back into rows. If a PDF is your only source, check any extracted table against the original statement before using it for bookkeeping.
This article previously linked to a Receiptor bank-statement converter. That public tool is currently unavailable. The workflow below explains how to obtain usable transaction data and collect the supporting purchase documents.
Start with a transaction export
In online banking, choose the account and period you need, then look for a transaction download in a format your accounting system supports. Keep the original statement as the reference for the period. Confirm the account currency and avoid overlapping an existing import or active bank feed.
Xero's official import guide explains how to export transactions from online banking and import them as statement lines. It also covers creating a CSV when the bank cannot supply a supported export. Follow the destination's current requirements rather than assuming every CSV uses the same columns.
If you only have a PDF
Check whether the PDF contains selectable text or scanned images. Table extraction may work with a text-based statement; scanned pages require recognition first. In either case, inspect the result before treating it as a transaction ledger.
Check dates, descriptions, debit and credit signs, decimal separators and currency. Repeated page headers, wrapped descriptions and opening or closing balance rows can be mistaken for transactions. Keep the original PDF so you can resolve discrepancies.
Validate before importing
Compare the extracted rows with the statement period and transaction count. Reconcile opening balance, money in, money out and closing balance using the statement's sign convention. Investigate any difference instead of forcing a balancing entry into the file.
Import into the correct account and review the destination's preview. Look for transactions already supplied by a bank feed or previous upload. A successful file upload does not by itself prove that the resulting books are correct.
Collect the evidence behind each purchase
A statement line records money movement. The supplier receipt or invoice provides purchase details that the bank description may omit. Receiptor's automatic email extraction collects those documents from connected inboxes; WhatsApp, iMessage and uploads cover additional sources.
Receiptor supports legal entity distinction, duplicate handling, transaction groups, mathematical validation and AI review. These help prepare collected evidence for supported Xero or QuickBooks accounting workflows. The Mercury integration adds transaction context; broader bank connections are in beta.
Keep bank-data import and receipt collection coordinated. Review unmatched statement lines, missing documents and related invoice-payment pairs before completing reconciliation.
