A bank statement is a list of everything that went in and out of an account during a period, usually a month, with the balance at the start and the end. Layouts differ from bank to bank, but every statement is built from the same parts. Once you know them, any statement becomes easy to read — and easy to check.
1. The header: whose account, which period
At the top you find the bank’s name and address, your name and address, the account number (often partly hidden), the IBAN and BIC/SWIFT code in many countries, the sort code in the UK or the routing number in the US, and the statement period — for example “1 March 2026 to 31 March 2026”. The period matters: every transaction on the statement falls inside it, and many statements print dates without the year, which you read from the period.
2. The summary: opening balance, totals, closing balance
Most statements have a box with four numbers:
| Line | Also called | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Opening balance | Previous balance, balance brought forward, solde de départ, saldo anterior | What was in the account when the period started |
| Total money in | Credits, deposits, paid in | Everything received during the period |
| Total money out | Debits, withdrawals, paid out | Everything paid or withdrawn |
| Closing balance | New balance, balance carried forward, nouveau solde, saldo final | What was left at the end |
They always follow one rule: opening balance + money in − money out = closing balance. If you copy a statement into a spreadsheet and that rule does not hold, a transaction is missing or was copied wrong.
3. The transaction list, column by column
- Date — the day the transaction was booked. Some banks print two dates: the booking or operation date and the value date, the day the money actually counts for interest. They are usually the same or a day or two apart.
- Description (narration, libellé, concepto) — who paid or was paid, and often a reference, a card number ending, a transfer ID or a code such as DD (direct debit), SO (standing order), POS (card payment at a shop), ATM (cash machine), NEFT/UPI/IMPS (Indian transfers) or SEPA (European transfers).
- Money out / Debit and Money in / Credit — two separate columns on most statements. Some banks use one Amount column instead, with a minus sign for money out.
- Balance — the running balance after each transaction. Not every bank prints it, but when it is there it lets you check every single line.
4. Cr, Dr, CREDITEUR, DEBITEUR: the sign of the balance
Instead of a minus sign, many banks write the direction after the amount. Cr (credit, créditeur) after a balance means money in your favour — a normal positive balance. Dr (debit, débiteur) means you owe the bank: the account is overdrawn. On a credit card statement it is the other way round: a balance is normally money you owe.
5. The small lines that are easy to miss
- Fees and charges — monthly account fees, card fees, SMS alerts, transfer fees and the tax on them.
- Interest — paid to you on savings, or charged on an overdraft.
- Reversals and refunds — money returned after a failed or disputed payment, shown as money in.
- Totals per page — “carried forward” at the bottom of a page and “brought forward” at the top of the next one. These are not transactions.
6. Checking a statement yourself
To be sure a statement — or a spreadsheet made from it — is complete:
- Add up all money in and all money out.
- Check that opening balance + money in − money out equals the closing balance.
- If the statement prints a running balance, check each line: previous balance + money in − money out = the balance on that line. The first line where it fails is where the problem is.
StatementEasy does all three checks automatically when it converts a statement to Excel or CSV, and points at any line that does not add up.
Common questions
Why is a transaction from last month on this statement?
Card payments are often booked a few days after you paid. The statement shows the booking date, so a payment made on the 30th can appear on next month’s statement.
What is a pending transaction?
A payment that is authorised but not booked yet. It shows in your banking app but not on the statement until it is booked.
Is a downloaded PDF statement official?
For most purposes, yes. Some consulates and lenders ask for a stamped or certified statement from the branch; check what the organisation asks for.