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To reconcile a bank account in Xero, review each imported bank statement line and either match it to a transaction already recorded in Xero or create the appropriate transaction during reconciliation. Enter and check your bookkeeping records first; then verify each suggested match before accepting it. If statement lines are missing or a match is wrong, investigate the feed or import and correct the reconciliation.

Prepare your records and balances

Before matching statement lines, enter the transactions they may correspond to. These can include invoices, bills, credit notes, expense claims, payments, and spend or receive money transactions. Xero’s reconciliation guidance recommends checking that the bank account’s opening balance is correct and that the statement balance shown in Xero agrees with the actual bank account.

These checks help distinguish a bookkeeping issue from a bank-feed or statement-import problem. If the balance does not agree, investigate the underlying transactions and opening balance before proceeding.

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Work through unreconciled statement lines

Open the bank account’s reconciliation view and review the unreconciled statement lines. When the list is long, narrow your search using the date and amount to find the line you need. For each line, decide whether it represents a transaction already recorded in Xero or a transaction that still needs to be created.

Match a statement line to an existing transaction

Xero compares statement-line details with account transactions and suggests possible matches. A suggested match is a candidate, not confirmation that the transaction is correct. Check the payee, amount, date, and underlying record before accepting it.

If the expected transaction is not the first suggestion, review other possible matches or use the find-and-match option to locate it. One bank statement line can correspond to more than one Xero transaction, for example when a payment groups several items; check the linked records rather than assuming every line maps one-to-one.

Record bank transfers as transfers

If the statement line represents money moving between two of your bank accounts, use the transfer workflow rather than recording ordinary income or spending. Xero advises creating a transfer in only one account. If it has already been created from the other account, match the statement line to that existing transfer.

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Create a transaction only when no existing record applies

If no existing Xero transaction represents the statement line, you can create the appropriate transaction during reconciliation. Xero may offer suggestions based on bank rules, similar entries reconciled previously, or predictions from statement-line details. Review the suggested account, description, and other details, and edit them if needed before accepting.

Do not create a new transaction merely because the right existing transaction was not suggested; search for it first. For a transfer between accounts, choose the transfer workflow instead of classifying the line as ordinary income or spending. Xero’s guidance on reconciling with suggestions explains the available suggestions and reconciliation choices.

Choose how statement lines reach Xero

Method When it fits What to account for
Bank feed A feed is available for your bank account. The bank controls when recent transactions become available, so a transaction visible in online banking may not have arrived in Xero yet.
Manual statement import A suitable feed is unavailable, or you need to bring in transactions for a particular date range. Export the transactions from online banking and import the statement file. Xero’s guidance supports OFX, QIF, and CSV, and recommends OFX where possible. Check warnings, errors, and possible duplicates before completing an import.

For a CSV import, follow the applicable regional instructions and make sure the transaction date and amount are mapped to the correct columns. Available formats, feeds, and interface details can vary by bank and region; see Xero’s bank connection and statement import guidance for the options available to you.

Troubleshoot missing or duplicate statement lines

No statement lines appear

  • Check whether the dates you need are earlier than the history available through the connected feed.
  • Check whether a feed is available for the account and whether it is delayed. The bank determines when recent transactions are sent, so an online-banking entry may not appear in Xero immediately. See Xero’s guidance on transactions not showing.
  • If no suitable feed is available, export the required date range from online banking and import it into Xero. Review the import for errors and potential duplicates before confirming it.

A statement line appears more than once

Before completing an import, review any duplicate warnings and compare the lines with the account’s existing statement history. Avoid reconciling the same bank activity twice. If a duplicate has already been imported, inspect the affected statement lines and their status before taking corrective action.

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Inspect and correct a reconciliation

Open the bank statement line to inspect its source and status. Xero identifies whether a line came from a bank feed, a file import, or manual reconciliation. For a reconciled line, you can view the account transaction or transactions linked to it.

If the line was matched to the wrong transaction, unreconcile it and then reconcile it to the correct record. Xero’s instructions for unreconciling a bank statement line cover that correction workflow. After correcting an item, check the statement line’s status and linked transaction details.

Verify the account after reconciling

  • Check that the statement lines you worked on show the intended reconciliation status.
  • Open reconciled lines that need closer review and confirm their linked transaction or transactions.
  • Compare the statement balance in Xero with the bank account balance, and investigate any difference rather than treating it as a match.

Xero also documents automatic bank reconciliation powered by JAX as a beta feature: it reviews statement lines imported after the feature is turned on and automatically reconciles only when confidence is high. Other lines remain for manual review. Eligibility and availability can change by region and plan, so consult current local Xero guidance before relying on the feature.

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