Bookkeeping
Bank and credit card reconciliation
Bank and credit card reconciliation matches every transaction in your books to the matching line on the actual statement. Finbryn reconciles every US business bank, card and payment-processor account monthly, so the balances in QuickBooks Online or Xero always agree with the institution.
Bank reconciliation summary
Illustrative client · August 2026
USD
| Account | Difference | Status | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating account··4821 | 184,220.16 | 184,220.16 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Reserve account··0937 | 60,000.00 | 60,000.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Company card··1006 | (12,418.52) | (12,418.52) | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Card processor clearing | 8,905.40 | 8,905.40 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
| Payroll clearing | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Reconciled |
Last weekly runFri, Aug 28, every account agreed to its statement.
Two open itemsTwo card receipts requested from you, marked on the card account until they arrive.
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
What reconciliation actually catches
A bank feed can miss a transaction, double-import one, or post it on the wrong date. A reconciliation forces every line in the books to match a real line on the statement, which is how a duplicate charge, a bank error, or a fraudulent transaction gets caught before it distorts your numbers.
The monthly process
We pull the statement for each connected bank, card and payment-processor account, then match every transaction one by one. Unmatched items get investigated: a check still outstanding, a deposit still in transit, a fee the bank charged that has not been coded yet. Whatever cannot be resolved goes on the open-items list for you to clarify.
More accounts than QuickBooks or Xero shows by default
Beyond the operating bank account, most US businesses run a card program, and often Stripe, PayPal or another processor holding funds before they land in the bank. Each of those needs its own reconciliation, since a processor balance is not the same thing as cash in your checking account.
Why this matters for everything downstream
A profit and loss statement built on unreconciled accounts is a guess. Reconciliation is the step that turns a bank feed into a trustworthy set of books, and it is the first thing a lender, an investor or a tax preparer will ask whether you have done.
Part of a larger process
Reconciliation runs inside monthly bookkeeping as a matter of course, and it is the backbone of any catch-up and cleanup engagement for books that have gone unreconciled for a while.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: Bank and credit card reconciliation
How many accounts can you reconcile in a month?
As many as the business uses. Every connected bank, card and payment-processor account is reconciled on the same monthly schedule, not just the primary checking account.
What happens when the bank balance and the books do not agree?
We trace the difference to a specific transaction, timing item or bank fee and note it on the reconciliation report rather than forcing the numbers to line up.
Do you reconcile Stripe and PayPal, or only the bank?
Both. Payment-processor balances are reconciled to the processor's own statement before the payout to your bank is reconciled separately.
What does bank and credit card reconciliation actually include, month to month?
Bank and credit card reconciliation covers every transaction matched to a bank, card or processor line, along with unmatched and duplicate items investigated and cleared. The work runs inside QuickBooks Online, Xero, Stripe or PayPal, the file stays under your own subscription, and a senior principal reviews the output before it reaches you each period.
What access do you need to start bank and credit card reconciliation?
View or edit access to QuickBooks Online, Xero, Stripe or PayPal is enough to begin; nothing about your existing subscription or login changes on our side. Any additional access needed for a specific deliverable, such as a bank portal or receipt inbox, is agreed with you first, and the scope is set out in your engagement letter.
How many accounts can you reconcile?
As many as the business uses. Every connected bank, card and payment-processor account is reconciled on the same schedule.
What happens when the bank balance and the books disagree?
We trace the difference to a specific transaction, timing item or bank fee and note it on the reconciliation report rather than forcing the numbers to match.
What if our records for bank and credit card reconciliation are not up to date?
If your records are behind, we scope a catch-up first so bank and credit card reconciliation starts from a clean, reconciled base. That catch-up is priced and timed separately from the ongoing engagement, so you always know what each part costs.
Who reviews the work before it reaches us?
Every deliverable under bank and credit card reconciliation is reviewed by a senior principal before it reaches you. You keep access to the underlying file at every stage, so nothing about the work happens somewhere you cannot see it.
Related services
- BookkeepingMonthly bookkeepingOngoing monthly bookkeeping: transactions sorted into categories, accounts reconciled and month-end reports delivered in the software you already use.
- BookkeepingCatch-up and cleanup bookkeepingMonths or years of books brought up to date and reconciled, with a written record of every adjustment, so monthly bookkeeping can start from a clean base.
Industries
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
- HospitalityBookkeeping for hotels, short-term rentals and hospitality operators reconciling booking platform payouts and occupancy-driven revenue.
- Trucking and logisticsBookkeeping for trucking companies and logistics operators tracking cost per mile across a fleet of owner-operators or drivers.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.