Bank statement import software is a tool that brings your clients' transaction data into your reconciliation workflow without manual downloading, reformatting, or uploading. For Australian bookkeeping practices managing multiple clients, how transactions arrive is just as important as how they get coded — a broken or manual import chain is where reconciliation hours disappear before the real work even begins.
Reconlink handles bank statement import through three distinct methods: a live CDR bank feed, a per-client email address that accepts statements directly from clients, and a manual upload path for CSV and PDF files. Whichever method a given client uses, the same three-layer coding engine (rules, machine learning, and LLM fallback) runs automatically the moment transactions are received.
This page covers the import methods, how Reconlink handles non-standard formats and late submitters, who the software is built for, and how it compares to managing imports manually.
Three ways bank statements enter Reconlink
CDR bank feed (automatic daily import)
For clients at CDR-enrolled banks — ANZ, CBA, Westpac, NAB, and a growing list of others — Reconlink connects directly to the bank account via the Consumer Data Right (CDR) network through the Basiq integration. The client authorises their bank once. After that, new transactions flow into Reconlink automatically every day without any action from the bookkeeper or the client.
This is the cleanest import path: there are no files, no downloads, no emails, and no missed periods. The daily sync means the reconciliation queue is always current, and there is no end-of-quarter scramble to collect three months of statements at BAS time.
CDR coverage in Australia is expanding as more institutions complete their CDR obligations. For practices with a high proportion of clients at the major banks, CDR feeds eliminate import management entirely for that segment.
Email import (client-forwarded statements)
For clients whose banks are not yet CDR-enrolled, or who prefer not to authorise a data connection, Reconlink generates a unique email address for each client in your practice. The client — or their bookkeeper — forwards a PDF or CSV bank statement to that address. Reconlink parses the statement automatically and loads the transactions into the reconciliation queue.
The bookkeeper never touches the file. There is no portal login for the client, no upload process, and no reformatting required. The client does what they already do — download a statement from their online banking, and forward the email. Reconlink handles the rest.
This method handles the reality that many small business clients will not authorise a live bank connection but will forward a monthly PDF. It meets clients where they are rather than requiring a behaviour change.
Manual CSV or PDF upload
For situations where neither the CDR feed nor email import is available, Reconlink accepts direct CSV and PDF uploads. The bookkeeper downloads the statement from online banking and uploads it to the relevant client's workspace. Reconlink parses the file and runs the same automated coding pipeline.
This path exists as a reliable fallback, not as the primary workflow. Practices that start on manual uploads typically migrate clients to email import or CDR feeds as they onboard — reducing the bookkeeper's upload workload over time.
For step-by-step setup instructions for all three methods, see How to import bank statements in Reconlink.
How Reconlink handles non-standard formats and difficult clients
PDF parsing for non-machine-readable statements
Bank statement PDFs vary significantly in layout across institutions. Reconlink's PDF parser is built against Australian bank statement formats and handles multi-page statements, running balances, and the column layouts used by the major Australian banks. Transactions parsed from PDF are normalised to the same format as CDR and CSV data before entering the coding engine — there is no separate workflow for PDF clients.
Multi-account clients
A single client may operate multiple bank accounts — a trading account, a GST account, a payroll account — each with its own statement. Reconlink supports multiple accounts per client workspace, and each account can use a different import method. The CDR feed may cover one account while the client emails PDF statements for another. The coding engine and reconciliation view show all accounts for the client in a single workspace.
Clients who submit late
The email import method creates a record the moment the forwarded statement arrives. If a client sends three months of statements the week before BAS is due, each email is processed in sequence and the transactions are available for review immediately. The practice dashboard flags which clients have outstanding periods, so bookkeepers can prioritise the queue without manually tracking submission status.
Late CDR clients are handled differently: because CDR feeds import daily, a client who has authorised their bank will never have a late statement — the data is already in Reconlink. The late-submission problem applies only to email and manual upload clients.
Who Reconlink is built for
Reconlink is designed for bookkeeping practices and CA firms that manage ongoing bank reconciliation for five or more business clients. The import infrastructure delivers the most value when:
- Client bank diversity is high — some clients on CDR-enrolled banks, others on smaller institutions, others who will only ever forward a PDF
- Import is currently manual — bookkeepers are spending time downloading, reformatting, and uploading statements rather than reviewing and approving coded transactions
- BAS volume is the constraint — the practice needs to process more clients per BAS cycle without adding headcount
- Client data arrives unevenly — some clients submit promptly, others late, and the practice needs visibility across all of them at once
If you manage your own books as a sole trader or small business, Reconlink is designed for practice-level volume and is likely more infrastructure than a single-entity workflow requires.
Feature comparison: manual import management vs Reconlink
| Manual import management | Reconlink | |
|---|---|---|
| CDR-enrolled bank clients | Bookkeeper or client downloads CSV and uploads manually each period | Live CDR feed imports daily — no action required |
| Non-CDR clients | Chase client for statement, download, reformat, upload | Client emails PDF or CSV to a per-client address; Reconlink parses automatically |
| PDF statements | Manual data extraction or third-party conversion | Native PDF parsing built against Australian bank formats |
| Multi-account clients | Separate upload workflow per account | Multiple accounts per client workspace, each with its own import method |
| Late submitters | Manual follow-up; scramble before BAS deadline | Dashboard flags outstanding periods; email imports process the moment they arrive |
| Post-import coding | Manual line-by-line coding or basic bank rules | Three-layer engine (rules, ML, LLM) runs automatically after every import |
| Bookkeeper time on import | 15–45 minutes per client per period (download, reformat, upload) | Near zero for CDR clients; minutes for email-import clients |
| Practice-wide visibility | Switch between client files to check import status | Single dashboard shows import status and coding completion across all clients |
Pricing
Reconlink is priced per practice based on the number of active clients under management.
| Plan | Clients | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Up to 10 clients | $89/month |
| Growth | Up to 30 clients | $229/month |
| Scale | Unlimited clients | $549/month |
All plans include all three import methods, the full three-layer coding engine, CDR bank feed integration, and the practice dashboard. See full plan details at /pricing.
Frequently asked questions
What is bank statement import software and why does it matter for Australian practices? Bank statement import software automates the process of getting transaction data from your clients' banks into your reconciliation workflow. For Australian practices, this matters because the manual alternative — chasing clients for statements, downloading CSVs, reformatting files, and uploading them to your accounting platform — consumes significant bookkeeper time before any actual reconciliation work begins. Reconlink handles import through CDR bank feeds, email-based statement forwarding, and direct upload, so the bookkeeper's time starts at reviewing coded transactions rather than collecting raw data.
Which Australian banks are supported via the CDR bank feed? Reconlink connects to CDR-enrolled Australian banks via Basiq, which is an accredited CDR data recipient. This includes the major banks — ANZ, CBA, Westpac, and NAB — along with a growing number of smaller institutions as CDR obligations expand. For banks not yet on CDR, email import and manual CSV/PDF upload provide full coverage. You can see current CDR institution coverage via the Basiq CDR Register.
How does the email import method work in practice? Each client in your Reconlink workspace has a unique inbound email address. When a client receives their monthly bank statement — whether as a PDF attachment or a downloadable CSV — they forward it to that address. Reconlink receives the email, parses the attachment, normalises the transaction data, and adds it to the client's reconciliation queue. No bookkeeper action is required between the client sending the email and the transactions appearing in the coding queue.
Can Reconlink handle clients who use multiple bank accounts? Yes. Each client workspace in Reconlink supports multiple bank accounts, and each account can use a different import method. A client might have their main trading account connected via CDR and a second savings account handled via email import. All accounts appear in a single client workspace, and the reconciliation dashboard shows coding completion status across all of them.
What happens after import — does Reconlink code the transactions automatically? Yes. As soon as transactions arrive through any import method, Reconlink's three-layer coding engine processes them automatically. The first layer applies deterministic coding rules for known vendors. The second layer applies a per-client machine learning model trained on that client's coding history. The third layer uses an LLM for new or ambiguous descriptions. The result is a review queue that contains only the transactions the system is uncertain about — typically 8–15% of total transaction volume in a mature configuration.
Is Reconlink suitable for practices that have clients on a mix of banks and import methods? Yes — mixed import environments are the common case for practices managing more than a handful of clients. Reconlink is designed to handle CDR, email, and manual upload simultaneously across different clients in the same practice. The practice dashboard normalises all clients into a single view regardless of how their transactions arrive, so the bookkeeper sees the same coding completion and BAS readiness indicators for every client.
Stop managing imports. Start reviewing reconciliations.
The import step is where practice time goes before the billable work begins. Reconlink removes it — CDR clients sync automatically every day, email-import clients submit their own statements, and the three-layer AI handles the coding as soon as data arrives.
Book a free demo — see all three import methods working against real client data, with no commitment required. Or explore all Reconlink features and pricing.
This page was last reviewed on 23 May 2026. CDR bank coverage expands as institutions complete their obligations — confirm current coverage at cdr.gov.au. This is general guidance, not specific tax or legal advice.