Importing bank statements into reconciliation software means getting your client's raw transaction data — the credits, debits, and running balances from their bank — into your reconciliation workspace so that the matching, coding, and GST treatment can begin. Without that import step, there is nothing to reconcile.
Reconlink supports three import methods. Which one you use depends on whether the client's bank is enrolled in the Australian Consumer Data Right (CDR) programme, and how hands-on you want the client to be. This guide walks through each method so you can pick the right one for each client you set up.
Method 1: CDR (Consumer Data Right) bank feed
The CDR bank feed is the most seamless option. It creates a live, ongoing connection between the client's bank account and Reconlink. Once set up, transactions import automatically — typically within one business day of posting — and you do not need to touch anything until it is time to review and approve the reconciliation.
Supported banks: ANZ, Commonwealth Bank (CBA), Westpac, NAB, and all other institutions currently enrolled in Australia's CDR open banking regime.
Steps to set up:
- Open the client's workspace in Reconlink and go to Settings → Bank Accounts.
- Click Add bank feed and select the client's bank from the CDR-enrolled institution list.
- Reconlink will redirect the client (or you, if you hold their banking credentials) to the bank's consent portal.
- The client grants read-only data sharing consent. This typically takes two to three minutes.
- Return to Reconlink. The connection will be confirmed and the initial transaction history will begin importing. Depending on the bank, up to 12 months of history may be available on first connection.
- From this point, new transactions import daily with no further action required.
Tip: The CDR consent lasts for a period set by the bank (commonly 12 months). Reconlink will notify you before a consent expires so you can prompt the client to renew.
Method 2: Email import
If the client's bank is not CDR-enrolled, or the client prefers not to grant a live feed connection, email import is the next-best option. Each client in Reconlink has a unique import email address in the format client-abc@import.reconlink.com.au. When a bank statement PDF or CSV is forwarded to that address, Reconlink parses it automatically and adds the transactions to the client's workspace.
The bookkeeper does not need to download or upload anything. The client — or their bank, if the bank supports automated statement emails — simply forwards the statement when it arrives.
Steps to set up:
- Open the client's workspace and go to Settings → Import.
- Copy the client's unique import email address shown on the page.
- Share the address with the client and ask them to forward their monthly (or weekly) bank statement email to that address. Most Australian banks send statements as PDF email attachments; some offer CSV export via their online banking portal.
- When Reconlink receives an email at that address, it parses the attachment and imports the transactions automatically. You will receive a notification in the workspace once the import is complete.
- Review the imported transactions in the Transactions tab before beginning reconciliation.
Accepted formats: PDF statements from all major Australian banks, plus CSV files in standard formats (including the formats exported by ANZ, CBA, Westpac, NAB, and most credit unions). If a format is not recognised automatically, Reconlink will flag it for manual column mapping.
Tip: Ask the client to set up an auto-forward rule in their email client so that every statement from the bank goes straight to their Reconlink import address. That way, the import happens without any action from the client after the initial setup.
Method 3: Manual CSV or PDF upload
Manual upload is the fallback option — useful when a CDR feed is not available and the client has not set up email forwarding, or when you need to backfill historical data quickly.
Steps:
- Log in to the client's online banking portal and download the bank statement. Most Australian banks offer CSV export from their transaction history page. PDF statements are also accepted.
- In Reconlink, open the client's workspace and click Import → Upload statement.
- Drag and drop the file (or click to browse) and select the statement you downloaded.
- Reconlink will detect the file format and import the transactions. If the column mapping cannot be detected automatically, a short column-mapping step will appear — assign the date, description, debit, credit, and balance columns and click Confirm.
- Transactions will appear in the Transactions tab, ready for reconciliation.
Tip: If you are onboarding a new client and need to reconcile the last three months, manual upload is the fastest way to backfill. Once the history is loaded, you can switch the client to a CDR feed or email import for ongoing transactions.
What happens after import
Regardless of which import method you use, the next step is the same: Reconlink's three-layer coding engine runs automatically on the imported transactions. Rules you have configured fire first, then the machine-learning model fills gaps based on patterns from previous reconciliations, and finally the LLM layer handles anything that requires contextual judgement. The result is a set of suggested codings — account codes and GST treatments — ready for your review.
Import and coding are separate steps, so you always have visibility into what came in before any suggestion is applied. For more on how the coding engine works, see Automate bank reconciliation with Reconlink or browse the full feature overview.
Frequently asked questions
Which import method is most accurate? All three methods produce the same transaction data — accuracy depends on the source file from the bank, not the import method. Once transactions are in Reconlink, the coding engine applies the same logic regardless of how the data arrived.
Can I use more than one import method for the same client? Yes. A common setup is to use email import as a primary method and manual upload as a fallback if the client forgets to forward a statement. Reconlink detects and skips duplicate transactions automatically, so there is no risk of double-importing.
My client's bank is not on the CDR list. What should I do? Use email import or manual upload. Australia's CDR open banking rollout is ongoing — if your client's bank is not yet enrolled, it is worth checking the ACCC CDR register periodically, as new institutions are added regularly.
How far back can I import historical statements? For CDR feeds, history availability depends on the bank (typically 12 months). For email import and manual upload, you can import statements of any age — there is no limit on historical data in Reconlink.
Ready to set up your first client? Book a demo to see the import workflow in action, or explore all Reconlink features to see what happens after the statements come in.