How to Upload a Bank Statement PDF as a Transaction Source in LedgerSync

How to Upload a Bank Statement PDF as a Transaction Source in LedgerSync

You can upload a client's bank statement PDF and use its transactions like transactions from any other bank connection. LedgerSync reads the statement, adds the transactions to the client's PDF connection, runs your rules on them in the Rules Engine, and lets you sync them to QuickBooks Online.

When to use a PDF connection

  • The client's bank cannot be connected through MasterCard or MX
  • The client can only give you PDF statements
  • You are doing cleanup or historical work and only have past statements in PDF form
  • You want Rules Engine categorization on transactions from a PDF statement alongside the client's other bank connections

Not the same as the PDF Converter: The PDF Converter (Tools > PDF Converter) turns a statement into a file you download, such as Excel or QBO. A PDF connection, described here, brings the transactions into LedgerSync so they appear in the Rules Engine and can be synced to QuickBooks Online.

Step 1: Add a PDF connection for the client

  1. Make sure the right client is selected. It is shown as the Selected Client in the Bank Connections panel on the left.
  2. Click Add Bank Connection.
  3. Search for and select the client's bank.
  4. Click the PDF option (Upload statement PDFs and let Ledgersync extract transactions automatically).
  5. LedgerSync adds the PDF connection under the bank's name and shows "Connection has been successfully added".

You do not create the accounts yourself. When you upload a statement, LedgerSync creates an account for each account it finds in the statement, so a PDF that covers several accounts at the same bank is split into separate accounts.

Step 2: Upload the statement PDF

  1. Go to Bank Connections > Summary and click the PDF connection in the panel on the left.
  2. Drag the statement into the upload box, or click Browse for .pdf file and pick it. If the connection already has accounts, click Upload Another Statement first to open the upload box.
  3. While LedgerSync reads the file, you see "Uploading statement...". A large file can take a few minutes.
  4. When it finishes, you see Statement Uploaded Successfully with the number of transactions found. Click Reload Connection Summary to see the accounts.

File requirements:

  • Only PDF files are accepted. If you pick another type of file, you see "Wrong filetype, please select from PDF format(s)" and nothing is uploaded.
  • An empty file is refused with the message "Failed to upload statement".
  • Password-protected PDFs cannot be read. Remove the password before uploading.

Step 3: Work with the transactions in the Rules Engine

The transactions from the PDF appear in the Rules Engine under For Review, together with transactions from the client's other bank connections. The Bank column shows an icon for the connection type, so you can see which transactions came from the PDF.

From here you work with them like any other transactions:

  • The client's rules and your Global Rules run on them automatically when they arrive, once the client is connected to QuickBooks
  • Set the payee and category yourself for any transaction no rule matches
  • Select transactions and click Accept to move them to Categorized
  • Sync them to QuickBooks Online from Categorized

Step 4: Sync the transactions to QuickBooks Online

  1. Open Rules Engine > QuickBooks and pick Categorized on the Transactions tab.
  2. Select the transactions you want to send.
  3. Click Sync with QuickBooks.
  4. Check the Sync Status tab to confirm the transactions synced.

Each PDF account must be mapped to a QuickBooks bank or credit card account before its transactions can sync. When you sync, LedgerSync checks whether the mapped QuickBooks account is a bank or a credit card account, so each transaction is posted the right way. If you changed accounts in QuickBooks, check the account mapping in LedgerSync before syncing.

How to remove uploaded transactions

There is no option to delete a single uploaded statement. To remove an account and all of its transactions:

  1. Go to Bank Connections > Summary and click the PDF connection.
  2. Click the trash icon (Delete Account) next to the account.
  3. Confirm. The account and its transactions are removed. If it was the last account, the PDF connection is removed too.

Troubleshooting

  • The upload finished but no transactions were added: If the message says "No transactions found in PDF", LedgerSync found no transactions in the file. Check that you uploaded the right statement.
  • "Failed to upload statement": The file was refused or could not be read, for example because it is empty, damaged or password protected. Upload the original PDF without a password.
  • Rules not applied to PDF transactions: Only enabled rules run. Rules set up under Rules Engine > QuickBooks run only for a client connected to QuickBooks. Global Rules apply to a client only while its categories are mapped to global categories. New or edited rules are also run on transactions already in For Review. To run the rules again on selected transactions, use Clear & Reset in For Review.
  • PDF transactions not syncing to QuickBooks Online: Make sure the client is connected to QuickBooks and each PDF account is mapped to a QuickBooks bank or credit card account. Check the Sync Status tab for the failed transactions of each sync.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I upload several statements for the same account?

Yes. Click Upload Another Statement on the connection's page. Transactions from each statement are added to the matching account, so a later month for the same account goes into the account LedgerSync already created.

Q: Will Global Rules apply to PDF transactions?

Yes. As soon as the transactions are added, LedgerSync runs your enabled rules on them, as long as the client is connected to QuickBooks and its categories are mapped to global categories. A transaction a rule matches gets its payee and category filled in and stays in For Review until you accept it. Transactions no rule matches stay in For Review without a payee or category.

Q: Can I download PDF transactions as a QBO file?

No. The .qbo and .ofx downloads are not available for transactions from a PDF connection. To get them into QuickBooks Online, sync them from the Rules Engine. If you only need a file, the PDF Converter (Tools > PDF Converter) turns a statement into an Excel, CSV, OFX or QBO file.

Q: Is there a limit on how many pages the PDF can have?

Large statements can be uploaded. A large file can take a few minutes to read.

Q: What kinds of files can I upload?

Only PDF files. Another type of file shows "Wrong filetype, please select from PDF format(s)", and an empty file is refused with "Failed to upload statement".

Need Help?

Contact LedgerSync Support at support@ledgersync.com

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