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

Notes
Overview
LedgerSync supports uploading bank statement PDFs directly as a live transaction source — alongside your Mastercard and MX bank connections. This is ideal for clients whose banks cannot be connected electronically, or where only a PDF statement is available. Transactions extracted from the PDF appear in the Rules Engine, can be categorized with the same rules and AI tools, and can be synced to QBO or Accounting CS just like any other transaction.

When to Use PDF Upload as a Transaction Source

  • The client's bank is not supported by Mastercard or MX
  • The client can only provide PDF statements and electronic access is unavailable
  • You are doing cleanup or historical work and only have past bank statements in PDF form
  • You want to run Rules Engine categorization on transactions from a PDF statement alongside other bank connections

InfoDifferent from the PDF Converter: The PDF Converter (Tools > PDF Converter) converts a statement to Excel/QBO for download. PDF Upload as a transaction source (described in this article) imports the transactions directly into LedgerSync so they appear in the Rules Engine and can be synced to QBO. Choose based on what you need to do with the transactions.

Step 1 — Create a PDF Bank Account for the Client

  1. Select the client from the left panel
  2. Click Add Bank Connection
  3. Select PDF Upload as the connection type
  4. Enter the bank name and account name (e.g., "Chase Checking")
  5. Save — this creates a PDF-only bank account for this client
You can create sub-accounts under the same PDF bank if the client has multiple accounts at that institution.

Step 2 — Upload the Bank Statement PDF

  1. Navigate to the PDF bank account you just created
  2. Click Upload Statement
  3. Select the bank statement PDF from your computer
  4. LedgerSync extracts the transactions from the PDF in the background
  5. Once processing is complete, the transactions appear in the account

AlertPDF requirements:
  • The PDF must be text-based (not a scanned image). If you can highlight and copy text in the PDF, it should process correctly
  • Password-protected PDFs cannot be uploaded. Remove the password before uploading
  • The amount signs (credit/debit) must be clearly identifiable in the statement layout

Step 3 — Transactions Appear in the Rules Engine

Once the PDF is processed, the transactions from it appear in the Rules Engine — For Review queue, mixed in with transactions from any other bank connections for that client. Each transaction is tagged with its data source so you can see which ones came from the PDF upload.

From this point, you work with PDF-sourced transactions exactly the same way as any other transactions:
  • Existing Global Rules and Client Rules apply automatically
  • Use AI Rule Generation (single or bulk) to create rules for unmatched transactions
  • Manually set the payee and category for any transaction that doesn't match an existing rule
  • Accept transactions to move them to the Categorized queue
  • Sync to QBO or Accounting CS from the Categorized queue

Step 4 — Sync PDF Transactions to QBO

Once transactions are categorized and accepted, sync them to QuickBooks Online the same way you would for any transaction:
  1. Go to the Categorized tab in the Rules Engine
  2. Select the transactions you want to push to QBO
  3. Click Sync to QBO
  4. Check the Sync Status tab to confirm all transactions synced successfully

InfoLedgerSync confirms the QBO account type (bank vs. credit card) at sync time to ensure transactions are posted correctly. If you recently changed the account structure in QBO, make sure the mapping in LedgerSync reflects the current account type before syncing.

How to Delete a PDF Upload

If you uploaded the wrong file or need to start over:
  1. Navigate to the PDF bank account for the client
  2. Find the uploaded statement
  3. Click the Delete option next to the statement
  4. This removes the statement and all transactions extracted from it

Troubleshooting

IssueSolution
Transactions not appearing after uploadWait a few minutes for processing to complete. Refresh the page. If still not appearing, check that the PDF is text-based (highlight test)
Debit and credit amounts reversedThis has been fixed for new uploads. If you see reversed amounts on an older upload, delete and re-upload the statement
Rules not being applied to PDF transactionsConfirm your Global Rules are active and categories are mapped. Rules are applied automatically when transactions arrive — if rules were created after the upload, reset the transactions and re-run
Vendor or category not saving after manual editThis was a known display issue that has been resolved. If you encounter it, refresh and try again. Contact support if it persists
Cannot delete the PDF uploadThis was a known issue that has been resolved. The Delete action now works correctly for PDF uploads
PDF transactions not syncing to QBOEnsure the client's QBO account is connected and the account mapping in LedgerSync is correct. Check the Sync Status tab for specific error messages

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I upload multiple statements for the same account?
Yes. You can upload multiple monthly statements for the same PDF bank account. Each upload is treated as a separate batch of transactions.

Q: Will Global Rules apply to PDF-uploaded transactions?
Yes. As soon as transactions are extracted from the PDF, LedgerSync runs your active Global Rules against them. Transactions that match a rule are categorized automatically and appear in the Categorized queue. Unmatched transactions remain in For Review.

Q: Can I download PDF transactions as a QBO or CSV file?
Yes. In addition to syncing to QBO, you can download PDF-sourced transactions in QBO, OFX, or CSV format from the Transactions tab.

Q: Is there a limit on how many pages the PDF can have?
LedgerSync handles large combined PDFs (150+ pages). Processing time depends on file size — large files may take a few minutes.

Need Help?

Contact LedgerSync Support at support@ledgersync.com

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