Bookkeeping notes
Clarify transaction descriptions before categorizing expenses in another tool.
Statement code reference
Decode common bank statement abbreviations
Understand common bank statement codes such as ACH, POS, ATM, NSF, INT, REV, and recurring payment labels.
No account to preview Statement contents stay local Review before export
monthly-statement.pdf4 rows shown
Money in$7,230.74Money out$2,061.38
01/03Payroll deposit+4,820.0001/07Office rent-1,850.0001/09Stripe payout+2,410.7401/21Insurance-211.38
Ready to export.csv
Built around a visible result
Codes are clues, not universal definitions
StatementForge does not hide extraction behind a black box. The transaction table, warnings, totals, and destination format stay visible so you can decide whether the result is usable.
- ACH usually identifies an Automated Clearing House transfer
- POS usually identifies a point-of-sale card transaction
- NSF commonly indicates insufficient funds or a related fee
- Institution-specific codes should be confirmed with the issuing bank
Quick reference
Common bank statement codes
Exact meanings vary by institution and country. Use this list as a starting point, then confirm ambiguous entries with the issuing bank.
ACHAutomated Clearing House transferATMAutomated teller machine transactionPOSPoint-of-sale card transactionEFTElectronic funds transferINTInterest credited or chargedNSFInsufficient funds or related feeODOverdraft or overdraft feeREVReversal of an earlier entryDEPDepositWDLWithdrawalTRFTransfer between accountsDDDirect deposit or direct debit, depending on contextPADPre-authorized debitCHQCheque transactionFEEAccount or transaction feeFXForeign-exchange conversion or charge
A review-first workflow
From source document to a file you can inspect.
- 01
Choose
Select a statement PDF or use the safe sample.
- 02
Extract
Read its text layer or run limited local OCR.
- 03
Review
Check and correct the transaction table.
- 04
Export
Generate CSV from the reviewed rows.
Honest operating limits
Financial files still deserve a human check.
- This page is a practical guide, not financial, legal, tax, or accounting advice.
- Bank statement labels vary by bank, country, card network, and merchant processor.
- Use the converter output as a reviewable starting point, then confirm against the source statement.
Where this workflow fits
Use the converter for a defined job.
Transfer review
Identify internal transfers, e-Transfers, online banking payments, and fees.
Statement cleanup
Keep raw labels in one column and add your own notes after export.
Practical questions
Abbreviation questions
Does StatementForge decode every abbreviation?
No. It preserves the source description and lets you review or edit it.
Why do abbreviations differ?
Banks, card processors, and payment networks use different transaction description formats.
Should I remove confirmation codes?
Only if your own workflow requires it. Keep the original export if you need a source trail.
Can I edit descriptions before export?
Yes. You can edit extracted descriptions in the table.
Continue the workflow
Related statement tools and guides
How to read and check a bank statementLearn the common sections, transaction fields, signs, running balances, and review checks found on bank statements.Bank statements vs. credit card statementsCompare balances, transaction direction, payments, credits, account activity, and reconciliation differences between bank and credit card statements.Convert bank statement PDFs to CSVConvert a bank statement PDF to clean CSV rows in your browser. Review dates, descriptions, withdrawals, deposits, amounts, and balances before download.
Convert statement descriptions into rows.
Choose a statement, inspect the extracted rows, and decide what to export.