Advanced bank statement import process overview

After completing the setup requirements, you can begin importing bank statements, reviewing and processing matches, and generating payments through validation. You can also match transactions to existing payments and create manual entries linked to matched payments.

This section provides an overview of the advanced bank statement import process. Only the first step in the process, Import transactions, applies to the Standard and Reconciliation only flow types. All matching and validating for the Reconciliation only flow type takes place outside the advanced bank statement import process.

Import transactions

Open: A/P-A/R accounting > Bank transactions > Advanced bank statement > Bank transactions import (BSIIMP)

The first step is to import the transactions for one or several bank statement files. You can obtain them either directly from your bank by downloading them from the bank or by file transfer, or as an export from an online banking tool.

An electronic bank file can contain several statements, each containing multiple transactions. The import is done per file but for each statement within a file, a single import record is created.

You can save the file to your workstation (client) or to a server volume depending on the settings. After that, you can start the actual import. It is necessary for the import that you choose or enter the following settings:

  • Bank import settings
  • Bank
  • File format

According to the bank import settings, the import extracts the transaction information in the file and stores the result in the system. The result of the import is displayed in a log file.

At this point in the workflow, only the import and the data parsing have been performed. Depending on the flow type set in the Bank import settings, the next step is either:

  • Match transactions to open items or existing payments through the advanced bank statement import process functions.
  • Do a manual reconciliation using the standard Bank reconciliation function (RAPBAN).

Manage imports and matching

Open: A/P-A/R accounting > Bank transactions > Advanced bank statement > Bank transactions management (BSIIMP)

From this page, you can also access Bank transactions import (BSIIMPORT) by clicking Start import.

After importing one or several statements, use Bank transactions management (BSIIMP) to continue the process by matching statements to open items or existing payments.

An imported statement can have one of the following statuses:

Not matched: Initial status after import, no matching has been performed.

Matched: Matching or partial has been performed for the statement.

Validated: Payments have been generated and the statement is read-only.

Reconcile: The bank statement was imported with Reconciliation only as the flow type. The transaction data has been copied to the Bank statement reconciliation function (RAPBAN). The statement here is read-only.

From the Action icon menu at the beginning of each line, you can directly access Process bank transactions for Standard flow types or the Bank statement reconciliation function for Reconciliation only flow types.

Matching

After importing bank statements, the matching process searches for possible matches with open items or existing payments. The settings you defined during setup determine how transactions are matched to open items.

One bank statement transaction can only be matched to an open item(s) or a payment(s). A transaction cannot be matched to an open item and a payment.

Matching priority depends on the sign of the payment transaction:

Revenue: Open items are matched first.

Expense: Payments are matched first.

You can trigger automatic matching in two ways:

  1. Click Start matching. After a confirmation, the automatic matching for all non-matched statements starts based on the bank statement import settings you created.
  2. From the Action icon menu at the beginning of each line, select Process bank transactions. From that screen, there is an option to Match transaction in the Action panel.
You can undo matching from either method above as long as transactions have not been validated, i.e., a payment generated.

Checking the results and processing transactions

For imports with a Standard flow type, this is a critical step in the process because this directly impacts how payments are generated through validation. Once validated, you can no longer undo or modify a match. Also, you cannot validate until the complete transaction amount has been distributed for payment to one or several open items, G/L or BP accounts, or a source account that is processed at a later date.

After the automatic matching is complete, each transaction within the statement has a matching level.

A: An exact match to one or several open items (or a G/L account) or to one or several posted payments was found.

AS: The transaction was automatically assigned to a G/L account or a BP according to search terms defined in the search term list function.

B: Some information was found, but not an exact match or a possible match for payment was found but the amount is different. Possible matching open items or payments are displayed.

C: No matches were found and there are no possible matches displayed. For payments, either no matches were found, or the bank transaction sign is RD or RC, indicating a return.

Typically, not all transactions would have an A match, so the result of the matching should be checked. To do so, use the Process bank transactions function described in the next section.

Match to open items and/or accounts or existing payments

After running the automatic matching process, you can review details for each statement by selecting Process bank transactions from the Actions icon menu on that line. It is in this function that you perform the majority of tasks related to the advanced bank statement import process.

  • Check and edit automatic matching results
  • Undo and redo matching
  • Manual matching
  • Manual selections (search for open items or existing payments)
  • Manual entries
  • Complete transactions manually
  • Start the validation and generate payment for matches to open items/accounts and matching marks for matches to existing payments

When you begin processing, transactions have one of three initial match levels as mentioned earlier. As you work through the transactions, the match level changes based on the manual actions you apply: manual entry or manual selection.

A: This represents an automatic exact match to one or several open items and/or existing payments. Matched open items or payments display in the related grid and are selected. The A status can also include:

Automatic matches:

A: to an open item

AC: to open items in a different currency

AP: to an existing payment

AS: by search term list that automatically creates a manual entry

Manual matches:

AM: to an open item and/or an existing payment

AD: manual entry

B: Some information was found, but no exact matches. Possible matching items are displayed in the grids and are not selected. If not processed manually before validating, payments are posted to the Suspense account unless you have selected to Suppress intermediation posing as defined in the Bank import settings function (BSIIMPPAR)..

BC for possible matches involving open items in a different currency.

BP for possible matches to existing payment.

C: No information was found and no items display in the grids. If not processed manually before validating, payments are posted to the Suspense account unless you have selected to Suppress intermediate posing as defined in the Bank import settings function (BSIIMPPAR).

For any manual changes, an M is appended to the match code.

Manual entry

Use Manual entry to post transactions for B or C matches to a G/L or BP account without assigning them to an open item, i.e., payment to an account. You can distribute the payment to multiple accounts, but you cannot change the total payment amount as the complete transaction amount must be distributed. If you create multiple payment lines, you cannot mix G/L and BP accounts. All payment lines for a transaction must be G/L or BP accounts.

After selecting the transaction in the Selection panel, click Manual entry. In the Manual entry screen, you can enter the necessary information for the accounts you want to use.

The online help has detailed field information, but there are some key points to understand when adding multiple payment lines:

  • A match can only be performed within the same site for a bank or invoices if the bank does not have a dedicated site.
  • You can enter multiple lines (accounts), but you cannot change the payment amounts.
  • You cannot mix G/L and BP account lines. All lines must be either G/L or BP.
  • If you enter a BP account, you must enter a control account.
Remember, the entire transaction amount must be paid across one or multiple payment lines. As you begin to enter lines, the Allocated amount and Remaining amount fields automatically update based on the amounts you enter.

When you save the manual match for a B or an A match, the status changes to AD.

You can change the manual matching again or remove it completely by using the Undo matching action.

For transactions with an AD or AS status, the Manual entry link is always available to view or change the manual entry.

Use Undo matching to delete a manual entry for a transaction.

For payments

If you selected a payment in the Payments grid and you have a remaining amount, you can also create a manual entry for the remaining amount.

This is typically for bank charges: If the bank debits the charges directly on the transaction, the statement transaction amount is larger than the payment amount. In this case, you would select the existing payment in the Payments grid and create a manual entry against a G/L account for the remaining amount.

Select open items

You can manually match a B match or an A match for an open item if the result should be corrected or changed. Or if the automatic matching did not find any results.

The B match means that the automatic matching found one or more open items but was not able to do an exact match. This is typically due to amount deviations, discounts taken after discount date, collective payments etc.

The open items found by the automatic matching are displayed in the open item grid, but none is selected automatically.

In the grid, select the check box of the open item you want to match to the transaction. When you select the open item, the payment amount is suggested in the Paid column. Also, any applicable discount is suggested according to the discount term of the open item. If necessary, you can adjust these values by editing the column:

Paid + discount = open item amount: Open item is cleared when payment is generated.

Paid + discount < open item amount: Partial payment, open item has a remaining amount after payment generation.

Paid + discount > open item amount (or totals of all selected open items): This is considered an overpayment; enter the difference amount in the Overpayment field below the grid.

You must distribute the complete transaction amount as Paid, plus overpayment if applicable. It is possible to distribute the amount to several open items by clicking one after another.

As mentioned above, payment and discount amounts regarding credit notes must be entered with a negative sign. The sign is defaulted when you select an open item in the grid.

When you save the manual match for a B or an A match, the status changes to AM.

You change the manual matching again or to remove it completely by using the Undo matching action.

Select payments

You can manually match a B match or an A match for an existing payment if the result should be corrected or changed. Or if there were no matches.

You can remove these results by clicking Undo matching and repeat the process.

Complete transactions manually

In certain cases, open items associated with a bank statement transaction might have been settled outside the advanced bank statement import process. In other words, a payment transaction included in the bank statement already exists as a payment.

To handle these situations and to avoid leaving an entire statement as Matched, transactions can be completed manually. No payments are created for a manually completed transaction.

Complete transaction is enabled when a transaction status is Not validated or is Partially validated. You can click this action to manually complete a transaction.

Use this action with care! A completed transaction cannot be undone.

Complete transaction is disabled when the transaction status is Not validated and not yet matched, or when the status is Validated or Manually completed.

Important considerations

Site determination

If the bank account is linked to a dedicated site, only invoices belonging to the same site are considered in the matching process and this site is used for payment generation.

If there is no site linked to the bank account, the payment site is determined from the invoice or you must define the site for manual entries.

Creditor payments

Creditor payments can be matched to open items just like debtor payments, (i.e., for creditor direct debits).

Typically, creditor payments are generated in the standard payment life cycle and have already been posted when the transactions appear in the bank statement.

There are several options to handle this:

  1. When generating the creditor payments, post them to an intermediate account instead of the actual bank account. In a bank statement import, creditor payments are posted to the suspense account (defined in the bank import settings) because they usually have a C status after matching. Finally, perform a manual posting later from the suspense to the intermediate account to balance these accounts.
  2. Use the Complete transaction action for each of these transactions. They receive the status Manually completed and no posting is generated when the statement is validated.
  3. Use the option Suppress intermediate posting in the Bank import settings. With this setting, no intermediate postings are generated by the advanced bank statement import process for all transactions with a B and C matching status.

Validate transactions

The final step in the process is to validate transactions to generate payments for matches to open items and to create a link to existing payments for matches to payments.

After validation, the transactions can no longer be changed. The validation is always performed for the entire current statement.
No payments are generated for transactions set to Manually completed.

For A level matches

To open items: This generates the payment and no more changes can be made.

To existing payments: This simply creates the match to the bank transaction with no new posting or payments.*

To an existing payment linked to a manual entry: This matches the existing payment and creates a new payment posting for the manual entry amount only.

*For A level matches to existing payments, validation creates the following data:

PAYMENTH: a reference to the linked transaction in BSIIMPD

GACCENTRY: a matching flag entry (value “BSI”) for those journal entries related to the entry in PAYMENTH

For B and C level matches

Payments are created for the suspense account unless you have selected to Suppress intermediate posting. In that case, you need to manually generate payments and journal entries for those transactions. This option and suspense account settings are defined in the Bank import settings.

The payment entry type given in the Bank import settings is used when creating the payments, especially to determine the default payment attribute.

One payment is generated per transaction. After generating the payment, click Payment to view the related payment.

Depending on the setting, remittance payments are available in the Payment entry function (GESPAY) for manual posting or they can be posted automatically.

If you receive an error during payment generation, you can re-validate after resolving the error. Only transactions not yet validated are re-considered.