To extract data from bank statements, you can use an AI extraction tool like Lido. Lido reads statements from any bank, including scanned copies, and turns dates, descriptions, amounts, and balances into clean spreadsheet rows you can export to Excel.
In this tutorial, we will walk you through two ways to extract data from bank statements using Lido. Use Method 1 to pull specific fields from one or many statements, or Method 2 to copy a full transaction table exactly as it appears.
This method is best when you want to choose the exact columns you need or process many statements from different banks at once.
Before you start, make sure you have your bank statement saved as a PDF, image, or scanned copy. Most banks let you download PDF statements from online banking.
If you don't have a Lido account yet, you can create one for free here.
Once you're logged in, create a New File.
Select the Extract Data button at the top of the sheet.
Upload your files by dragging and dropping them into Lido, or click to browse. You can upload up to 100 statements at a time, even from different banks.
For the purpose of this tutorial, we will be using a sample bank statement.
Enter the columns you want to pull from your statement. For most statements, that would be Date, Amount, and Description. You can also add Running Balance, Check Number, or Post Date.
You can also add extra instructions if you'd like (this is optional), such as extracting each transaction as its own row or showing withdrawals as negative amounts. Once done, click Process All Files.
Review the extracted data to make sure it's in the format you need. You can edit cells, adjust column widths, or reorganize the data to suit your workflow.
Once you're done, click Export to Excel to download your bank statement data as a spreadsheet file. From there, you can save it as a CSV before loading the statement transactions into QuickBooks.
This method is best when you want to copy a statement's transaction table exactly as it appears, section by section.
Log into Lido and create a New File.
Click on Tools in the top menu and select the PDF Table Extractor. This tool is designed to read tables and structured data from your bank statement.
Drag and drop your file into Lido, or click to upload. PDFs, scanned images, and photos of paper statements all work.
Bank statements are split into sections like deposits, withdrawals, and daily balances, so you can extract just the ones you need. Drag the selection box over the tables you want to pull, then click Extract Data.
Review the extracted data to make sure it includes everything you need. You can go back to adjust your selection. When you're satisfied, click Insert at Active Cell to add it to your spreadsheet.
You can edit and format the cells however you need. Adjust column widths, format amounts as currency, or reorganize the data to suit your workflow. Withdrawals often show as positive numbers, so you may want to add a column that makes them negative before you calculate totals.
Once you're done, click Export to Excel at the top to download your bank statement data as a spreadsheet file.
Lido can extract every field on a bank statement. The most common ones include:
Transaction details: Transaction date, post date, description or payee, and check number.
Amounts: Debits, credits, and the running balance after each transaction.
Statement details: Account number, bank name, statement period, and opening and closing balances. These help you keep statements from several accounts organized in one workbook. Lenders rely on the same fields when verifying bank statements for underwriting.
Most teams still use one of two older methods, and both fall short:
Manual entry: Typing transactions into a spreadsheet has an error rate of 1% to 4% per field. A bookkeeper keying 2,000 transactions a month spends nearly 17 hours on data entry, and one debit entered as a credit throws the reconciliation off by double the amount.
Template-based parsers: Tools like Parseur and MoneyThumb only work with bank layouts in their template library. When a bank changes its format, or a statement comes from a small credit union, the parser fails and you're back to manual entry.
Lido reads each statement the way a person would, so it works with any bank and any format on the first try. That includes community banks, neobanks, and scanned paper statements, with no templates to build or maintain.
Keep these in mind when you work with bank statement data:
Multi-page statements: Business statements often run 10 to 15 pages, with the transaction table breaking across every page. Lido keeps the table and its columns aligned across page breaks.
Debit and credit signs: Banks show withdrawals in different ways, such as a separate column, a minus sign, or parentheses. Matching your total debits and credits to the statement summary confirms everything is in the right column.
Scanned statements: For paper statements, scan at 300 DPI or higher with flat, evenly lit pages for the clearest results. For more options, see our guide to the best OCR software.
For more tools, see our guide to the best bank statement converters. To try it on your own statements, upload a PDF to Lido's bank statement parser for free.
Now that you know how to extract data from bank statements, you can skip manual entry and move straight to reconciliation and analysis.
Upload the PDF to Lido, enter the columns you need, such as Date, Amount, and Description, and click Process All Files. Lido extracts each transaction into its own row, ready to export to Excel. No template setup is required.
Use the Data Extractor when you want specific columns or need to process many statements at once. Use the PDF Table Extractor when you want to copy a transaction table exactly as it appears on the statement.
Yes. Lido uses OCR to read scanned and photographed bank statements. For the best results, scan at 300 DPI or higher with flat, straight pages.
Upload your statement to Lido, extract the transactions, and click Export to Excel. Each transaction becomes a row with columns for the date, description, amount, and balance. You can also upload many statements at once and export them together.
AI extraction from digital PDFs downloaded from online banking achieves 99% or higher accuracy per field. Scanned statements typically reach 95% to 98%, depending on scan quality. Manual data entry, by comparison, has an error rate of 1% to 4% per field.
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