A scanned statement is an image of a page rather than a table of selectable text. Reading it requires text recognition, often called OCR. Our converter uses Gemini to extract statement data from PDFs, including scans. The result still needs checking against the original.
Prepare the PDF
Use a direct statement download from your bank if one is available. Otherwise, scan every page with the edges visible, the text upright, and the smallest amounts readable when you zoom in. Avoid shadows, reflections, blurred digits, and folds across transaction rows.
If you photographed the pages, combine them into a PDF before uploading. The uploader accepts PDF files, not standalone JPG or PNG images. Keep pages in order and avoid mixing different accounts or currencies in one file.
Convert and inspect
- Upload the PDF to the Excel converter.
- Download the workbook after processing completes.
- Compare the Summary sheet with the account and period printed on the statement.
- Check the Transactions sheet against the images, paying particular attention to small or damaged text.
The workbook uses Date, Description, Debit, Credit, and Balance columns. It does not include a confidence score for each row or guarantee that uncertain digits will be flagged.
Errors to look for
- A decimal point read as a speck or omitted entirely.
- A minus sign lost next to an amount.
- Similar characters such as 0 and O in descriptions.
- One wrapped transaction split into two rows.
- A repeated page header mistaken for a transaction.
- A date assigned to the wrong year around a statement period boundary.
Compare transaction totals and opening and closing balances where the statement provides them. A total that agrees is helpful, but individual rows can still be wrong.
When to rescan instead
If you cannot confidently read an amount yourself, a fresh scan or a bank-issued copy is preferable to guessing. Handwritten changes, missing pages, and faded print can prevent a reliable conversion. Do not replace an unreadable value with an assumed amount just to make the totals balance.
For a broader comparison of methods, see how to convert a PDF to Excel.