How Transaction Reconciliation Works
From source reports to reconciled transactions
Bring together the records that should agree, define how they should match, run the reconciliation, and focus your finance team on the exceptions.
One reusable workflow from raw reports to reconciliation output.
Step 1
Choose the reconciliation you need
Start with a common finance workflow or build around your own process.
Ready-made reconciliation
Choose from common workflows such as:
Custom reconciliation
Configure the reconciliation around your own systems, reports, identifiers, amounts, and business process.
Start quickly with a common workflow or create the reconciliation your process requires.
Step 2
Bring together the records you want to reconcile
For a typical 2-way reconciliation
Your Records
ERP · Books · Orders · Ledger
External Records
Bank · Payment System · Marketplace · Vendor · Partner
For connected 3-way processes
ERP / Books → Settlement / PSP → Bank
Upload one or multiple files for the systems involved in the reconciliation.
Use the finance and operational reports you already work with.
Step 3
Prepare the data for matching
Tell Cointab which fields matter for the reconciliation.
Date
Select the transaction, invoice, payment, or settlement date.
Amount
Choose the amount that should be reconciled.
Identifier
Use fields such as Order ID, Invoice Number, Transaction ID, Reference, or Settlement ID.
Calculated fields
Create a required field when the source report does not already contain it.
Work with the reports you have instead of manually rebuilding them before every reconciliation.
AI callout
Need to prepare a field?
Describe the calculation you need and let Cointab help create the formula.
Example
“Extract Order ID from narration.”
Step 4
Define how transactions should match
Set the reconciliation logic around the fields that should agree.
Add multiple matching rules when your process requires more than one way to identify a valid match.
Set the matching logic once. Cointab applies it across the complete data set.
Add complexity only when the reconciliation needs it
Grouped transactions
Handle one-to-many, many-to-one, and many-to-many relationships.
3-way reconciliation
Connect transactions through an intermediate payment, settlement, or other source.
Additional value checks
Compare fees, taxes, TDS, deductions, commissions, or settlement values after the primary match.
Keep simple reconciliations simple. Add advanced logic only where the process requires it.
Step 5
Run the reconciliation
Once the data and matching logic are ready:
Cointab applies the configured matching logic across the complete data and prepares the reconciliation output.
Move from row-by-row comparison to exception review.
Step 6
See what matched — and what needs attention
Fully Matched
Transactions that reconcile successfully across the compared sources.
Partially Matched
Related transactions where the values do not fully reconcile.
Unmatched
Transactions that could not be matched to the other side.
Review the exceptions instead of checking every transaction manually.
Step 7
Resolve open transactions
Not every exception can or should be resolved automatically.
Review suggested matches
Where Cointab finds useful possible matches, review them and:
Match manually
Select open transactions yourself when additional finance or business context is required.
Use automation first. Keep full control when human judgment matters.
Step 8
Understand the detail behind every match
Your Records
3 transactions
₹52,850
External Records
1 settlement
₹52,850
Difference ₹0
Open a matched or partially matched group to review the individual transactions, original records, totals, and match details.
Know which transactions were grouped together and how they reconciled.
Step 9
Download the complete reconciliation to Excel
Excel workbook
Complete reconciliation output ready to review, share, and archive.
- Fully matched transactions
- Partially matched transactions
- Unmatched transactions
- Source-level detail
- Match information
Review, share, and archive the reconciliation in the format finance teams already use.
Step 10
Run the same reconciliation next period
Once the reconciliation is configured, you do not need to rebuild it.
The reconciliation setup and matching logic stay reusable. For the next period, provide the new data and run the same workflow again.
New period. New data. Same reconciliation logic.
Start with files. Automate when you need to.
You do not need integrations to prove the reconciliation workflow.
Start with the files your finance team already uses. Once the process is established, recurring data collection and delivery can be automated through agreed sources such as:
Prove the workflow first. Automate the repetitive parts next.
Automation without losing visibility
Rule-based
You define the core reconciliation logic.
AI-assisted
AI helps prepare data and surface useful matches where appropriate.
Reviewable
Matches, exceptions, and user actions remain visible to the finance team.
Cointab automates the reconciliation without turning it into a black box.