How to reconcile a supplier statement with an accounts-payable ledger

1. Prepare comparable records

Choose the supplier statement and AP ledger for the same supplier and a clearly defined period or statement date. Before comparing rows, check that the files cover the same account, currency, and relevant transaction window. Confirm that the ledger export includes the fields your review needs, such as invoice reference, invoice date, due date, and amount.

Keep the original files unchanged and follow your organisation's controls for accessing and reviewing supplier information. If the records are not comparable—for example, one file includes transactions after the statement date—resolve that scope difference before treating unmatched rows as errors.

2. Compare references and amounts

Use an invoice reference as a useful starting point, then compare the amount and supporting details. References may differ in letter case or spacing, and the same invoice can appear more than once. A reliable process should make its matching rule explicit and avoid guessing when identifiers are ambiguous.

This prototype trims and normalizes invoice references, then automatically matches only unique references whose amounts are equal. Dates are displayed for reference but do not determine a match. Similar-looking references are not fuzzy matched; partial payments are not automatically paired.

3. Investigate common differences

• Statement-only or ledger-only item: Check the transaction date and period, posting status, supplier account, and whether a document is missing from one export.
• Amount difference: Compare the source invoice and ledger entry. Possible causes to investigate include a credit note, adjustment, tax or freight treatment, currency or rounding, a partial settlement, or a data-entry issue. Do not assume the cause from the amount alone.
• Duplicate reference: Confirm whether the repeated rows are genuine separate documents, a repeated export row, or an identifier reused by the supplier. Keep the records separate until reviewed.
• Timing difference: A payment, credit, or invoice may fall on different sides of the statement and ledger cut-off. Verify the underlying document and posting date before changing a balance.

Use your organisation's normal evidence and approval process to resolve each item. Record the explanation and follow-up needed in the system your team uses. A comparison tool can organize the review; it cannot establish the accounting treatment for you.

Where an exact-match CSV tool can help

Accountant Workbench can line up unique invoice references with equal amounts and separate amount differences, duplicate references, statement-only rows, and ledger-only rows for review. You can map columns, select a date format, filter result categories, and export the result set as CSV.

The prototype accepts CSV files only, up to 10 MB each. It does not parse PDF or spreadsheet files, automatically match partial payments, use fuzzy matching, or create accounting entries. The included sample records are synthetic.

Selected CSV files are read and processed in the browser by this app; its current source contains no upload or persistence mechanism for those files. The app has no login and anyone with its URL can open it. Check your organisation's policies before using real records.