Convert a CODA file (Belgian bank statements)

What is CODA?

CODA stands for "Coded Statement of Account" and is the Belgian national standard for bank statements, managed by Febelfin (the Belgian banking federation). It is a coded, machine-readable format in which each transaction carries a structured code. This allows accounting software to recognise and book transactions automatically, without a staff member having to interpret every line by hand.

CODA files are delivered by Belgian banks and consist of fixed-length records with numbered record types (header, opening balance, transactions, closing balance and a closing record). Thanks to its coded structure, CODA is particularly well suited for automatic processing in Belgian accounting and ERP software.

Which software uses CODA?

Belgian banks deliver CODA as their standard export format. Belgian accounting and ERP packages then process it automatically:

• Exact — widely used for Belgian accounting, reads CODA directly.
• Octopus — popular Belgian accounting package that processes CODA files automatically.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central — supports importing CODA for Belgian administrations.

If, on the other hand, you work with a Dutch or international package, your software may not recognise CODA and instead expect MT940, CAMT.053 or Excel.

When is conversion needed?

There are two common situations in which you want to convert or generate a CODA file:

Situation	Starting point	Desired result
Convert CODA to another format	Your Belgian bank delivers a CODA file, but your (Dutch) package wants MT940, CAMT.053 or Excel	Convert CODA → MT940 / CAMT.053 / Excel
Generate CODA for Belgian accounting	You have transactions in another format, but your Belgian accounting expects CODA	Generate a valid CODA file

StatementBridge supports both directions: the program reads and generates CODA files. So you decide for yourself whether CODA is the source or the target format.

Convert CODA with StatementBridge

Converting a CODA file takes four simple steps:

1. Upload your CODA file — go to StatementBridge and upload the CODA file you received from your Belgian bank.
2. Check the transactions — verify in the preview that the dates, amounts and descriptions have been read correctly.
3. Choose the target format — select the format your accounting software expects: MT940, CAMT.053 or Excel. If you want to create a CODA file instead, choose CODA as the target format.
4. Download the result — click Convert and download the file, ready to import into your accounting.

Why use CODA via StatementBridge?

• Both directions — CODA as input and as output format, so you stay flexible between Belgian and Dutch packages.
• No manual work — the coded transactions are converted automatically to the target format, preserving date, amount and description.
• Broad support — convert to MT940 and CAMT.053 for virtually any accounting package, or to Excel for checking and reporting.
• Ready to use — the result is ready for import, without further editing.

Common questions about CODA

CODA is specifically Belgian, while many Dutch entrepreneurs work with MT940 or CAMT.053. This causes confusion as soon as a Belgian bank account comes into play. Important to know: CODA is functionally comparable to MT940 and CAMT.053 — it contains the same core data (date, amount, counterparty and description), but in the Belgian coded structure. A conversion preserves this data, so your accounting remains complete.