Convert a PDF bank statement to MT940 with AI

Why is a PDF hard to convert?

A PDF is made to be read by people, not by software. Unlike an MT940 or CAMT.053 file, a PDF has no fixed structure: every bank chooses its own layout, column arrangement, and order. One bank puts the amount on the left, another on the right; one uses a single line per transaction, another uses several. As a result, your accounting software cannot read a PDF directly.

Moreover, many PDFs are actually images — for example scanned paper statements or a screenshot. These contain no text at all that a program can read. Retyping by hand is then time-consuming and error-prone.

The solution: AI extraction

StatementBridge uses advanced AI and language models (Claude by Anthropic or GPT by OpenAI) to recognize the transactions in your PDF. The AI understands the content of the document, regardless of the layout, and extracts the date, the amount, the description, and the counterparty account for each transaction.

StatementBridge first tries a regular table extraction on the PDF. If that does not work — for example because the PDF is a scanned image or has an unusual layout — then StatementBridge automatically falls back to AI extraction with image recognition. This way scanned and image PDFs are supported too.

How does it work? Step by step

1. Upload your PDF — go to StatementBridge and drag your PDF bank statement into the window. A file may contain up to about 50 pages.
2. The AI reads the transactions — the AI model analyzes the document and recognizes all transactions, including amounts, dates, and descriptions. Scanned pages are also processed via image recognition.
3. Check the preview — review all extracted transactions in the editor and correct where needed.
4. Choose MT940 or CAMT.053 — select the output format that your accounting software expects.
5. Download — download the import-ready file and read it into your accounting package.

The importance of the review preview

Which PDFs are supported?

• Bank statements from all banks, including foreign ones
• Credit card statements (Amex, Visa, Mastercard)
• Account overviews and balance specifications
• Scanned paper statements and image PDFs (via image recognition)

AI PDF extraction is available for Pro users (€25 per month, excl. VAT). You use your own API key from Anthropic or OpenAI; the AI costs (around €0.01–0.10 per PDF) run through your own account.