Your finance team is staring at yet another reconciliation task in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Bank statements are coming in from different banks, each in its own format. One account delivers CAMT.053 files, another still relies on MT940, and a few CSV exports appear whenever someone remembers to download them. Some transactions show up twice, others not at all. Month-end close is approaching, and confidence in the numbers is already slipping.
If this sounds familiar, it is because many organizations face the same challenges. Bank connectivity in Business Central often relies on manual handling, inconsistent formats, and limited automation.
In this article, we explore the most common bank statement issues Business Central users encounter. We explain why bank integration matters, compare manual imports with automated delivery, examine the causes of missing or duplicate transactions, and outline practical ways to improve reconciliation. We also explain how Cobase helps simplify bank connectivity for Business Central by standardizing and automating statement and payment flows.
Understanding the importance of bank integration in Business Central
Business Central is the central place where your finance team manages and reviews financial activity. It is where payments are recorded, cash positions are reviewed, and financial decisions are prepared. That role only works when bank data is accurate and up to date.
When bank statements arrive late or require heavy manual processing, finance teams lose visibility. Cash balances become estimates rather than facts, and decisions are made using incomplete information. Over time, this leads to longer close cycles and growing operational risk.
Reliable bank integration ensures that transactions flow into Business Central in a consistent and timely way. When that connection is unstable or fragmented, every downstream process feels the impact.
Bank reconciliation process in Business Central
The purpose of bank reconciliation is simple. Every transaction recorded in Business Central should match what appears on the bank statement.
In practice, reconciliation in Business Central depends on the quality of incoming bank data. Statement lines must be imported correctly, matched to ledger entries, and reviewed for exceptions such as fees, timing differences, or reversals.
Business Central supports bank reconciliation through its standard functionality, and matching can be partially automated when transaction details are consistent. However, reconciliation becomes slow and manual when statement formats vary, references are missing, or files arrive inconsistently.
Importing and reconciling bank statements in Business Central
Banks send electronic bank statements that reflect all incoming and outgoing transactions on your accounts. In Business Central, these statements can be imported directly into bank or giro journals, where they form the basis for reconciliation.
From the Bank or Giro Journal, users can trigger the Import Bank Statement action, choose the appropriate import protocol, and load the statement file. If automatic reconciliation is enabled, Business Central will attempt to match statement lines to existing ledger entries during the import.
There is one important exception to be aware of. SEPA CAMT files cannot be reconciled automatically during import. Instead, these statements must be matched using the Match Automatically function on the Bank Account Reconciliation page. This extra step often surprises users and can slow down the process if it is not clearly understood.
After import, the bank statement lines appear in the journal, ready for review, matching, and posting. While the functionality is solid, the overall efficiency still depends heavily on the quality, consistency, and timeliness of the statement files being imported.
Popular methods for importing bank statements
There are two common ways bank statements find their way into Business Central. Some teams rely on manual uploads, while others use automated delivery. The difference between the two often shows up at month-end, when reconciliation either flows smoothly or turns into a scramble.
Manual bank statement upload
With manual uploads, finance teams download bank statements from online banking portals and import them into bank or giro journals in Business Central. This method offers a sense of control, since users can see exactly which file is being imported and when. It is often the starting point for organizations with a small number of accounts or limited transaction volume.
However, that control comes at a cost. Each bank presents statements differently, with varying export formats, cut-off times, and date ranges. Even within the same bank, exports can change over time without warning. As more accounts or entities are added, managing these files becomes increasingly time-consuming.
Manual uploads also depend heavily on human consistency. If a file is downloaded late, imported twice, or skipped altogether, reconciliation issues only surface days or weeks later. By that point, finance teams are no longer reconciling. They are investigating, correcting, and explaining.
Automated bank statement delivery
Automated delivery removes the need to log into bank portals and handle files manually. Instead, bank statements are delivered automatically to a predefined location from which Business Central retrieves them on a regular schedule. This approach reduces repetitive work and improves the timeliness of bank data.
That said, automation is not a silver bullet. If statement formats are inconsistent, routing rules are unclear, or connectivity is unstable, automated flows can introduce their own issues, such as duplicated transactions or missing days. For organizations operating across multiple banks and countries, limited regional coverage can further complicate automation.
Cobase addresses these challenges by automating daily bank statement delivery in standardized formats such as CAMT.053 and MT940. Regardless of the original bank format, statements are normalized and securely routed to the correct entity and system. This reduces variation at the import stage and helps finance teams reconcile faster and with fewer exceptions in Business Central.
Key challenges in bank statement imports
Even when bank statement processes are documented, the same issues tend to surface repeatedly in Business Central environments. These challenges usually appear at scale, when transaction volumes increase, more bank accounts are added, or multiple entities are involved.
Duplicate transactions
Duplicate statement lines are one of the most disruptive issues in bank reconciliation. They typically occur when the same file is imported more than once, when automated deliveries resend overlapping data, or when file handling rules are unclear.
In Business Central, duplicates do more than clutter the reconciliation screen. They distort expected balances, confuse matching logic, and force finance teams to manually investigate which transactions are real and which are not. If duplicates are not caught early, they can also affect cash reporting and downstream analysis.
Automation without proper controls can make this worse. When files flow automatically but lack validation or clear ownership, errors propagate faster.
A controlled file lifecycle is essential. Files should be validated, processed once, and clearly logged. Cobase reduces duplication risk by validating incoming data and ensuring that payment and statement files are handled a single time, supported by a centralized audit trail that makes it easy to trace what was processed and when.
Missing transactions and delayed statements
Missing transactions are often discovered at the worst possible moment, usually during reconciliation or just before closing. The underlying causes are typically broken connectivity, expired credentials, or manual steps that were skipped or delayed.
In Business Central, missing bank data creates a false sense of accuracy. Cash balances may appear higher or lower than reality, and reconciliation differences remain unexplained until someone traces the issue back to a missing statement or incomplete file.
Automated, scheduled delivery of bank statements significantly reduces this risk. When statements arrive consistently and on time, finance teams can reconcile proactively instead of reactively. Cobase delivers bank statements on a daily basis, improving data completeness and reducing last-minute surprises during month-end close.
Inconsistent bank formats
Format inconsistency is one of the most persistent challenges in bank statement imports. Banks use different standards and apply them differently, even when the format name is the same. Field usage, references, and structure can vary widely.
In Business Central, these inconsistencies often result in failed imports, incomplete statement lines, or reduced matching accuracy. Each variation requires mapping adjustments or manual correction, which increases maintenance effort over time.
Cobase addresses this by handling format conversion centrally. It supports formats such as CAMT.053, MT940, and CSV, and delivers standardized output to Business Central. This reduces the need for ongoing remapping and allows reconciliation logic to remain stable, even as underlying bank formats change.
The bank reconciliation challenge
Once your statement lines land in Business Central, the real work starts on the Bank Acc. Reconciliation page. This is where Business Central compares what you have recorded in your internal bank accounts with what the bank reports on the statement. When it works well, reconciliation can even post balances back to your bank accounts in Business Central so finance managers can rely on up-to-date figures. It is also one of the quickest ways to spot missing payments and fix bookkeeping errors before they snowball.
The challenge is that differences tend to appear for very practical reasons. A transaction may exist in Business Central but not on the bank statement yet, or the opposite may happen, for example a bank fee or interest entry that has no corresponding posting in Business Central. Sometimes both sides exist, but the details are too different for an automatic match, such as a slightly different amount, reference, or name. Business Central gives you multiple ways to handle this matching, including Match Automatically, Reconcile with Copilot, and manual matching across the two panes, but exceptions still need review.
There are also a few Business Central specific rules that can catch teams off guard. For example, once you enter the Statement Date, the page filters bank ledger entries up to that date, and you can only post reconciliations with ledger entries on or before the statement ending date. If you try to do many-to-one matching and the combined amounts contain differences, Business Central will not let you post until you post and match the differences properly. And if some statement lines cannot be matched, they remain on the page with a value in the Difference field, which is Business Central’s way of saying, “you need to resolve this before the reconciliation is truly complete.”
The faster your team can get clean, consistent bank statement data into the system, the easier this process becomes. When statement formats and references are standardized, automatic matching performs better, fewer lines end up stuck as exceptions, and reconciliation stops being a month-end bottleneck and becomes a routine control.
Manual payment processes and their limitations
Many Business Central users still rely on manual payment file handling. Payment files are exported, uploaded to bank portals, approved separately, and later reconciled without clear status visibility.
This fragmented approach increases the risk of errors, approval gaps, and unclear payment outcomes. It also makes it harder to track execution status across banks and currencies.
Cobase streamlines this process by receiving payment files from Business Central, validating them, formatting them for each bank, and tracking their status from submission through execution.
Risks of fragmented banking processes
Disconnected bank processes introduce more than inconvenience. Over time, they lead to inaccurate cash forecasting, extended close timelines, audit challenges, and increased fraud exposure.
Fragmentation makes it harder to answer basic questions such as who approved a payment, when it was executed, and whether it was rejected or completed.
Centralization and standardization are key to reducing these risks.
Managing global bank connectivity
Global organizations rarely deal with one uniform banking landscape. Bank capabilities differ by country and region, with some institutions offering modern connectivity and others still relying on legacy formats and manual processes. As a result, finance teams often end up managing a mix of portals, connectors, and local workarounds.
This fragmentation leads to inconsistent processes across entities, limited visibility, and increased reliance on local knowledge. User access, approvals, and audit trails are spread across multiple systems, making control and oversight harder as the organization grows.
Cobase simplifies global bank connectivity by centralizing access to a wide range of banks through a single ERP connection. Authentication, communication, and format handling are managed in the background, allowing finance teams to operate with consistent processes across regions while maintaining control and visibility from one place.
Improving data organization and visibility
Even with automated delivery, internal data discipline remains essential. Clear entity structures, consistent references, and aligned posting practices improve reconciliation outcomes.
When bank data flows cleanly into Business Central, finance teams can focus on analysis rather than correction.
Using automation to reduce manual work
Automation works best when it focuses on repeatable tasks. Automated statement delivery, payment validation, and status tracking free finance teams from administrative effort.
Cobase supports this with centralized approvals, single-token authentication, and real-time payment status updates synced back to Business Central.
Accuracy, security, and compliance
Accurate bank data supports better decisions. Secure handling protects the organization from operational and regulatory risk.
Cobase includes built-in access control, audit logging, and secure authentication. All actions are traceable, supporting both internal controls and external audits.
Conclusion
Bank statement handling in Business Central rarely breaks because of the ERP itself. It breaks when bank connectivity is fragmented, formats vary from bank to bank, and key steps still depend on manual intervention. The result is predictable: slower reconciliation, reduced confidence in cash positions, and unnecessary risk during period close.
Organizations that improve this experience focus on standardization and consistency. When bank statements arrive in a reliable format, payments follow a controlled flow, and connectivity is managed centrally, reconciliation becomes faster and more predictable. Finance teams spend less time investigating differences and more time analysing cash and supporting the business.
Want to find out what Cobase can do for you?
Cobase helps take the friction out of processes like bank statement imports by connecting your banks, ERP, and treasury workflows in one place. Instead of relying on manual file handling, inconsistent formats, or delayed visibility, Cobase provides a single, structured connection to your banking landscape. This means cleaner data flowing into systems like Business Central, fewer reconciliation issues, and a clearer, real-time view of cash across accounts and countries. The result is less time spent fixing data and more time spent understanding and managing liquidity with confidence.
Frequent Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can Business Central handle CAMT.053 and MT940 bank statements?
Yes, but success depends on your configured import formats and mappings. If the bank structure differs from what your setup expects, imports may fail or bring in incomplete lines.
2. Why do I see duplicate bank statement lines in Business Central?
Most commonly: re-importing the same file, overlapping statement periods, or automated feeds replaying transactions after refreshes.
3. What’s the best reconciliation frequency in Business Central?
Weekly at minimum. Daily is best for high-volume accounts or when cash visibility is critical. The goal is to avoid “monthly backlog reconciliation.”
4. How do I deal with timing differences between the bank and Business Central?
Expect mismatches between transaction date and posting date. Use consistent posting practices and treat pending items as normal exceptions to clear in the next cycle.
5. Is automation always better than manual imports?
Automation reduces repetitive work, but it must be monitored. The best approach is automation + controls, not automation with blind trust.
