Lesson 2 of 5
Importing statements
6 min
Every business day the bank sends a statement for each account: opening balance, every debit and credit with a date, an amount, a transaction code and some reference text, and a closing balance. Importing these statements electronically, rather than typing them, is what makes daily reconciliation possible at scale. Contoso receives prior-day statements for its operating account each morning.
Formats at a concept level
Banks use standard formats so that companies can read statements from many banks the same way. In the US, BAI2 is common; internationally, MT940 (a SWIFT message format) and the ISO 20022 XML format camt.053 are widespread, and many banks are moving to camt.053. All have the same three parts: a header with account and opening balance, a list of items, and a closing section with the closing balance. You do not need to read the raw file, but you should know which format your bank sends, because it decides which transaction codes and reference fields arrive.
Importing
In SAP S/4HANA, statement files are imported with the app Manage Incoming Payment Files, where the user or an automated job chooses the file and its format mapping; SAP's learning content describes a mapping tool for defining formats beyond the standard ones. In Private Edition the classic import transaction FF_5 is still used, often scheduled as a job. Once imported, the statement can be displayed and checked in the bank statement apps and the Bank Statement Monitor, which gives a central view of which statements arrived and whether they are reconciled.
- File arrivesFrom the bank through the company's bank connectivity
- ImportManage Incoming Payment Files or classic FF_5; format mapped to SAP's statement structure
- Identify accountBank account in the header matched to the house bank account
- Interpret itemsEach bank transaction code maps to a posting rule; algorithms read references
- PostBank accounting postings; subledger clearing where a match is found
- Leave the restUnmatched items wait for reprocessing
Transaction codes and posting rules
Each item on the statement carries a bank transaction code, such as a code for an incoming wire, a check paid or a bank fee. In configuration, these external codes are grouped into a transaction type per bank and mapped to an internal posting rule. The posting rule describes what to post, in two possible areas: posting area 1, bank accounting (main bank account against a clearing account or an expense account), and posting area 2, subledger accounting (clearing customer or supplier items). An incoming customer wire typically posts in both: the bank side in area 1, and clearing of the customer invoice in area 2.
| Bank transaction (example) | Posting rule (example) | Posting area 1 | Posting area 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming wire from customer | Incoming payment | Debit main bank; credit incoming clearing | Debit incoming clearing; credit customer, clearing the invoice |
| Outgoing transfer executed | Outgoing transfer | Debit outgoing transfer clearing; credit main bank, clearing the payment run items | None |
| Check presented | Check paid | Debit check clearing; credit main bank, clearing the check by number | None |
| Monthly account fee | Bank charges | Debit bank charges expense; credit main bank | None |
How typical statement items post (accounts and rules are illustrative).
In Public Edition the same concepts apply, but statement formats, transaction type mapping and posting rules are maintained through the delivered configuration and apps, and bank connectivity is usually through SAP's cloud bank connectivity services. The tester's job is the same: prove that each transaction code posts as designed.
What would you do?
Tuesday's statement for the operating account failed to import. Wednesday's imported fine. Maria asks whether Wednesday's postings can be trusted. What should the team do?
- Statements have a header with opening balance, items with transaction codes and references, and a closing balance.
- Common formats: BAI2 in the US, MT940 and camt.053 internationally.
- Import with Manage Incoming Payment Files (classic FF_5); monitor in the Bank Statement Monitor.
- Transaction codes map to posting rules: area 1 bank accounting, area 2 subledger clearing.
Check your understanding · not graded
Lesson check
1. Which posting area clears customer or supplier items?
2. Which XML statement format belongs to ISO 20022?
3. Which app imports bank statement files in SAP S/4HANA?
4. What does a gap between one statement's closing balance and the next opening balance mean?