A restaurant bank account is busy. Card settlements arrive in lumps, delivery apps pay out weekly after their commission, suppliers are paid by transfer, salaries leave in one large payment, and the bank takes small fees along the way. If nobody ticks these off against the books, a missing supplier payment or a double charge can sit unnoticed for months.
Bank reconciliation in Wink Accounting works from the statement file you download from your bank. You import it, confirm the matches Wink You suggests, book what is left, and check that the statement balance and the books agree.
Done regularly, it catches the things that cost restaurants money quietly: a supplier paid twice, a card settlement that never arrived, a bank fee nobody expected, or a salary transfer that went out for the wrong amount.
Before you start
Open Wink Accounting, then Bank Accounts, and click Add Account. Enter the name, bank name, account number and currency, and save. Set the starting balance once under Opening balance. Bank accounts are business wide, so roles limited to one branch cannot open them, and once an account holds a balance its currency cannot change.
How to reconcile, step by step
- Select the account and click Import statement, then choose the file from your bank's website.
- Click Next. The columns are matched for you; check the preview, then import.
- Click Review unmatched lines. Where a line matches something already in your books, it is suggested; click Confirm.
- For a line with nothing behind it, such as a bank fee, click More, choose the account, for example Bank Charges, and click Confirm manual match.
- Open Reconciliation to compare the statement balance with your books. A difference of zero means they agree.
What Wink You suggests
- A payment you already recorded on that bank, such as a paid supplier bill, so the same money is not booked twice.
- An open customer invoice or supplier bill for the same amount, especially when the bank text names the party.
- A payroll run whose net pay equals the line, so the salary transfer marks the run as paid.
- A transfer between two of your own bank accounts.
- Rules: for lines that repeat every month, a rule can match them automatically. Rules run on each new file you import, and you can run them again on older lines.
Card settlements and delivery app payouts are matched like any other line: confirm a suggestion if one appears, or match the line manually to the account you use for that money. If these transfers arrive with the same description every week, add a rule for them so you do not match them by hand each time.
A routine that keeps the bank clean
Reconciliation is easiest when it is small. Many owners do it once a week, or at least before closing the month, so there are only a few dozen lines to look at instead of hundreds.
- Record supplier payments as you make them, with Paid on the bill, so the bank line finds a recorded payment waiting for it.
- Post payroll before the salaries leave, so the salary transfer can be matched to the run in one step.
- Import the statement for the period, including a few days of overlap. Duplicate lines are skipped.
- Confirm the suggestions first, then handle what is left: bank charges, card terminal fees, and delivery app payouts.
- Add a rule for any line you match by hand every month, such as a fixed monthly fee, so next month it matches itself.
- Finish on Reconciliation, and only close the month when the difference is zero.
Files and limits
- Formats: CSV, XLSX, OFX, QFX or MT940, up to 10 MB and 20,000 lines. Old XLS files are not supported; save them as XLSX first.
- Duplicate lines are skipped, so importing an overlapping period is safe.
- There is no live bank feed. Statements come in by file import.
Frequently asked questions
How do I do a bank reconciliation for my restaurant?
Download the statement from your bank, import it under Bank Accounts, confirm the suggested matches in Review unmatched lines, book fees with a manual match, and check Reconciliation shows a difference of zero.
What file format do I need from my bank?
Any of CSV, XLSX, OFX, QFX or MT940. Old XLS files need to be saved as XLSX first.
Why is my reconciliation difference not zero?
Usually because some statement lines are still unmatched, or the opening balance was not set. Review the unmatched lines first, then check Opening balance.
How do I record bank charges?
Find the fee line in Review unmatched lines, click More, choose the account you use for bank charges and click Confirm manual match. The fee is then in your books, and a rule can do it for you next time.
How do I match a salary transfer?
Post the payroll run first. When the bank line has the exact net pay of the run, it is suggested as the payroll payment; confirm it and the run is marked as paid.
Can Wink You connect to my bank directly?
Not today. Statements come in by file import from your online banking, which keeps your bank login out of any third party system.
Learn more
See winkyou.com/products/accounting-reports for the full books, and watch winkyou.com/support/finance-and-reports/how-to-import-a-bank-statement-and-match-it for the steps on screen.