Download bank transactions

To keep the company's accounting up to date, it is essential to regularly import bank transactions. These transactions allow the automation of the accounting process, avoiding the manual entry of individual transactions and potential errors.

Where to download the transactions

The documents containing the bank transactions, regardless of how they are obtained, should always be saved in the same folder. This folder can be located inside the main accounting folder or in an external one. For better organization, it is recommended to structure your folders by creating a general folder and more specific subfolders: this reduces the risk of errors, especially if you decide to import the transactions manually.

By keeping the data always in the same location, import issues are avoided and there is no need to update the default import path each time. Additionally, it is not recommended to open or modify these files before importing, as this can cause errors in recognizing the transactions.

Different file formats for bank transactions

Our software offers numerous extensions that allow you to import accounting data in different formats. Among the most common formats are CAMT, CSV and XLSX.

The CAMT format (Cash Management), defined by the ISO 20022 standard, is used by banks to provide electronic account statements in a structured way. The files contain detailed information such as the date, amount, description, and references for each transaction. There are several types of CAMT files:

• camt.052: intraday statement (transactions during the day)
• camt.053: end-of-day statement
• camt.054: notification of debits and credits with details of individual transactions

The CSV format (Comma-Separated Values) is a text file that uses commas to separate the data contained within individual cells of a table. This format is compatible with most software applications. The CSV format varies from one bank to another and is updated regularly.

The XLSX format is a Microsoft Excel file used to store spreadsheets. The XLSX file can contain data, formulas, formatting, charts, and multiple worksheets within the same document.
 

Methods for downloading transactions

The main methods for obtaining these data are:

• Online banking
• Multibanking
• Software by Mammut Soft Computing AG

Depending on the chosen method, more or less attention should be paid to where the files are saved. Manual download from the bank portal requires extra attention.

Online banking

The manual method, traditional and most common, involves direct access to your bank’s online banking portal. Once logged in, you can navigate to the section dedicated to account transactions and download the files in one of the standard formats compatible with accounting software.

Although simple, this process requires manual interaction: the user must log in to the banking platform, select the account, download and save the files on their computer, and then import them into the accounting software.

Multibanking

Multibanking is an evolution of traditional manual methods, designed for businesses or professionals managing multiple current accounts across different banks. Thanks to this functionality, you can access a single e-banking platform or interface that aggregates multiple accounts, even from different institutions, simplifying interactions with each bank. Most multibanking solutions are based on the international EBICS standard (Electronic Banking Internet Communication Standard), which ensures secure exchange of information and payment orders between companies and banks.

The main steps for implementing multibanking are:

• Update the contract with the main bank
  The first step is to contact your main bank to request activation of the multibanking service. You will need to sign an addition to the existing contract that authorizes the bank to act as the manager of multiple bank accounts.
• Sign mandates with the linked banks
  For each third-party bank you want to connect, you need to sign an authorization allowing the main bank to access the corresponding account information.
• Technical activation and credential provisioning
  Once the contractual steps are completed, you will need to follow technical instructions to enable access via API or third-party tools. This may include providing credentials or activating specific authentication methods.

Once all banking relationships are connected, it becomes possible to centrally download bank transactions and data, and process payment operations from a single tool. Although still partly a manual process, multibanking helps optimize time and resources by reducing the number of logins and simplifying overall management.

Software by Mammut Soft Computing AG

A more modern and fully automated solution is offered by the software developed by Mammut Soft Computing AG. Once implemented, this system allows you to completely skip the manual step of downloading bank files, as they are automatically saved in a folder defined during setup.

The software focuses on data exchange interfaces between banks and companies, offering connections to multiple banks worldwide and securely and automatically retrieving bank data in the required formats. These data are then automatically synchronized with the accounting software, making user intervention unnecessary.

The steps to start using the Mammut Soft Computing AG software are as follows:

• Choosing the solution
  Based on your needs, you can choose a cloud solution or an on-premise installation, the latter being a physical installation on the user's devices.
• Configuring bank connections
  To configure and activate the bank connections, it is necessary to sign the corresponding bank agreements. These connections with banks (EBICS, SWIFT, API) allow downloading account statements and sending payments. Mammut provides support for activation with the banks.
• Authorization for account access
  The client, for whom the accounting is managed, grants the accountant access to their data so that all necessary information is available.
• Integration with accounting/management software
  The software is connected to the internal accounting or management system for automatic import and export of bank data.

The true added value of the software is the constant update of the accounting: automated downloads from all banks and direct synchronization with the accounting system ensure that the data is always up to date and ready to use.

Automated import and accounting

Once transactions are available, you can take advantage of the various features offered by Banana. Regardless of the method chosen to download the bank data, the “Import bank transactions in ISO 20022 format (advanced) [BETA]” function allows you to automate the update of the accounting in double-entry or income/expense mode using CAMT files (052/053/054). The program reads the XML files from a designated folder, saves them to a local database, identifies new transactions not yet recorded, and suggests them for import, avoiding duplicates.

Once imported, bank transactions are automatically transformed into complete accounting entries thanks to our auto-completion rules (Advanced plan), saving time and avoiding input errors. This makes accounting faster, more efficient, and more accurate.