# How to Reconcile Bank and Credit Card Accounts in Puzzle

Reconciliation in Puzzle is **optional**. Since we use direct APIs to pull your activity automatically, your transactions are already in the system. However, performing a reconciliation is the best way to ensure every single transaction is accounted for and matches your bank statement exactly—giving you 100% confidence in your financial reports.
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The goal is to ensure your Puzzle records match your real-world bank statements. This is the most important step in building high-confidence financials and closing your books each month.
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## Step-by-Step Guide

## Step 0: Select your account

Navigate to the **Reconciliation** tab. You can select an account from the summary at the top or pick a pre-drafted reconciliation from the list below.

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![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177178334/a94e164b5f9b832b4ad1ed1a5af6/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+3_36_45%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=6df8189d6f573a0f1faa67d164dff59670604e1c857f248ace43bd1d4106e184&req=diEgEch5lYJcXfMW1HO4zWD23c4gccX9v1YqvjlgejnnXAOkfAqm4xucXPg%2F%0ASlLt8%2F7rrokm5WOV6o0%3D%0A)

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**Sequential Reconciliations:** You must reconcile periods in order. You cannot complete a reconciliation for a specific month until all previous months for that account are finished.
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![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177035070/8839e11bbb37e174b0b93bcf8133/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+2_23_03%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=ec3c54b4011fe340dee809f4896a7b857c362499078f20385f487836dfd2771b&req=diEgEcl9mIFYWfMW1HO4zZiymiZEJ8%2FVJHPPNmxHHbLVMSs8lCa1UNnBo9lw%0AI4OGXNSZTPGND%2FGAe94%3D%0A)

## Step 1: Upload your statement (Optional)

Uploading your PDF statement allows you to view your beginning balance, ending balance, and activity side-by-side with your Puzzle Ledger. While optional, this provides a "source of truth" for your records.

To do this, click the the double arrow button on the top left and upload your statement. Please note, you can only upload 1 PDF so if you need more than 1 statement - please combine them together.

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![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177040185/efc29a091f19a4d090c1595b43ea/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+2_24_45%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=9ac2450d5def6cece03126e4d9db8239557acd0ab8730c7b3c977e1703d85b89&req=diEgEcl6nYBXXPMW1HO4zd1p%2BtwlD%2BJoTvsaY4U0KP0iLBdVzpYvLFf5YU5%2F%0A13pV%2BOt5QFyLw29f%2FeA%3D%0A)

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## Step 2: Verify balances

Compare the **Beginning** and **Ending** balances in Puzzle to your statement.

- **Beginning Balance:** This is automatically pulled from the ending balance of your previous reconciliation.
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- **Ending Balance:** If Puzzle’s API balance differs slightly from your statement (often due to timing), don’t worry. Simply edit the field to match your statement exactly.

![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177045005/72273747f9ba78aa386dda946bed/Screenshot%2B2026-03-18%2Bat%2B2_26_00-E2-80-AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=609b7e170b42c2220ab93faf7e137e4f9362f2341b86301243bc2411534b931b&req=diEgEcl6mIFfXPMW1HO4zcii%2Fy7tPxIU19lImNpGH8egZVnmCa8Wmn6RVcGW%0AVDGUwngthHsqfMAdLVE%3D%0A)

![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177044911/5762a02c0593a52aab9983473223/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+2_26_07%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=4bcda656a99c910eb692b26abe8609eec99cfce97ed3853080db3ed2f59eb6db&req=diEgEcl6mYheWPMW1HO4zT1Yt2V2UNe%2Fl37lIbyjHBX39n4HZDakJ3YwamTg%0AxeVAv%2BsiJWMtxGtD19Y%3D%0A)

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## Step 3: Review transactions

Review the transactions marked with a green checkmark. Do they match your statement activity?

- **To remove a transaction:** Uncheck it if it doesn't belong in this specific period.
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- **To add a transaction:** If a transaction is listed but unchecked, click checkmark box to include it.
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- **If a transaction is missing:**
1. Check your connection on the **Integrations** page.
2. Check for any time zone differences.
3. Go back to the reconciliation page and Click **"+ Add transaction"** on the top right to enter it manually.

![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177181332/e548bd4a3910053ec816bf2fa484/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+3_38_30%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=7e5c3bb8a7001e40ca64efa59d84403576f2b4c530120c82c0afc2f9991402cc&req=diEgEch2nIJcW%2FMW1HO4zXl8LilNdkFb4igBLfaLElzA6NPo%2B6eXy4BmEe65%0Ah2QIMbUqSUf9axCnJcI%3D%0A)

## Step 4: Reach a zero "Remaining" balance

As you match transactions, your "Remaining" balance will update in real-time. Once your Puzzle activity matches your statement perfectly, the **Remaining** balance will hit **$0.00**.
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At this point, the **Complete** button in the top right corner of your screen will become clickable.

![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177185127/b5d35a182a230a8f6a1427ae3773/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+3_41_03%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=0485b5a754778d0937386ac1a3bd1aa68a3df790374467ce4240aab5e92e1d94&req=diEgEch2mIBdXvMW1HO4zT%2BrhchJ%2BEfm5ftf8o43CBYIM4X2rnykiuU07toO%0AlDkidNOOzfh6G6%2FIWBg%3D%0A)

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## Step 5: Finalize and Review

Click **Complete**. This action finalizes your work for the period and triggers Puzzle’s auto-validation check. You will be redirected back to the main **Reconciliation** dashboard.
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## Step 6: Verify the Reconciliation Status

On the main Reconciliation page, look at your account list. A successful reconciliation will now show:

- **Reconciled through:** The end date of the period you just finished (e.g., 02/28/2026).

- **Auto-validation check:** A **green checkmark** indicating that Puzzle has verified your ledger against the bank's data.

![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177193954/8905e46279ec8b836599de1f95a4/Screenshot+2026-03-18+at+3_42_53%E2%80%AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=9d2cc6f332a858bc265da6c793ae7a2aa5dae2f1aea23d3dbded5eba7b711543&req=diEgEch3nohaXfMW1HO4zW2cQJ3YoL4i0qN6orsQq2ExJmyeh2Z2heXw%2FBqu%0ABHAiF5BTFF1MUt8%2BrDE%3D%0A)

## Step 7: Repeat and Refresh

Repeat this process for all bank and credit card accounts. Once finished, head over to the **Transactions** page to ensure everything is categorized correctly.
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## Modifying or Redoing a Reconciliation

If you need to change a past reconciliation, click on the account you'd like to adjust and click the **three-dot menu** in the upper-right corner of that specific reconciliation to un-approve and then you can either edit or delete a reconciliation.
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![](https://downloads.intercomcdn.com/i/o/abwgbkbf/2177195487/f3e20aedd9ccefcc6653a70dea49/Screenshot%2B2026-03-18%2Bat%2B3_48_22-E2-80-AFPM.png?expires=1789603200&signature=38b0200ac8a08a74fb9556c294c009c965f7d030c007a72b5a05e5bb8293410d&req=diEgEch3mIVXXvMW1HO4zcLt3Kq36EdE%2FlJPAMKK2AnPrk5JjMM%2BpfpfEDYB%0AGyI0eguXdOlDdn5i2Nw%3D%0A)

- **Restarting:** You can choose to restart a reconciliation if you made a mistake.
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- **The Chain Effect:** Because reconciliations are sequential, deleting or re-opening one will automatically re-open all subsequent reconciliations for that account.
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- **Transaction Lock:** Transactions are "locked" once reconciled. > If a transaction was used in a previous reconciliation, it will not appear as an option for a new one. If you need to include a transaction that is missing, or if you need to redo a period, you must first **un-approve and delete** the previous reconciliation for those transactions to become available again.