In any business, cash is the lifeblood. Cash helps in performing day to
day business activities. The payment of employees also depends upon the
availability of cash. Marketing of goods and services also requires cash. So,
bank and credit card account reconciliation plays an important role to ensure
there is availability of cash. Just as you need to reconcile your personal
checkbook, the same way your bank account and credit card accounts need to be
reconciled to ensure your balances are accurate.
What is Bank Reconciliation?
Bank Reconciliation is a document that matches the cash balance on a
company’s balance sheet to that of bank statements. Reconciling the two
accounts helps determining if accounting changes are needed. It is carried out
at regular intervals to ensure the company's cash records are accurate. If
there is any fraud or theft it can be determined through reconciliation.
What is Credit Card Reconciliation?
Credit Card Reconciliation verifies the integrity of data between
credit card statements to that of companies internal financial records. It
begins a comparison between credit card statements and the transactions with
various accounts in a company’s accounts. It ensures if the balances are
accurate. Otherwise the accountants take necessary actions for
discrepancies.
The bank and credit card account reconciliation is a process to verify
that all transactions in your bank or credit card account are recorded in the
general ledger as cash receipts, cash Disbursements and general entry
adjustments. For this you require your monthly end of statement. Reconciling
monthly statements and reviewing general ledger accounts at regular intervals
of time will help in making right decisions for the growth of the business and
would also help in reducing overhead expenses.
The importance of reconciliation bank and credit card account:
- It helps in creating a correct general ledger.
- The late fees and interest charged can be managed and minimized
- It helps in recording true liabilities of the business
- The missing receipts or online purchases can be recorded
- It also helps in recognizing fake charges, illegal purchases and wrong postings in account.
- It helps in fixing unrecorded entries and accuracy of the books can be maintained.
- It helps in analyzing lost checks, deposits and unauthorized transactions
- Put an end to unjustified bank charges and ensure transactions are posted correctly in the bank.
- Prevent frauds of funds within the company
To execute the reconciliation process in better way, keep the following things in mind:
- Self-awareness:
Be aware of your
team’s ability to handle and record the bank account and credit card
transactions as only correct entries will fetch you accurate reconciliation
results.
- The Right attitude:
It is important to
have the right attitude and get rid of traditional/ outdated processes for
having a competitive edge. Adapt the changing technology and the ever changing
laws and regulations.
- Trusting Employee’s adaptation Ability:
Trusting your
employees ability will boost their energy and productivity. You need to trust
their decision making ability and how they handle financial records will
surely not let you down.
- Standardized and Centralised approach:
If your
reconciliation approach is standardized and centralised, it will remove all the
hurdles of financial transactions and will bring your teams’ quality levels to
a certain standard.
- Adopt innovation:
Your old approach
would be somewhat working. BUt it’s time to adopt the new technology to make
your task quicker and easier. Adoption of innovation will help you meet new
challenges that come with the increased number of electronic
transactions.
- Use Accounting Software:
Procedure of Bank Reconciliation statement:
- On the bank statement, compare the company’s list of issued checks and deposits to the checks shown on the statement to identify uncleared checks and deposits in transit.
- Using the cash balance shown on the bank statement, add back any deposits in transit.
- Deduct any outstanding checks.
- This will provide the adjusted cash balance of the bank.
- Next, use the company’s ending cash balance, add any interest earned and notes receivable amount.
- Deduct any bank service fees, penalties, and NSF checks. This will arrive at the adjusted company cash balance.
- After reconciliation, the adjusted bank balance should match with the company’s ending adjusted cash balance.
You must reconcile a bank account each time you receive a statement
from our bank. This is often done at the end of every month and even at the end
of each day by businesses that have large numbers of transactions on a daily
basis. When reconciling make sure you have a copy of your bank and credit card
statement.
Process of Credit Card Reconciliation:
- The process begins when a credit card statement is received or after the closure of a financial period.
- Accountants go through the transaction on credit card statements and match it to transactions in company’s internal records.
- This process includes both outbound ( suppliers, service card providers) and inbound (customers) credit card payments.
- In case of any discrepancies, necessary action will be taken. It includes disputing transactions with the credit card processor, making journal entries to correct timing items or errors, or other actions to address transaction issues.
- All the information and action taken are stored for audit purposes.
Conclusion:
LedgerBench provides Bank and credit
card reconciliation services which is the a better way to lower down risk and
fraud in the business.
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