Bank statements let you view all your transactions at a glance and help you keep track of your money. They’re also useful for reviewing your spending habits.

By reviewing your statements regularly, you can ensure that your bank account transactions are in line with your spending activity. You may also be able to spot payment errors or fraud.

What is a bank statement?

A bank statement is a document that provides a summary of your account transactions for a certain period (usually monthly).

They include incoming and outgoing payments, such as Direct Debits and standing orders.

They can help give you an overview of your finances so you can better manage your money, understand your spending habits, and identify any errors or potentially fraudulent transactions.

With our Spending Insights feature, you can instantly track your spending and identify areas where you can save money.

How can I get a bank statement?

Bank statements are sometimes sent by post, but most banks provide paperless statements which can be accessed through your online banking or mobile banking app. Bank statements are typically issued on a monthly or quarterly basis by your bank.

If you’re a Starling customer, you can quickly and easily view or download your bank statements in the app. You can also track your spending with real-time notifications whenever a transaction is made with our Instant Notifications feature.

Learn more about opening a bank account with Starling.

How do bank statements work?

Electronic statements are more common nowadays and they are a convenient and secure way of viewing your bank statements online. Often they can be easily downloaded directly from your online banking or banking app. Digital statements are usually free but some banks may charge you a fee for paper statements.

If you’re a Starling customer we won’t send you paper bank statements (we’re doing our bit for the environment), but you can download them directly from the app, for custom date ranges in both CSV and PDF format.

What is included on your bank statement?

At the top of your bank statement, you’ll typically find:

You’ll then find a list of all your transactions within the stated period, along with the date each one was processed and details on the individual transactions. You’ll also get a view of all deposits and withdrawals (including cash and cheques) and any interest that was added to the account.

Your bank statement may also show you your overdraft limit and any notices of charges or fees incurred.

Bank statement abbreviations

Below is a list of common abbreviations that you might see on your bank statement:

What is this charge on my bank statement?

If you spot an unknown transaction, or you suspect fraud, you should first contact your bank. You can also report suspected fraud to Action Fraud.

Other resources

What are Direct Debits and standing orders

Bank accounts explained: Sort code and account number

Interest rates: What are APR, EAR and AER?

What is Bacs? A guide to Bacs payments

What is Faster Payments and how does it work?

What is CHAPS? CHAPS payments explained

Guide to cheques