Convert a Deutsche Bank Statement to Excel
German bank statement conversion: decimal commas, SEPA descriptor structure, and the Verwendungszweck field.
German bank statements — Kontoauszüge — have two characteristics that need specific handling: the decimal comma, and the structured SEPA descriptor.
Decimal commas
German statements write 1.234,56 where English-language statements write 1,234.56. A parser that strips commas as thousands separators turns 960,00 into 96000.
The reliable disambiguation is to test both interpretations against the printed closing balance and keep the one that reconciles. Guessing from the bank's country is fragile — a German bank can issue a statement in an English-language format.
The SEPA descriptor is structured data
A SEPA transaction descriptor is not free text. It contains labelled fields, and unpacking them gives you considerably more than one description column.
| Field | German label | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Verwendungszweck | Reference or invoice number — the useful one |
| Counterparty | Auftraggeber / Empfänger | Who paid or was paid |
| IBAN | IBAN | Counterparty account |
| BIC | BIC | Counterparty bank |
| Mandate reference | Mandatsreferenz | Direct debit mandate id |
| Creditor ID | Gläubiger-ID | Direct debit originator id |
Value date versus booking date
German statements print both Buchungstag (booking date) and Wertstellung (value date). They differ, and both are meaningful — booking date for reconciliation, value date for interest. Both should be exported.
Why the SEPA fields are worth unpacking
A German statement's descriptor block is structured data presented as a paragraph. Left merged, it is one long unfilterable string. Split, it is five useful columns.
The practical difference shows up immediately in reconciliation. Matching incoming payments against outstanding invoices is a lookup on Verwendungszweck; matching against a merged description is manual reading.
Direct debit mandates
The Mandatsreferenz and Gläubiger-ID fields identify the specific direct debit authority behind each collection. That matters for a reason particular to SEPA: you have a right to have a direct debit refunded within eight weeks, and the mandate reference is what identifies which authority to revoke.
For anyone auditing what has permission to take money from an account, grouping by Gläubiger-ID gives the definitive list.
Frequently asked questions
Are other German banks supported?
The reader works from the table on the page rather than a list of banks, so a Sparkasse or Commerzbank statement is read the same way. The Completeness sheet tells you whether yours came out right.
How do I list every direct debit authority on my account?
Group by Gläubiger-ID (creditor ID). That gives the complete set of organisations holding a mandate, which is what you need to revoke any of them.
Will the amounts convert correctly?
In the Excel and CSV nothing is converted: every amount is kept exactly as printed, 1.234,56 included, so there is nothing to misread. Tell Excel the decimal separator is a comma before you turn the column into numbers, then check one row against the PDF.
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Convert a statement now
Bank Statement PDF to Excel, or see every format. More in the guides.