# Business Central Bank Integration: Bank Feeds and Bank File Formats > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/business-central-bank-integration-bank-feeds-file-formats > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer Business Central connects to banks in three ways: online bank feeds through a bank feed service (where available for your country), bank statement file import using a Bank Statement Import Format, and payment export files such as SEPA credit transfer. The formats are defined as Data Exchange Definitions that you can extend for local bank layouts. ## Kind how-to ## System dynamics ## Erp Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ## Module Cash Management / Bank Accounts / Data Exchange ## Query business central bank integration ## Alternate Queries - format in business central - business central bank statement import format - business central bank feed setup ## Applies To Dynamics 365 Business Central online and on-premises; bank feed availability and bundled formats vary by country and release, so check the release notes for your localization ## Steps ### How to set up a bank account for import and export **Items:** - Search for Bank Accounts, open the account card (or create one) and fill Bank Account No., IBAN or SWIFT code, Currency Code and the Bank Acc. Posting Group. - On the card, set Bank Statement Import Format to a format for your bank, such as a CAMT or MT940 style definition, or a custom CSV definition. - Set Payment Export Format (for example SEPA Credit Transfer) if you send payments by file, and fill the bank's clearing or creditor information as needed. - To use a bank feed, use the action to link to an online bank account on the Bank Account card or the Bank Account Reconciliation, and complete the sign-in with your bank through the feed service. - Open Payment Reconciliation Journals, choose Import Bank Transactions, select the file or refresh the feed, and run Auto Match. - Review unmatched lines, apply them to customer or vendor ledger entries or G/L accounts, and post the journal. - For a missing bank layout, create a Data Exchange Definition with column definitions and mappings, and assign it as the bank import format. ## Sections ### Online bank feeds versus file import **Body:** An online bank feed pulls transactions from the bank through an aggregation service so users do not download files. Availability depends on the country, the bank and the version, and the connection can require periodic re-authorisation because banks expire consent. Treat the feed as convenience, and keep file import working as a fallback. File import is more predictable. You download a statement from the bank portal in a supported format and import it in Payment Reconciliation Journal or Bank Account Reconciliation. The import creates lines with date, description, amount and an optional transaction identifier, then matching rules propose applications. ### Data Exchange Definitions: the meaning of format **Body:** A format in Business Central is a Data Exchange Definition. It specifies the file type (fixed width, variable text, XML or JSON), the line definitions, the column definitions with data type and format string, and the mapping to a target table such as the bank statement line. A date column needs its format, for example yyyyMMdd or dd-MM-yyyy, and a decimal column needs the decimal separator and the culture. Most import failures come from these details: a wrong date format, a thousands separator in a decimal field, a header line not skipped, or an encoding mismatch. Test with a short sample file, open Data Exchange Definitions, and compare the column positions against the actual file. ### Matching and posting **Body:** Auto Match compares amounts, dates and text fragments such as invoice numbers in the bank description against open ledger entries. Better remittance information in the bank statement gives better matches. Customers that include the invoice number in the payment reference match almost automatically. Payment Reconciliation Journal posts to the bank account and applies entries in one step. Bank Account Reconciliation is the statement-based alternative that marks bank ledger entries as reconciled. Use one process consistently per account, otherwise entries are matched twice or left open. ## Pitfalls - Importing the same statement twice; use statement numbers and date ranges to avoid duplicates. - Assuming a feed covers every bank; coverage and consent renewal vary. - Wrong decimal or date format in the Data Exchange Definition, giving shifted amounts or failed import. - Assigning the wrong Bank Acc. Posting Group, so postings hit the wrong G/L account. - Skipping the header line setting, so the first row is read as a transaction. ## Ai Angle ERPray can read open ledger entries and bank lines and explain why a payment did not auto-match, for example because the reference lacks the invoice number, showing the rows involved. A grounded assistant should only suggest matches; applying and posting stays with a finance user. For on-premises Business Central, it runs against your own database without sending bank data out. ## Faq ### What does format mean in Business Central bank setup? **Answer:** It refers to the bank statement import format or payment export format, both defined as Data Exchange Definitions. They describe file layout, column types, and mapping to the bank statement or payment tables. ### Can Business Central import MT940 or CAMT files? **Answer:** Bundled formats depend on your country version. Where one is not provided, you can build a Data Exchange Definition for the layout your bank produces, or use an extension from AppSource. ### Why does my bank feed stop working? **Answer:** Banks require the user to renew consent periodically, and credentials or security rules change. Re-link the account from the bank account card and review any error from the feed service. ### Where do I reconcile imported bank lines? **Answer:** Use Payment Reconciliation Journals for matching to customer and vendor entries with posting, or Bank Account Reconciliation for classic statement reconciliation of bank ledger entries. ## Search terms business central bank integration, business central bank feed, business central bank statement import format, business central payment reconciliation journal, data exchange definition business central, business central sepa credit transfer, business central bank account reconciliation, format in business central --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json