# Bank statement: what it is, and how to get one

Source: https://dokutrak.com/documents/bank-statement
Author: Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak
Published: 2026-10-28
Language: en-US

> A bank statement is the record your bank issues for each statement period, usually monthly, listing every deposit, withdrawal and fee, with opening and closing balances. To get one, log in to online banking or the app, open Statements or Documents, and download the PDF. Send every page, including blank ones, because lenders check that nothing is missing.

## What is a bank statement?

A bank statement covers one account for one period. It shows the account holder’s name and address, the bank’s name, the account number (often partly masked), the statement dates, the opening and closing balance, and each transaction in between.

Lenders, landlords and tax preparers read it to confirm income, the source of a down payment, or business expenses. They usually ask for the most recent statements, often the last two months, and they read the page count printed at the bottom of each page.

## Who sends it, and when

Your bank or credit union issues a statement for each checking and savings account at the end of every statement period, usually once a month. It appears in online banking a few days after the period closes, and a paper copy is mailed unless you chose paperless statements.

## Where to get a bank statement

1. Online banking or the bank’s mobile app, under Statements, Documents or eStatements, where each month is a separate PDF.
2. The bank’s website on a computer, if the app only shows recent activity and not the statements themselves.
3. A branch, where staff can print past statements for you.
4. The bank’s customer service line, for statements older than what online banking keeps.
5. Your mail, if you still receive paper statements: scan every page, front and back.

## Wrong files people send instead

- A screenshot of recent transactions instead of the statement PDF. It has no statement period and no balances.
- Pages 1 and 2 of a 4-page statement. Blank or nearly blank pages count too.
- A CSV or spreadsheet export, which anyone can edit.
- Only one account when the request covered all accounts, or the savings account when they asked for checking.
- An older month downloaded by mistake, because statements are listed by closing date.

## Questions people ask

### What is a bank statement?

It is the official summary your bank issues for one account and one period, usually a month: balances at the start and end, and every transaction in between.

### Is a screenshot of my account the same as a bank statement?

No. A screenshot shows recent activity but not the statement period, the closing balance or the page count. Lenders and preparers usually ask for the PDF statement.

### How do I get a bank statement for an older month?

Online banking keeps several years of statements for most accounts. If the month you need is older, call the bank or visit a branch and ask for a copy.

## Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.

- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a bank statement, an unreadable or blurry scan or a copy where one of these is missing or cut off: the account holder, the statement period. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.

14-day free trial, no card. Add one only to keep going.