How do I spot a duplicate charge on my bank statement?
Copy possible matches
A pair of matching entries is a checkable starting point for finding repeated charges. Choose one statement period and write its dates and currency at the top of your paper. Draw columns for transaction date, description, amount and reference. Copy rows that share a description and amount, retaining the exact words and any reference numbers rather than shortening them from memory.
Worked example with made-up figures
Repeating
- Fictional sample rent
- A$270.97 / week
- Telco One
- A$11.06 / week
- Fictional sample groceries
- A$9.65 / week
- Streamly
- A$3.16 / week
Together A$294.84 a week.
Get your own answer, first one freeCompare the details side by side
Put each possible pair on adjacent lines. Compare dates, references and any receipts you already have. Two purchases can have the same price and description, so those matches alone do not establish that one purchase was charged twice. Record whether the receipts show one purchase or two, and keep the statement page number beside each entry so another reading can reproduce the comparison.
Separate pending entries and credits
If your records distinguish pending entries from completed entries, keep separate lists using those printed labels. Do not count the same entry twice simply because it appears in two views of the account. List any matching credit on its own line with its date. A credit changes the net amount of the group, while the original outgoing rows remain visible in your working.
Example: made-up figures
Imagine two completed outgoing rows of 40 with the same description, on the same day. Together they total 80. One receipt for 40 supports one documented purchase, leaving a second statement row to match against other records. If a linked credit of 40 also appears, the three rows have a net outgoing amount of 40. The arithmetic describes the entries without establishing their cause.
Finish with a matched-row record
Circle each possible pair and write the evidence beside it: matching reference, separate receipt, linked credit or description only. Sum the outgoing entries and credits separately before calculating the net total. Keep different currencies apart. The result is a list of possible repeated charges and the records supporting each comparison, rather than a conclusion based only on how similar two labels look.
Related questions
Axiolia reads the statement, payslip or bill you hand it and shows the same pattern in one view. Try it on a sample statement first, free, no email.