Dext Multi-Account Bank Statement Workflow: Manual Split Process vs Automated Detection
Dext requires one account per file and manual account switching. Learn why accounting firms are choosing automated multi-account detection over Dext's manual workflow.
TL;DR: Dext Multi-Account Workflow
Dext requires one bank account per PDF file and manual switching between accounts:
- One account per file: Statements with multiple accounts are rejected automatically
- Manual account creation: Must create each bank account in Dext before uploading statements
- Dropdown switching: Use account selector to view each account separately
- Manual export/import: Cannot publish directly - must export CSV and manually import to QuickBooks/Xero
Alternative: Zera Books auto-detects multiple accounts in a single PDF and separates them automatically - no manual splitting, no dropdown switching, no CSV exports.
How Dext Handles Multi-Account Bank Statements
Dext Prepare's bank statement extraction has a fundamental limitation: each uploaded PDF must contain statements from only one bank account. This means if you receive a single PDF with multiple accounts (checking, savings, credit card), Dext cannot process it.
Dext's Rejection Rules
According to Dext's documentation, statements are automatically rejected if:
- The document contains statements from multiple banks or accounts
- Files combine different sources (scanned + digital PDFs)
- Column order changes across pages (inconsistent formatting)
- File exceeds 50MB, 300 pages, or has resolution below 200dpi
Dext's Required Workflow for Multiple Accounts
Manually create each bank account
Before uploading, you must manually add each account in Dext (account name, number, currency, bank selection)
Manually split PDFs by account
If your bank sends one PDF with multiple accounts, you must use PDF editing software to split it into separate files
Upload each file separately
Upload one PDF per account to the corresponding account in Dext
Wait for processing (4+ hours)
75% of statements processed within 4 hours; digital PDFs may be faster (minutes)
Switch between accounts with dropdown
Use the account selector to view transactions for each account separately - no multi-account view
Export to CSV for each account
Cannot publish directly to QuickBooks/Xero - must download CSV files
Manually import each CSV
Upload each CSV to your accounting software and map columns manually
The Manual Splitting Problem
For accounting firms managing multiple clients, Dext's one-account-per-file limitation creates significant workflow friction:
Time Wasted on Manual Tasks
- • 5-10 minutes per client splitting PDFs
- • 2-3 minutes creating each account in Dext
- • 3-5 minutes switching between accounts to review
- • 5-8 minutes exporting and importing CSVs
- = 15-26 minutes per client with 3 accounts
Error-Prone Processes
- • Uploading wrong PDF to wrong account
- • Incomplete splits (missing pages)
- • CSV import column mapping errors
- • Duplicate transaction imports
- = Reconciliation issues and cleanup work
According to Dext's bank feeds documentation, the platform was designed around single-account processing. While this works for businesses with one checking account, it creates bottlenecks for:
Multi-Client Firms
Processing 20+ clients × 3 accounts = 60+ manual splits per month
Multi-Entity Businesses
Managing 5+ entities with separate bank accounts
Complex Account Structures
Checking + savings + credit cards + merchant accounts
Step-by-Step: Dext vs Zera Books Workflow
Here's how the workflow differs when processing a single PDF containing three bank accounts (checking, savings, and credit card):
Dext's Manual Process (7 Steps)
Step 1: Manual Account Setup
Create 3 bank accounts in Dext interface
⏱️ 6-9 minutes
Step 2: PDF Splitting
Use Adobe/PDF editor to split into 3 files
⏱️ 8-12 minutes
Step 3: Upload Each File
Upload 3 PDFs to corresponding accounts
⏱️ 3-5 minutes
Step 4: Wait for Processing
75% processed within 4 hours
⏱️ 4 hours average
Step 5: Review Via Dropdown
Switch between accounts to review transactions
⏱️ 4-6 minutes
Step 6: Export 3 CSV Files
Download separate CSV for each account
⏱️ 3-4 minutes
Step 7: Manual Import to QuickBooks
Import and map columns for 3 CSV files
⏱️ 9-15 minutes
Total Active Time: 33-51 minutes
Wait Time: ~4 hours
Zera Books Automated Process (2 Steps)
Step 1: Upload Single PDF
Upload original multi-account PDF as-is
⏱️ 30 seconds
Step 2: Auto-Detection & Export
Zera AI detects 3 accounts, separates automatically, exports to QuickBooks with categories
⏱️ 2-3 minutes processing
No additional steps required
No additional steps required
No additional steps required
No additional steps required
No additional steps required
Total Active Time: 3-4 minutes
Wait Time: 2-3 minutes
Time Saved: 30-47 minutes per client (92% faster)
For firms processing 20 clients per month, that's 10-15 hours saved monthly - equivalent to $500-$1,500 in billable time recovered. See all alternatives.
Why Automatic Detection Matters
Zera Books' multi-account auto-detection uses Zera AI trained on 2.8+ million bank statements to identify account boundaries, account types, and account numbers without human intervention.
What Zera AI Detects Automatically
- Account types: Checking, savings, credit cards, merchant accounts, loans
- Account boundaries: Where one account ends and another begins in PDF
- Account metadata: Account numbers, institution names, statement periods
- Transaction categorization: Auto-assigns accounting categories to each transaction
What Dext Requires Manually
- PDF splitting: Use external software to separate accounts into files
- Account creation: Manually configure each account in Dext interface
- File matching: Upload correct PDF to correct account (prone to errors)
- CSV exports: Download and manually import to accounting software
The difference is architectural: Dext was built as a document extraction tool with single-account assumptions. Zera Books was purpose-built for accounting workflows where multi-account processing is the norm, not the exception.
Feature Comparison: Multi-Account Processing
| Feature | Dext | Zera Books |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-account PDF processing | ❌ Not supported - files rejected | ✅ Auto-detects and separates |
| Manual PDF splitting required | ✅ Yes - use external software | ❌ No - upload as-is |
| Manual account creation | ✅ Required before upload | ❌ Auto-detected from PDF |
| Account type detection | ❌ User must specify | ✅ Checking/savings/credit auto-detected |
| View all accounts simultaneously | ❌ Dropdown switcher only | ✅ Multi-account dashboard view |
| Processing time | ⏱️ 4 hours average (75% within 4h) | ⚡ 2-3 minutes |
| Direct QuickBooks/Xero export | ❌ CSV only - manual import | ✅ Direct export with categories |
| AI transaction categorization | ❌ Not included | ✅ Auto-categorizes to chart of accounts |
| Batch processing multiple PDFs | ⚠️ One per account only | ✅ Upload 50+ multi-account PDFs |
| File size/page limits | ⚠️ 50MB, 300 pages, 200dpi min | ✅ No limits on file size/pages |
| Pricing model | 💰 Per-user, per-client fees | 💚 $79/month unlimited |
Time Savings Calculator
Calculate how much time your firm wastes on manual multi-account processing with Dext vs automated workflows:
Monthly Time Waste Calculator
20
Average accounting firm
3
Checking + savings + credit card
40 min
Manual splitting + setup
Dext Manual Workflow
13.3 hours/month
20 clients × 40 min = 800 minutes
@ $75/hour = $1,000 in wasted time
Zera Books Automated
1.3 hours/month
20 clients × 4 min = 80 minutes
Savings: 12 hours ($900/month)
Annual Impact
12 hours saved monthly = 144 hours per year = equivalent to hiring 0.075 FTE
Financial savings: $10,800/year in recovered billable time at $75/hour
ROI: 1,048% (save $10,800/year, pay $948/year for Zera Books)
When Dext's Workflow Works
Dext's single-account-per-file requirement works adequately in specific scenarios:
Single-Account Businesses
If your client only has one checking account and receives separate PDFs from their bank, Dext's workflow is straightforward. No splitting required.
Banks That Send Separate PDFs
Some banks email individual PDFs for each account. If you already receive pre-split statements, Dext's limitation is invisible.
Low-Volume Firms (Under 5 Clients)
If you only process 3-5 clients monthly, the 30-40 minutes of manual splitting per client may be acceptable overhead. Time waste is noticeable but not catastrophic.
However, for firms processing 10+ clients with multi-account structures, Dext's manual workflow becomes a scaling bottleneck. The time waste compounds exponentially as client volume grows. Compare with best converters.
Migration Guide: Dext to Zera Books
Switching from Dext's manual multi-account workflow to Zera Books' automated detection takes less than 15 minutes:
Sign up for Zera Books trial
Start your 1-week trial - no credit card required for testing.
Upload your multi-account PDFs
No splitting required - upload the same PDFs you currently manually split for Dext. Zera Books handles the rest.
Review auto-detected accounts
Zera AI automatically identifies checking, savings, and credit card accounts. Review the separated accounts in your dashboard.
Export directly to QuickBooks/Xero
Download pre-formatted QBO files with AI-categorized transactions. No CSV mapping, no manual imports.
Compare time savings
Track how much time you saved vs your old Dext workflow. Most firms report 30-45 minutes saved per client.
Migration support: If you're processing 20+ clients monthly on Dext and want migration assistance, email support@zerabooks.com for onboarding help.
Why Multi-Account Auto-Detection Matters
Save 30-45 Min Per Client
Eliminate manual PDF splitting, account creation, dropdown switching, and CSV exports. Upload once, get all accounts separated automatically.
99.6% Detection Accuracy
Zera AI trained on 2.8M+ bank statements correctly identifies account types, numbers, and boundaries without human intervention.
Scale Without Bottlenecks
Process 50+ clients with multi-account structures without adding staff. Automated workflows grow with your firm.
"We were drowning in bank statements from two provinces and multiple revenue streams. Zera Books cut our month-end reconciliation from three days to about four hours."
Manroop Gill
Co-Founder at Zoom Books
Use case: Multi-entity accounting with 15+ bank accounts across different provinces. Previously spent 8+ hours monthly splitting PDFs and manually importing to QuickBooks.
Stop Manually Splitting Bank Statements
Upload multi-account PDFs and let Zera AI automatically detect, separate, and categorize all accounts in minutes. No more dropdown switching, CSV exports, or manual imports.
$79/month unlimited conversions • No per-page fees • Process 1,000+ statements monthly