Bank statement abbreviations and codes

Open any bank statement and you hit a wall of short codes: CO, OD, POS, ACH, DDA, EFT, NSF, DEP, INT, ATM, IB, XFER, and a hundred local variants. Banks use these codes so a printed statement stays compact and their internal systems can classify a transaction without needing the full description. That is fine for the bank. For you, they turn a routine review into a decoding exercise.

This guide is the long version. It covers every abbreviation you are realistically going to see on a personal or business statement in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the EU, and most of Asia, plus card, wire, crypto, and processor codes. Bookmark it. Search it with Ctrl+F. Come back to it the next time your statement says POS DEBIT SQ *ACME COFFEE 8837 and you want to know exactly what happened.

How to read any transaction line in five seconds

Every bank statement line is built from the same four pieces, in roughly this order:

The date, either the transaction date or the posting date.
A method code, telling you how the money moved: POS, ACH, WIRE, CHK, ATM, XFER.
A source or merchant identifier, sometimes prefixed by the processor (SQ*, TST*, PYPL, PP*).
A reference or trace number plus optional location or memo.

Once you can spot those four pieces, the code is just a label on part two. The merchant name in part three is almost always what you actually care about.

The short list you can bookmark

These are the codes that appear on almost every statement in the English-speaking world. If you only remember a handful, remember these.

POS: Point of Sale. A card purchase at a physical terminal or online.
ACH: Automated Clearing House. Electronic transfers between US banks. Payroll, most subscriptions, and bill payments.
EFT: Electronic Funds Transfer. The generic umbrella term.
DDA: Demand Deposit Account. The formal name for a checking account.
DEP: Deposit. Money coming in.
W/D: Withdrawal. Money going out.
ATM: Cash withdrawn at an automated teller.
INT: Interest earned or charged.
XFER or TFR: Transfer between your own accounts.
IB: Internet Banking, an online-initiated transfer.
CHK: A paper check cleared.
PMT: A payment, often for a credit card or loan.

CO on a bank statement

CO is the abbreviation that trips people up the most because it means completely different things depending on the statement.

On US checking statements, CO usually stands for Check Paid, meaning the bank has cleared a paper check you wrote. The line reads like CO 1042 -85.00 where 1042 is the check number.
On credit card statements, CO can mean Charge Off. This is serious. It means the issuer has written the balance off as unrecoverable, usually after 180 days of non-payment. It hurts credit scores for years.
In some accounting exports, CO stands for Company, tagging a business-side line inside a mixed personal statement.
In Canada and the UK, CO occasionally stands for Cheque Order, a request for a bank-issued cheque.
On Wells Fargo and some regional US banks, you may also see CO paired with COUNTER, meaning a counter deposit or withdrawal made in-branch.

Quick rule of thumb: if the amount is small and negative and there is a check number, it is a paid check. If it is a large single line at the tail of a credit card statement after months of missed payments, it is a charge off. Look at the memo field before you panic.

OD, NSF, and the overdraft family

These are the codes you never want to see, but should know how to read at a glance. Underwriters and accountants look for them first.

OD: Overdrawn. The account balance dropped below zero.
OD FEE or ODP: Overdraft Fee or Overdraft Protection triggered.
NSF: Non Sufficient Funds. The bank rejected a transaction because the account did not have enough money. Usually paired with a return fee of 25 to 40 USD.
RTN: Return. A transaction was reversed. Common causes are NSF, a stop-payment request, or a chargeback.
UNCOL: Uncollected funds. The transaction failed because a recent deposit had not yet cleared.
SP or STOP: Stop Payment placed on a check.
HLD or HOLD: Funds are on hold, usually a deposit that has not fully cleared.
NEG: Negative balance line, sometimes used as a running-balance marker.

Flag these when you review a statement. One OD in twelve months is a rounding accident. Three in a quarter is a pattern a lender will notice, and it is a common reason mortgage pre-approvals get pulled at the last minute.

Card and payment method codes

These describe how a card was used, not what was bought. The purchase category comes from the merchant name and MCC (see the MCC section further down).

POS: Point of Sale, card-present purchase.
POS PIN or DBT PIN: PIN-authorized debit card purchase.
POS SIG: Signature-authorized debit purchase, processed on the credit rails.
CNP: Card Not Present. Online, phone, or mail order purchase.
PMT: Payment applied to a loan or credit card.
PREAUTH or AUTH: A hold placed on funds before the final amount clears. Hotels, gas pumps, car rentals.
PENDING: The transaction has been authorized but not settled.
REF or REFUND: Money returned to your account from a merchant.
CB or CHRGBK: Chargeback. You disputed a card transaction and the bank reversed it.
DECL: Declined attempt (usually informational, no money moved).
CASH ADV or CA: Cash Advance from a credit card. High APR, no grace period.
FEX or FCC: Foreign Exchange Fee or Foreign Currency Conversion.
INTL: International transaction marker, often paired with a 1 to 3 percent fee.

Processor prefixes: SQ, TST, PP*, and the rest

A prefix followed by an asterisk almost always means a payment processor is in front of the merchant. The processor stamps its identifier on the descriptor so its acquiring bank can route disputes.

SQ *: Square. Common for coffee shops, food trucks, small retailers.
TST*: Toast. Restaurants.
SP * or SP*: Shopify Payments. Small ecommerce stores.
PYPL * or PP*: PayPal.
PAYPAL *INST XFER: PayPal instant transfer to bank.
STR* or STRIPE: Stripe processed the payment.
CLOVER: Clover-based POS.
IZ *: iZettle (now PayPal Zettle) in Europe.
SUMUP*: SumUp readers in Europe.
ADYEN: Adyen-processed payment, often for larger merchants.
WPY*: WePay.

The name that follows the asterisk is the actual business you paid. That is the string you want to feed into a categorization rule.

Deposits and incoming money

DEP: Deposit.
MOB DEP or RDC: Mobile Deposit / Remote Deposit Capture. A check photographed in the app.
DIR DEP or DD: Direct Deposit, typically payroll or a benefit payment.
ACH CR: ACH Credit, incoming ACH funds.
ACH DR or ACH DB: ACH Debit, outgoing ACH funds.
WIRE IN or INCOMING WIRE: Wire received.
WIRE OUT: Wire sent.
ZELLE, VENMO, CASH APP: Peer to peer transfers.
SSA: US Social Security Administration deposit.
IRS TREAS 310: US Treasury payment, refunds or stimulus.
DEP RECON: Reconciled deposit, usually after a bank correction.

Check-related codes

CHK or CHECK: A paper check that cleared.
CASHIERS CHK or CC: A cashier's check issued by the bank.
CERT CHK: Certified check.
SUB or SUBST CHK: Substitute check, a digital image of a paper check.
MICR: Magnetic Ink Character Recognition, the number line at the bottom of a check that encodes routing, account, and check number. Not a transaction code, but you will see it referenced in memos.
RTPS: Returned Check Processing Service.
NSF CHK: A check that bounced.

Wire transfer codes

Wires carry the most detail of any transaction type because they cross networks. You will see codes that identify the originating bank, the settlement network, and any correspondent bank in between.

WIRE: Generic wire transfer marker.
FEDWIRE: US Federal Reserve wire network.
CHIPS: Clearing House Interbank Payments System, the private US wire network for large transfers.
SWIFT: The international messaging network for cross-border wires. A SWIFT reference looks like an 8 to 11 character alphanumeric code.
IBAN: International Bank Account Number, the standard account format outside the US.
BIC: Bank Identifier Code, the SWIFT address of a bank.
OMAD or IMAD: Output / Input Message Accountability Data. The Fedwire trace numbers.
REMIT: Remittance information from the sender.
CORR BANK: The correspondent bank that relayed the wire, often visible when funds cross currencies.

UK and European statement codes

Different market, different vocabulary. Most UK statements combine method codes with narrative descriptions like FPS RCV KARCHU LTD REF: SALARY.

BAC or BACS: Bankers' Automated Clearing Services. UK equivalent of ACH. Typical for payroll and utility bills.
FPS: Faster Payments Service. Real-time UK bank transfers up to 1 million GBP per payment.
CHAPS: Clearing House Automated Payment System. Same-day, high-value UK transfers, usually with a fee.
SO: Standing Order. A recurring outgoing transfer you set up.
DD: Direct Debit. A recurring pull authorized by you.
CDM: Cash Deposit Machine.
CPT: Cash Point (ATM).
SEPA: Single Euro Payments Area transfer for EUR payments within the EU zone.
SEPA INST: SEPA Instant Credit Transfer, ten-second settlement.
TARGET2: The Eurozone's real-time gross settlement system, used for high-value EUR wires.
BGC: Bank Giro Credit, a paying-in slip credit.
CR and DR: Credit and Debit markers, sometimes appended to the amount column.
MAND: Mandate reference for a Direct Debit.
REV: Reversal of an earlier entry.

Canadian statement codes

PAP: Pre-Authorized Payment.
INTERAC: Interac e-Transfer or Interac debit purchase.
INTERAC OL: Interac Online purchase.
MB: Mobile Banking.
OL: Online transaction.
TFR: Transfer between own accounts.
SC: Service Charge, a fee.
NR: Non-Resident, tax withholding code.
PAD: Pre-Authorized Debit.

Australian and New Zealand codes

EFTPOS: Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale. The universal card payment code.
BPAY: The Australian bill payment scheme.
OSKO: Real-time transfers via the New Payments Platform.
PAYID: Alias-based routing in the NPP.
DE: Direct Entry, the batch electronic payment system.
DECS: Direct Entry Credit or Direct Entry Card System, depending on bank.
POLI: POLi Payments online bank transfer.

Asian and Middle East codes

RTGS: Real Time Gross Settlement, used in India, Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, and more.
NEFT: National Electronic Funds Transfer, India.
IMPS: Immediate Payment Service, India.
UPI: Unified Payments Interface, India. Look for suffixes like @ybl, @okhdfcbank, @axl.
PAYNOW: Singapore real-time transfer.
FAST: Fast And Secure Transfers, Singapore.
FPS HK: Faster Payment System, Hong Kong.
PROMPTPAY: Thailand real-time transfer.
DUITNOW: Malaysia real-time transfer.
QRIS: Indonesia QR code payment standard.

Peer-to-peer and app payment codes

ZELLE: Zelle transfer via a US bank app.
VENMO: Venmo transfer. Look for VENMO CASHOUT for withdrawals to bank.
CASH APP: Cash App by Block. Prefix CASH APP* for merchant purchases.
APPLE CASH: Apple Cash send or receive.
WISE or TRANSFERWISE: Wise international transfer.
REVOLUT: Revolut top-up or send.
WU or WESTERN UNION: Western Union remittance.
MG or MONEYGRAM: MoneyGram remittance.

Crypto and exchange codes

Crypto exchanges usually use their own name as the descriptor prefix, with the trade type in the memo.

COINBASE: Coinbase buy, sell, or withdrawal.
KRAKEN: Kraken deposit or withdrawal.
BINANCE: Binance top-up.
GEMINI: Gemini exchange.
STRIKE: Strike Bitcoin app.
NYDIG: NYDIG custody.
USDC, USDT: Stablecoin tickers, sometimes appended to a memo when routing through Circle or a fintech.

Fee, adjustment, and internal codes

SVC CHG or SC: Service Charge.
FEE: Any fee, usually followed by a reason.
ADJ: Adjustment. The bank fixed something.
CORR: Correction, similar to ADJ.
REV: Reversal, a prior entry undone.
MEMO: Informational only, not a real debit or credit.
MISC: Miscellaneous. Read the description.
MAINT or MTHLY MAINT: Monthly maintenance fee.
ANN FEE: Annual fee, common on credit cards.
LATE FEE: Late payment fee on a loan or card.
INT PAID: Interest paid to you.
INT CHG: Interest charged to you.
ATM FEE: Fee for using an out-of-network ATM.
NON-BK ATM: Non-bank ATM identifier, usually paired with a surcharge.
FX FEE: Foreign exchange fee.

Merchant category codes (MCC)

Every card transaction is tagged with a 4-digit Merchant Category Code assigned by the acquirer. It is what your bank uses to decide if a purchase counts as "grocery", "gas", or "travel" for rewards. Some issuers print the MCC on the statement. Common ones:

5411: Grocery stores and supermarkets.
5541: Service stations (gas).
5812: Eating places and restaurants.
5814: Fast food restaurants.
4121: Taxi and rideshare.
4111: Local commuter transport.
4511: Airlines.
7011: Lodging and hotels.
5942: Book stores.
5732: Electronics.
4899: Cable, satellite, and streaming services.
6011: Cash advances at an ATM.

MCCs are useful when you want to categorize by intent rather than by merchant name. A charge from SQ *ACME could be a coffee or a car repair. The MCC tells you which.

Credit card statement specifics

Card statements add a few codes checking statements do not have.

APR: Annual Percentage Rate.
MIN PMT: Minimum Payment due.
PMT DUE: Payment due date.
STMT BAL: Statement balance.
PREV BAL: Previous balance.
CR LIM: Credit limit.
AVAIL CR: Available credit.
BT: Balance Transfer.
PROMO: Promotional-rate purchase or balance transfer.
INT CHG PURCH: Interest charged on purchases.
INT CHG BT: Interest on balance transfers.
INT CHG CA: Interest on cash advances.

Reference numbers and trace codes

The alphanumeric block at the end of a line is not decorative. It is how the bank finds the transaction again if you dispute it.

ARN: Acquirer Reference Number, 23 digits, on every card transaction.
TRACE or TRACE#: The ACH or wire trace ID.
REF or REF#: Generic reference number.
AUTH or AUTH CODE: 6-digit authorization code from the card network.
SEQ: Sequence number for a batch payment.
BATCH: Batch identifier for grouped settlements.

If you ever need to dispute a transaction, quote the ARN or TRACE number and the process becomes dramatically faster.

Real examples decoded

Here is what a few typical lines actually mean.

POS DEBIT SQ *BLUE BOTTLE 8837 OAKLAND CA 09/12 4.75
A card purchase (POS DEBIT) at Blue Bottle Coffee, processed through Square (SQ*), terminal 8837, in Oakland, on September 12 for $4.75.

ACH DEBIT COMED UTILITY PMT WEB ID: 1361216421 -142.16
An ACH pull by ComEd for a utility payment, initiated via their web portal. The 10-digit WEB ID is ComEd's company identifier in the ACH network.

FPS RCV KARCHU LTD REF: JULY SALARY 3,150.00
A UK Faster Payments credit from Karchu Ltd, referenced as July salary, for GBP 3,150.

WIRE OUT REF# 20260710123456 BEN: JOHN DOE BOFA NY 1500.00
An outgoing wire on July 10, 2026, trace number 20260710123456, beneficiary John Doe at Bank of America New York, USD 1,500.

CO 1042 -85.00
A paid paper check, check number 1042, for $85.00.

When the code actually matters

Ninety percent of the time the code is decorative. The merchant name is what you care about. The exceptions:

OD, NSF, RTN, UNCOL: red flags for a lender or accountant. Worth tagging separately when you package statements for an underwriter.
WIRE, CHAPS, RTGS, TARGET2: large, expensive transfers. Usually worth annotating in memos so you can trace them later.
REV, ADJ, CORR: bank corrections. Match them to the original transaction so your history stays clean.
PREAUTH, PENDING: watch for the paired final settlement. Sometimes the hold clears and no real charge lands, which makes cash flow look tighter than it is.
INT CHG, CASH ADV: expensive credit-card items. They should be visible in any monthly review, not buried in a fees total.
DIR DEP and SSA: use these to confirm income for tax or benefits paperwork.

How Karchu handles the codes for you

Reading codes manually is fine for a single statement. It stops scaling the moment you have six months of data across three accounts. Karchu's parser strips the codes, keeps the merchant name, and lets the rule engine categorize on the human-readable part of the description. If you want to keep the codes visible for auditing, the raw description is preserved on every transaction row. If you would rather see the cleaned version, that is a one-click toggle.

A rule that says "any description containing UBER EATS is Food Delivery" will match POS DEBIT UBER EATS 8837 SAN FRANCISCO CA without you having to teach it what POS means. This is the deterministic side of the analyzer at work: strip noise, keep the signal, apply rules once, get the same total every time. If you handle mixed personal and business statements, the same rules can also flag any line containing OD, NSF, or WIRE so they show up in a separate audit view.

Where to go next

If you want to actually do something with the transactions after decoding them, start with how to analyze bank statements, or read how transaction categorization works. If you have a stack of PDFs and want them in Excel, the PDF to Excel guide walks through it. And if you are curious about the machinery under the hood, AI vs rule-based analysis explains why deterministic rules beat guessing when money is on the line.