Reconciliation Glossary
Practical definitions for payout, matched rows, needs review, amount difference, grouped payments, and other reconciliation terms used across the site.
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Problem statement
Reconciliation guidance gets harder to trust when the same words mean different things on different pages. A glossary makes the review states, workflow terms, and accounting-adjacent language easier to cite consistently.
Core glossary examples
| Line item | Amount |
|---|
| Matched rows | Enough evidence for a confident row-level match |
| Needs review | Plausible but not yet safe conclusion |
| Amount difference | Gap exists but root cause is not fully proven |
| Unknown bank payment | Bank row has no supported source explanation yet |
Why the definitions matter
- Matched rows are not the same as a fully explained account or payout cycle.
- Needs review is a valid product state, not an error label.
- Amount difference is safer public wording than assigning fee, tax, FX, or refund causes too early.
- Grouped payment and duplicate candidate language helps reviewers preserve ambiguity instead of hiding it.
Where the terms show up
- Sample reconciliation report with visible matched, review, unknown, unpaid, duplicate, and amount-difference sections.
- Public guides and templates that reuse the same workflow vocabulary.
- Methodology pages that explain when wording should stay conservative.
How to use the glossary
- Start with the result taxonomy terms: matched, needs review, unpaid, unknown bank payment, amount difference, duplicate candidate, and grouped payment.
- Use workflow terms such as payout, clearing account, and accounting handoff with the definitions on this page.
- Default to conservative wording when the exported files do not prove a more specific cause.
- Link back to the glossary from guides, checklists, and handoff pages when a term could be interpreted too broadly.
Glossary terms included
- Local-first and exported files
- Matched rows and needs review
- Amount difference and possible adjustment
- Unknown bank payment and unpaid invoice or order
- Possible duplicate and possible grouped payment
- Payout, settlement, clearing account, and accounting handoff
How Reconcile Locally uses these terms
- Keeps the same review-state language across guides, sample reports, comparison pages, and templates.
- Avoids overclaiming by separating supported matches from unresolved rows.
- Makes the public content easier to cite and compare without inventing new meanings per page.
What still needs manual review
- The glossary standardizes wording; it does not replace product behavior, accounting policy, or first-party platform documentation.
- Some processor-specific export terms can still vary, so readers should confirm exact column names in the source file.
Content review and sources
Written and reviewed by the Reconcile Locally product team. Last reviewed June 7, 2026.
Guidance is checked against current product behavior and first-party documentation where available. Reconciliation results still require human review.
Frequently asked questions
Does matched mean fully reconciled?
No. Matched refers to a row-level match with enough evidence. A broader payout, period close, or account can still contain review items.
Why use amount difference instead of fee or refund?
Because the exported files may prove only that a gap exists, not its exact cause. Conservative wording reduces false certainty.