At some point, almost everyone needs to share a bank statement with a third party. Rental applications, mortgage pre-approvals, visa applications, financial aid forms, and even some job applications require proof of income or account history. But sharing an unredacted bank statement means handing over your full account number, routing number, transaction history, and potentially your Social Security number — all the information a bad actor needs for identity theft or financial fraud.
Redacting your bank statement before sharing it is a simple, smart precaution. This guide covers exactly what to remove, when you need to redact, and the best tools to do it quickly and securely.
What to Redact on a Bank Statement
Bank statements contain numerous pieces of sensitive financial and personal information. Here is a breakdown of what you should consider redacting, depending on who is requesting the statement and why:
Always Redact
- Full account number. Most recipients only need the last four digits for verification. Redact the remaining digits.
- Routing number. Your bank's routing number, combined with your account number, is enough for someone to initiate unauthorized withdrawals.
- Social Security number or Tax ID. If your SSN or TIN appears anywhere on the statement, always redact it.
Redact When Not Required
- Specific transaction details. If the recipient only needs to see your overall balance or income deposits, redact individual purchase descriptions and merchant names.
- Account balance. Some requests only require proof that an account exists or that income is deposited regularly. If the balance is not specifically needed, redact it.
- Other linked account numbers. Statements sometimes reference savings accounts, credit cards, or investment accounts. Redact these if they are not relevant.
- Full home address. Your city and state may be sufficient. Consider redacting your street address if it is not required.
When You Need to Redact Bank Statements
Rental Applications
Landlords typically want to see proof of income and that you have sufficient funds. They need to see your name, regular income deposits, and general account health. They do not need your full account number, routing number, or every transaction you have made. Redact sensitive numbers while leaving income deposits and general balance information visible.
Loan and Mortgage Applications
Lenders require more detailed financial information, but you should still redact your full account and routing numbers. Many lenders will ask for the last four digits of your account number separately. Redact the full number on the statement while leaving transaction history and balances visible, as lenders use these to assess your financial health.
Visa and Immigration Applications
Embassy and immigration offices typically require proof of sufficient funds. They need to see your name, the bank name, and account balance. Routing numbers, account numbers beyond the last four digits, and individual transaction details are usually not required and should be redacted.
Legal Proceedings
If you are submitting bank statements as part of legal proceedings (divorce, lawsuits, disputes), consult with your attorney before redacting. Courts may have specific requirements about what can and cannot be redacted. In some cases, you may be able to submit a redacted version for the public record while providing an unredacted version under seal.
Tax and Financial Aid
Financial aid offices and tax preparers often need to see specific income and transaction details. Redact account and routing numbers, but leave income deposits, employer names, and balances visible. If in doubt, ask the requesting party exactly which information they need.
How to Redact with AI-Redact (Step by Step)
AI-Redact is the fastest way to redact a bank statement because its AI automatically detects financial data like account numbers, routing numbers, and SSNs without you having to manually find and mark every instance.
- Go to AI-Redact and click the upload area or drag your bank statement PDF onto the page.
- Wait a few seconds while the AI scans every page and identifies sensitive information. Account numbers, routing numbers, and other PII are automatically detected.
- Review the detected items. Add any additional areas you want to redact (such as specific transactions), or remove detections for information you want to keep visible.
- Click to apply the redaction. The sensitive data is permanently removed from the PDF.
- Download the redacted bank statement and share it with confidence.
Common Mistakes When Redacting Bank Statements
- Using a highlighter tool or black rectangle. This only covers the text visually. Anyone can copy the text behind the overlay or remove the annotation. Always use a true redaction tool.
- Forgetting to redact all pages. Multi-page statements often repeat account numbers in headers and footers on every page. Make sure you redact across all pages, not just the first.
- Sharing the original instead of the redacted version. After redacting, double-check that you are attaching or sending the redacted file, not the original.
- Over-redacting. Removing too much information may cause the recipient to reject the document. Redact only what is necessary to protect your privacy while preserving the information the recipient actually needs.