What is the common password format for SBI bank statements?

For SBI bank statements, the default password is typically the first 4 letters of the account holder's name (in uppercase) followed by their date of birth in DDMMYYYY format. Some SBI statement types use the last 5 digits of the mobile number. Check the email message accompanying your statement for exact instructions.

Why do automated statement parsers reject password-protected PDFs?

Password-protected PDFs are encrypted using AES-128 or AES-256 encryption. Unless decrypted, file reading engines and OCR systems cannot access the underlying data structure to extract transaction rows.

Is it legal to remove passwords from my own bank statements?

Yes. As the owner of the account and the document, you are legally entitled to decrypt and save copies of your own bank statements for personal bookkeeping and tax audit purposes. The password is only protecting your privacy during delivery.

Does the Chrome print-to-PDF method work for all banks?

Yes, the Chrome print-to-PDF method works for all PDF files, regardless of which bank issued them. As long as you enter the correct password to open the file in Chrome, the print-to-PDF option will save an unlocked version.

How to Safely Remove Password Protection from Bank PDFs

Banks protect monthly and quarterly statements in PDF format with AES-128 or AES-256 encryption passwords to secure financial data during delivery. The password is typically a combination of the account holder's name, PAN card number, date of birth, or mobile number — with each bank following its own naming convention.

While this security measure is essential during email delivery, password protection completely blocks automated accounting and reconciliation utilities, as data extraction engines cannot read encrypted text streams. Below is the complete guide to safely removing password protection from your bank statement PDFs.

Default Password Formats by Bank

Each bank uses a specific password format. Before attempting the unlock, try these standard formats:

Bank	Default Password Format	Example
HDFC Bank	First 4 letters of name + DOB (DDMMYYYY)	RAJE01011985
SBI	First 5 letters of name + Last 5 digits of account number	RAMSH12345
ICICI Bank	Account number (full, no spaces)	123456789012
Axis Bank	Customer ID (found on passbook)	91234567
Kotak Bank	Date of birth (DDMMYYYY)	01011985
Bank of Baroda	Account number (first 8 digits)	12345678

Note: Bank password formats can change. Always check the email message accompanying your statement for the exact password instructions.

Method 1: Browser Print-to-PDF (No Software Needed)

The simplest method to remove password protection requires only a web browser (Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox):

Open your file explorer, right-click on the password-protected bank statement PDF, select Open With, and choose Google Chrome (or Microsoft Edge).
The browser will display a password prompt. Enter your bank statement password and click Submit to open the document.
Press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Cmd+P (Mac) to open the print settings dialog.
Change the print Destination to Save as PDF (or Microsoft Print to PDF on Windows).
Click Save, choose your target folder, give the file a name like SBI_Statement_Unlocked_June2026.pdf, and click Save.

Open the newly saved PDF. It will load instantly without prompting for a password, indicating the file is decrypted and ready for automated import into Tally Prime or any reconciliation tool.

Method 2: Adobe Acrobat Desktop Software

If you have Adobe Acrobat (paid version — not Adobe Reader), you can remove password protection more reliably, especially for complex multi-page statements:

Open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat and enter the password when prompted.
Go to File → Properties → Security tab.
Change the "Security Method" from "Password Security" to "No Security".
Click OK and save the file. The saved file will be unlocked.

Method 3: Smallpdf and Similar Online Tools

For occasional use, browser-based tools like Smallpdf, IlovePDF, or PDF24 can also remove passwords from PDF files. Simply upload your PDF, enter the password, and download the unlocked version.

Important security note: Avoid uploading sensitive bank statement PDFs to online tools unless you trust the platform. Online services temporarily store uploaded files on their servers. For financial documents, the Chrome print-to-PDF method (Method 1) is far safer as your document never leaves your local machine.

Using Unlocked Bank Statements for Tally Reconciliation

Once your bank statement PDF is unlocked, you can use it for automated Bank Reconciliation (BRS) in Tally Prime. Tally Prime's native bank import feature supports structured Excel/CSV formats — it cannot read PDFs directly. You must first convert the unlocked PDF to Excel using a bank statement converter tool, and then map the transaction columns to Tally's BRS import format.

Alternatively, TrulyInvoice automatically reads your bank statements and invoices, extracts transaction details, and syncs them directly into Tally Prime for plans starting at ₹399/month.