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Guide

What to Redact on a Bank Statement (And What to Keep)

Exactly which details to hide when sharing bank statements for rentals, loans, or visa applications.

Someone's asking for your bank statement—a landlord, lender, or visa officer. You want to prove your income or account balance, but you don't want to expose every transaction and account detail. Here's exactly what to redact and what to leave visible.

The General Rule

Keep information that proves what the recipient needs (income, balance, account holder). Redact everything else that could be used for identity theft or fraud.

✓ Keep Visible

  • • Your name
  • • Statement dates
  • • Bank name/logo
  • • Deposit amounts (income)
  • • Ending balance (if required)
  • • Last 4 of account number

✗ Redact

  • • Full account number
  • • Routing number
  • • Individual transactions
  • • Merchant names
  • • Check images
  • • Address (usually)

By Use Case

For Rental Applications

Landlords want to verify you can pay rent. They need to see:

  • Your name matches the application
  • Regular income deposits (paychecks)
  • Sufficient balance to cover deposit + first month

They don't need your full account number, where you shop, or how much you spent on Amazon last month. Redact transaction details and account numbers.

For Loan Applications

Lenders look for income consistency and available funds. Keep deposits and balances visible. For initial pre-qualification, you can often redact account numbers. For final underwriting, ask your loan officer what's required—some need unredacted statements.

For Visa Applications

Most embassies require unredacted statements to verify financial stability. Before redacting, check the specific requirements for your visa type and destination country. You can redact copies you share with immigration consultants or family helping with your application.

Account Number: Show Last 4 Only

The standard practice is to redact all but the last 4 digits of your account number. This proves the statement is yours while protecting against account fraud.

Format: XXXXXX1234 or ****1234

Always fully redact routing numbers—there's no reason anyone needs this except for direct deposit setup.

What About Transaction Details?

Individual transactions reveal a lot about your life: where you shop, your subscriptions, your habits. For most purposes, these aren't needed. Redact them.

Exceptions: If proving specific income sources, keep those deposit lines visible while redacting other transactions.

💡 Pro tip: Ask the recipient what they actually need before redacting. "What information do you require from my bank statement?" can save you from over- or under-redacting.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a black marker on printed copies — Can often be seen through or removed digitally
  • Drawing boxes in a PDF editor — Doesn't actually remove the text
  • Over-redacting — Removing so much that the statement is useless
  • Forgetting page 2 — Account numbers often repeat on every page

How to Properly Redact

Use a dedicated redaction tool that permanently removes data from the PDF. Tools like SafeRedact use AI to automatically detect account numbers, routing numbers, and other sensitive data—so you don't miss anything.

  1. Upload your bank statement PDF
  2. Review AI-detected sensitive information
  3. Select what to redact (or redact all detected items)
  4. Download the clean version

Redact Your Bank Statement

AI detects account numbers, routing numbers, and more. Free to start.

Start Redacting