# Statements and settlements (/v2/workspace/ledger/statements-and-settlements)



<Callout type="warn">
  Ledger is in alpha. There are no Ledger fees during alpha.
</Callout>

Statements save records for reporting. Settlements mark entries as settled, and balance monitors notify your application when a balance meets a condition.

## Statements [#statements]

A statement saves an account's posted opening balance, closing balance, and entries for a period. Later backdated transactions don't change a saved statement, so it stays a reliable record of what was reported.

```json
{
  "account_id": "acct_...",
  "effective_at_lower_bound": "2026-09-01T00:00:00Z",
  "effective_at_upper_bound": "2026-10-01T00:00:00Z",
  "description": "September statement"
}
```

This includes entries dated September 1 up to, but not including, October 1. The statement returns `starting_balance`, `ending_balance`, and `entry_count`. You can also list its saved entries.

## Settlements [#settlements]

A settlement totals an account's unsettled postings, records the net amount against another account, and marks the covered entries as settled. The other account is called the **contra account**. Each posting can be settled only once.

Use this to record a seller payout or a transfer to a bank account in the ledger. Your payment provider still handles the actual transfer.

| Field                      | Description                                                                            |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `settled_account_id`       | **Required.** The account whose unsettled entries are covered.                         |
| `contra_account_id`        | **Required.** A different account in the same ledger and currency.                     |
| `effective_at_upper_bound` | Only cover postings before this accounting date. Omit to include everything unsettled. |

```json
{
  "settled_account_id": "acct_vendor...",
  "contra_account_id": "acct_bank...",
  "description": "Vendor payout"
}
```

If the covered entries net to zero, the settlement marks them without creating a transaction.

## Balance monitors [#balance-monitors]

A balance monitor watches an account and emits a `balance_monitor.triggered` event when a condition becomes true, such as a wallet dropping below $5.

```json
{
  "account_id": "acct_...",
  "alert_condition": {
    "field": "available_balance_amount",
    "operator": "lt",
    "value": "500"
  },
  "description": "Low wallet balance"
}
```

The monitor sends an event when a balance change makes the condition true after it was false. It does not send an event just because the condition is already true when you create it.

To watch a different account or change the condition, replace the monitor.