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Guide · Privacy

How to redact a bank statement safely

Landlords, letting agents, visa offices and lenders regularly ask for a bank statement as proof of address — but they don't need to see your balance, your salary or where you shopped last Tuesday. Here's how to share exactly what's required and permanently remove everything else, without your statement ever leaving your device.

Why black boxes in normal PDF editors aren't enough

Drawing a black rectangle over text in most PDF editors doesn't delete anything — the text is still underneath and can be selected, copied or exposed by removing the shape. Proper redaction destroys the underlying content. Hidden Ink burns redactions into the page pixels, so what's gone is gone.

Equally important: most online "free PDF editors" upload your statement to their servers. A bank statement is one of the most sensitive documents you own — it should never leave your machine. Hidden Ink runs entirely in your browser.

What to keep visible vs. redact

Keep visible

  • · Your full name
  • · Your address
  • · Bank / provider name
  • · Statement date or period

Redact

  • · Account number & sort code / routing number
  • · Card numbers
  • · Every transaction line
  • · Balances and totals

Step-by-step

  1. Step 1

    Open the editor and drop in your statement

    Go to the Hidden Ink editor and upload the PDF. It's parsed locally — nothing is uploaded. Scans and phone photos of statements work via built-in OCR.

  2. Step 2

    Pick the 'Proof of Address' preset (or go manual)

    The preset keeps your name, address, bank name and date visible while flagging account numbers, transactions and balances. Prefer full control? Draw redaction boxes yourself for free.

  3. Step 3

    Review every suggestion

    AI-flagged items appear as amber boxes. Click to accept, or dismiss with ×. Scroll through the whole document to unlock Accept All — you always make the final call.

  4. Step 4

    Export with redactions burned in

    Download your redacted statement. The removed content is destroyed in the page pixels, not hidden under a box, and you get a PDF audit report for your records.

Frequently asked questions

Is it safe to redact a bank statement online?+

Only if the tool never receives your file. Hidden Ink processes PDFs entirely in your browser — manual redaction sends nothing anywhere, and the optional AI mode sends only extracted text over an encrypted connection. We store nothing, and it is never used to train AI models.

What should I redact on a bank statement for proof of address?+

Keep your name, address, the bank's name and the statement date visible. Redact your account number, sort code, card numbers, individual transactions and balances. Hidden Ink's 'Proof of Address' preset does exactly this automatically.

Can redactions be removed or copied out of the PDF?+

Not with Hidden Ink. Redactions are burned into the page image itself, replacing the underlying content — not drawn as a removable layer.

How much does AI redaction cost?+

Manual redaction is free forever. AI redaction is $2.99 covering your first 50 pages combined across all PDFs in a batch — 50 one-page statements cost one $2.99 payment. Extra pages are +$1 per 25, one re-run included.

Does it work with scanned or photographed statements?+

Yes. Pages without a text layer are read with on-device OCR before AI analysis.

Is redacting a bank statement GDPR-friendly?+

Minimising the personal data you share is exactly what GDPR encourages. Hidden Ink keeps files on your device and stores nothing, and every export includes an audit report.

Redact your PDF now — free

Manual redaction is free and unlimited. AI-assisted detection is $2.99 for up to 50 pages combined across all your PDFs.

Start Redacting

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