pankkikirja

A pankkikirja, commonly known as a bank book, is a physical or digital record used by banks and financial institutions to document a customer's account transactions. The term originates from Finnish, where "pankki" means bank and "kirja" means book. Historically, the pankkikirja was a printed booklet provided to account holders, containing pages to record deposits, withdrawals, and other account activities.

Traditionally, customers used a pankkikirja to keep track of their banking transactions manually. Bank staff would update the book after each transaction, providing a physical record of deposits, withdrawals, interest, and fees. This method was common before the widespread adoption of electronic banking, offering customers a tangible proof of their account history.

In modern banking, the use of physical pankkikirjat has significantly declined due to the advent of digital banking services, online statements, and electronic transaction records. However, in some regions and for certain account types, such as savings accounts or in smaller banks, digital equivalents or printed statements serve the same purpose.

Having a pankkikirja or its digital equivalent can help customers monitor their account activity, detect unauthorized transactions, and maintain accurate financial records. While increasingly replaced by electronic methods, the pankkikirja remains a symbol of traditional banking practices and serves as a historical artifact reflecting how banking transactions were once recorded and managed.