{"id":"acct-card-statement-ledger-unmatched-checklist","audience":"accounting","category":"finance-work","track":"finance","technique":"format","level":"beginner","title":"Turn a card-to-ledger comparison into a three-line checklist","free":false,"task":"You're matching the October card statement to the ledger. Write a prompt for plain text with exactly three checklist lines, each starting \"[ ] \" followed by one of these labels in this order: \"Missing from ledger:\", \"Amount differs:\", \"On ledger, not on statement:\". Give the merchant and amounts; for a difference, include the dollar gap. Do not guess causes. Under 90 words.","materialLabel":"Source material (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"CARD STATEMENT - closing Oct 31, 2026\n10/03 Zoom                 $149.90\n10/07 Uber                 $38.20\n10/11 Lakeside Hotel       $412.50\n10/18 Inkwell Printer Ink  $76.30\n10/22 Bean Supply Coffee   $54.00\n\nLEDGER - Card clearing account, October\n10/03 Zoom                 $149.90\n10/07 Uber                 $38.20\n10/11 Lakeside Hotel       $421.50\n10/22 Bean Supply Coffee   $54.00\n10/31 City Parking         $22.00\n\nNotes: The hotel entry was keyed by a new bookkeeper. City Parking was paid on Oct 31 after the statement cut-off and often appears on the next statement. The coffee charge appears on both lists with the same date and amount. The office manager asked that the list be short enough to read aloud in the Monday close call.","rules":[{"type":"plainText"},{"type":"maxWords","max":90}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Gives the three labels","patterns":["missing from ledger","amount differs","not on statement"]},{"label":"Shows the checklist box","patterns":["\\[ \\]","checklist"]},{"label":"Asks for the gap","patterns":["gap","difference"]},{"label":"Bans guessing","patterns":["do not guess","don'?t guess","cause"]},{"label":"Caps length","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","under \\d+"]}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Listing matched items","why":"The AI lists everything including the matches.","fix":"Say: \"Only exceptions; leave out items that match.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Guessing causes","why":"The AI calls the hotel a typo.","fix":"Add: \"Do not guess causes.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Missing the dollar gap","why":"The AI shows both amounts but no difference.","fix":"Add: \"For a difference, include the dollar gap.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"Wrong list shape","why":"The AI writes a table or paragraphs.","fix":"Add: \"Exactly three lines starting with [ ] and the given labels.\"","checks":["r0"]},{"title":"Markdown extras","why":"The AI adds bold labels, headings and a closing note.","fix":"Say: \"Plain text, no bold. Output only the lines asked for.\"","checks":["plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting and runs past word limits.","fix":"Ask for fewer words than the real cap and keep each part short.","checks":["maxWords"]}],"hint":"A reconciliation list shows only exceptions. Give the exact labels and the checkbox format.","rubricLabels":["Exactly three lines, each starting \"[ ] \" with the labels \"Missing from ledger:\", \"Amount differs:\" and \"On ledger, not on statement:\" in that order","Missing from ledger names Inkwell Printer Ink $76.30 and Amount differs names Lakeside Hotel with statement $412.50, ledger $421.50 and a gap of $9.00","On ledger, not on statement names City Parking $22.00, and no line says what caused any item or lists matched items such as Zoom, Uber or Bean Supply Coffee"]}