[Glossary](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary) Historical balance # What is a historical balance? Historical balance A historical balance is the amount a ledger balance held at a time in the past. You ask for a timestamp and get the balance as of that instant. It is a read, not a new account. Teams use it for statements, disputes, and reconstruction. ## How does a historical balance work? The ledger keeps enough history to rebuild a balance at a point in time. You pass the balance id and a timestamp. The result is what the balance showed then, including the posts that had already applied. This is not a snapshot you stored by hand, and it is not yesterday’s cached number. It is the book as of that clock time. If you need the same figure tomorrow, ask again with the same timestamp. ## Historical balance vs balance snapshot A snapshot is a copy you take and keep. A historical balance is computed when you ask. Snapshots are useful when you want a file. Historical reads are useful when you want any time, not only the times you remembered to snapshot. ## When do you use it? Month-end statements. A customer who swears the wallet was higher on Tuesday. A recon that needs the book at the cutoff, not the book now. Do not use it as a live balance. Live traffic should read the current balance. In Blnk you request a historical balance by id and timestamp. Use it for statements and disputes. Use the current balance for posting. See [historical balances](https://docs.blnkfinance.com/balances/historical-balances). Related terms - [Balance](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/balance) - [Hot balance](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/hot-balance) - [Reconciliation](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/reconciliation) - [Ledger](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/ledger)