Bill / Purchase Category
Create and manage expense categories to classify costs across bills, purchases, and accounting dashboards.
🔐 Access Control
- Only Admin users with the correct permissions can access this setting
- From the Dashboard, go to Accounting → Setup → Bill / Purchase Category
➕ Creating a Purchase Category
Click the + button to open the category creation form.
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Category Name* | Label used across bills and purchases | Cleaning Supplies, Freight, Staffing, Utilities |
| Account | Optional mapping to an expense account | COGS, Operating Expenses, Admin Costs |
| Category Color | Optional swatch for chart representation | #000000 (Black), #FFB347 (Orange) |
Tip:
- Use sector-fit naming to match operational costs
- Include recurring overheads like
Utilitiesfor electricity, water, internet, etc. - Account mapping supports ledger exports and reporting logic
- Colour coding improves visibility in expense charts
📋 Managing Purchase Categories
Once created, categories appear in a table:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Category | Name of the expense stream |
| Account | Linked financial account (if any) |
| Color | Assigned swatch for charting |
| Action | Edit or delete the category |
Note:
- Categories are used when creating bill or purchase line items
- Deleting a category does not affect historical records — it only prevents future use
✅ Best Practices
- Create categories before issuing bills or purchase orders
- Align category names with operational workflows and reporting logic
- Use account mapping to support audit trails and financial exports
- Avoid overlapping categories (e.g.
TransportvsLogistics) - Include
Utilitiesto track recurring overheads across departments - Review categories quarterly to reflect evolving cost structures
