Before You Begin:
- You need billing/finance settings permissions to add or edit transaction classes.
- Have your QuickBooks class list handy — class names in GrowthZone should match the class names in QuickBooks (Desktop or Online) and are limited to 31 characters per level.
- Decide which transactions and fee items each class should apply to before you start.
Microlearning Overview
Classes can be used in GrowthZone to provide you with greater control over revenue categorization. As in QuickBooks (Desktop and Online), you can create classes that you assign to transactions. This lets you track account balances by department, business office or location, separate properties you own, or any other meaningful breakdown of your business.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Set Up Transaction Classes
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Go to Finance, Billing section, click Settings and select Transaction Classes. A list of the transaction classes you have currently set up in your database will be displayed.
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On the Transaction Classes screen, click Add.
- On the Add Transaction Class screen:
- Enter the Name of the transaction class. The name should match the transaction class in QuickBooks. Class names are limited to 31 characters per level.
- Parent Class (Optional).
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Is Active? Enable this option to make the class available in the software. Best practice: if you are no longer using a class, deactivate it rather than deleting it.
- Click Done.
Assigning Transaction Classes
Transaction classes may be assigned on:
- Invoices
- Credits
- Write-offs: When manually written off, the system will default to the class of the original line item being written off, however, this can be over-written. If invoices are automatically written off (auto-drop process), the system will default to the class that was assigned to the original line item.
- Refund: Defaults to the same class as original transaction that is being refunded but can be over-written.
- Sales Receipt (the transaction created by a Store purchase).
NOTE: Discounts automatically use the same class that is assigned to the line item you are discounting. For example, if you have Western Region assigned as the Class name on the golf registration item, any discount against the golf registration would also have Western Region assigned as the class automatically.
In addition, classes may be assigned anywhere a Fee Item is used, such as Membership Type setup or Event Registration setup (V2 only). This ensures that, when invoices are automatically generated, Fee Items are appropriately classified.
Reporting on Classes
The Accounting Transaction report provides Class Name as a field to display. When that is included in your report, you'll see the assigned class on each pertinent line item. Note: classes are only attributed to the income and expense portion of the transaction. So, you'll only be seeing the class name on those line items (i.e. line items where the Chart of Account is of type = Expense, Other income, Revenue, Sale, or Fund).
Exporting Classes to QuickBooks IIF
When you are ready to export the transactions and their class assignments, you can do so using the QuickBooks IIF export option. See Accounting Export Process - Best Practices for further information on performing the export.
The export will automatically include the class name if the class name has been assigned to those transactions. No additional settings or steps to make it appear in the export.
Common Pitfalls
- Class names that don't match QuickBooks: If a GrowthZone class name doesn't exactly match the class in QuickBooks, the IIF export won't map cleanly. Keep names identical and within the 31-character-per-level limit.
- Deleting instead of deactivating: Don't delete a class you've stopped using — set Is Active? to off instead, so historical transactions keep their class assignments.