# Journals

This topic describes how to create journal accounts and manage journal entries for financial reporting.

Use journal accounts to record and track accounting transactions between accounts as products are sold and revenue is recognized. For more information, see [Revenue recognition](/docs/data-tables/revenue-recognition).

A journal account records details of financial transactions between debit journal accounts and credit journal accounts, these details are used when reconciling accounts and transferring information to other official accounting records. To view revenue journal reports, see [View revenue journal reports](/docs/reports/billing-reports#view-revenue-journal-reports).

## Terms

- Journal account: An entity that records details of financial transactions between debit journal accounts and credit journal accounts. These details are used when reconciling accounts and transferring information to other official accounting records.
- Journal entries: Entries that are added to a journal account. Entries are accounting transactions that hold a record of funds movement between accounts.
- Journal records: Individual operations in a journal entry that move funds from a debit journal account to a credit journal account.
- Estimated amount: Expected revenue amount that will be recognized at the journal period end date. This amount represents a preliminary calculation. Estimated amounts are useful for budgeting, cash flow projections, and interim financial reporting.
- Recognized amount: Revenue amount that is recognized at the journal period end date. Recognized amounts may differ from the estimated amounts and are used for accurate financial reporting and compliance. For detailed information on estimated and recognized revenue, see [Revenue recognition](/docs/data-tables/revenue-recognition).


## Set up journals

Use this process to a create journal account and set up journal entry in Rebilly.

1. [Create a journal account](#create-a-journal-account).
2. Select one of the following:
  - Automatically generate journal entries: [Associate a new or existing product with a journal account](/docs/settings/products-and-pricing).
  - [Manually create journal entries](#manually-create-a-journal-entry).
3. [Create a journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment).
4. [View journal entries](#view-journal-entries).
5. [View journal records in a journal entry](#view-journal-records) or [View revenue journal reports](/docs/reports/billing-reports#view-revenue-journal-reports).


## Manage journal accounts

This section describes how to create and manage journal accounts.

### Create a journal account

Use this process to create an entity in Rebilly that represents one of your accounts. You can create journal accounts for debit and credit accounts.

1. In the left navigation bar, press .
2. In the **Configuration** section, **Journal accounts**.
3. In the top right of the screen, press **Create journal account**.
4. In the **Name** field, enter the journal account name.
5. Optionally, in the **Description** field, enter a description for the journal account.
6. To submit the journal account, press **Save journal account**.


### Edit a journal account

Use this process to edit the details of a journal account.

1. In the left navigation bar, press .
2. In the **Configuration** section, press **Journal accounts**.
3. In the **Name** column, press an account.
4. Update the details, then press **Save journal account**.


## Manage journal entry

This section describes how to manage journal entry.

To complete the processes in this section, a journal account is required. To set one up, see [Set up journal accounts](#set-up-journals).

### Create a journal segment

Use this process to create a journal segment from which you can view and filter journal records.

A segment is a filtered view of a data set. To view filters that are applied to a segment: In the top right of the table, press . To add or manage segments, or to apply or edit filters on a segment, see [Segments](/docs/settings/segments).

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Create new segment**.
2. In the **Page** dropdown, select **Data tables**.
3. In the **Type** dropdown, select **Journal entry**.
4. In the **Share** section, select from the following options:
  - **All users**: Journal entries are visible to all users in your organization.
  - **Private**: Journal entries are only visible to you.
5. In the **Title** field, enter a name for your segment. The recommended name is `Journal entries`.
6. Optionally, in the **Filters** section, select and add filters. These filters will filter how, and which, content is displayed in the segment.
7. In the **Columns** section, select the columns order you want in the segment.
8. In the **Sort order** section, select the sorting order based on a column.


### Journal entries

Journal entries are items that are added to a journal account. Entries are accounting transactions that hold a record of funds movement between accounts. All journal entries are added to a segment which is located in the **Billing** data table. To set up this segment, see [Create a journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment).

Use the following processes to manage journal entries.

#### Automatically generate journal entries

Automatically generate journal entries by associating a new or existing product with journal accounts. For more information, see [Products and pricing](/docs/settings/products-and-pricing).

#### Manually create a journal entry

Use this process to manually create a journal entry and associate it with a journal account.

To associate journal accounts with a product and automatically generate journal entries with corresponding records, see [Products and pricing](/docs/settings/products-and-pricing).

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Press the **Journal entries** segment. 
The name of this segment is dependent on the naming you used when you [created the journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment). 
The recommended segment name is `Journal entries`.
3. In the top right of the screen, press **Create journal entry**.
4. In the **Period** field, select a date range for the period of the entry. 
Estimated revenue is recognized at the end of the date period. For more information, see [Terms](#terms).
5. In the **currency** field, select a currency.
6. Optionally, in the **Description** field, enter a description for the journal entry.
7. To submit the journal entry, press **Save journal entry**.


#### View journal entries

Use this process to view journal entries.

To view journal entries, the [set up journals](#set-up-journals) process must be completed.

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Press the **Journal entries** segment. 
The name of this segment is dependent on the naming you used when you [created the journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment). 
The recommended segment name is `Journal entries`. 
This segment contains all journal entries that are added to a journal account.
3. Optionally, to sort journal entries based on monthly or annual orders:
  1. In the top right of the table, press .
  2. In the **Filters** field, select **Label**.
  3. In the **Operation** field, select **is in** or **is not in**.
  4. In the **Value** field, enter **Monthly** or **Annual**.
4. To view records in a journal entry: in the **ID** column, press a journal entry.


### Journal records

Journal records are individual operations in a journal entry that move funds from a credit journal account to a debit journal account. Estimated revenue is added to the credit journal account and recognized revenue is added to the debit journal account. All journal entries are added as a segment which is located in the **Billing** data table. To set up this segment, see [Create a journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment).

Use the following processes to manage journal entries.

#### View journal records

To view journal records, you must [Create a journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment)

Use this process to view or edit an existing journal record.

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Press the **Journal entries** segment. 
The name of this segment is dependent on the naming you used when you [created the journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment). 
The recommended segment name is `Journal entries`.
3. In the **ID** column, press a journal entry to view associated records.


#### View invoice related journal records

Use this process to view journal records that are associated with specific invoices.

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Select **Paid invoices**, **Unpaid invoices**, or **Refunded invoices**.
3. In the **ID** column, press an invoice number.
4. In the right of the screen, in the **Journal records** section, journal records that are associated with the invoice are displayed.


#### Manually create a journal record

Use this process to manually create a new journal record.

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Press the **Journal entries** segment. 
The name of this segment is dependent on the naming you used when you [created the journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment). 
The recommended segment name is `Journal entries`.
3. In the top right of the screen, press **Create journal entry**.
4. In the **Customer** field, select a customer whose revenue to track their revenue.
5. In the **Invoice** field, select an associated invoice.
6. In the **Invoice item** field, select an associated invoice item.
7. In the **Debit account** field, select a journal account to record debit. 
For more information, see [Journal accounts](/docs/settings/journal-account).
8. In the **Credit account** field, select a journal account to record credit.
9. In the **Estimated amount** field, enter the estimated record amount.
10. In the **Recognized amount** field, enter the recognized record amount.
11. To submit the journal record, press **Save journal record**.


#### Edit or delete a journal record

Use this process to edit of delete journal records.

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Press the **Journal entries** segment. 
The name of this segment is dependent on the naming you used when you [created the journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment). 
The recommended segment name is `Journal entries`.
3. In the **ID** column, press a journal entry to view related records.
4. Select from the following:
  - Delete a record: On a record, press , then press **Delete**.
  - Edit a record: On a record, press , then press **Save journal record**.


## Export journal entries

Use this process to export journal entries and their associated records as a CSV file.

1. In the left navigation bar, press , then press **Billing**.
2. Press the **Journal entries** segment. 
The name of this segment is dependent on the naming you used when you [created the journal segment](#create-a-journal-segment). 
The recommended segment name is `Journal entries`.
3. In the **ID** column, press a journal entry.
4. In the top right of the screen, press **Export**, then press **Export as CSV**. 
When the export is complete, a notification is displayed in the top right corner of the page, in .


## Related topics

- [Customize tables](/docs/data-tables/customize-tables)
- [Manage logs](/docs/data-tables/manage-logs)
- [Manage billing](/docs/data-tables/manage-billing)
- [Manage payments](/docs/data-tables/manage-payments)
- [Segments](/docs/settings/segments)