Finding a transaction

You can search your accounting information using the accounts quick search box at the top of the screen, or view a list of all transactions using Accounts->Search Accounts. Wherever you see a blue link you can click it to visit the original order, invoice or view more details of the journal.

To view a contact's financial history, search for the contact using the quick search box, hover over the menu then click the icon.

Setting up repeat transactions

1. Click Accounts->Bank->Bank Payment from the main menu
2. Enter a bank payment (eg from 1200 to 6000, £10.00 T9)
3. Tick the recurring payment box
4. Choose a date for the first payment, and set 3 additional transactions on the same day for the next 3 months
5. Save (you may get prompted that the date shown is outside your financial year. This is only a warning)

You'll see that the transaction has not been posted to the accounts; click Accounts->Post Repeats from the main menu to see the repeat transactions that are waiting to be posted to accounts.

Entering a journal directly

Pearl enters most journals automatically when you pay an invoice or enter a bank receipt, for example. Should you wish to add a journal manually, click Accounts->Enter Journal from the main menu.

Saving journal templates

You may create complex journals for your own business transactions. To save you creating the journal each time, you can save a journal template for loading the next time.

1. Click Accounts->Enter Journal from the main menu
2. Enter a journal, and type a name for the journal at the bottom of the screen
3. Click save

You'll see that the journal has not been posted to accounts – but it has been saved at the right hand side of the screen ready to load again in future to save time.

Sending invoice reminders / statements / warnings

1. Click Accounts->Customers->Customer debt from the main menu
2. Tick each customer that you like to send a reminder to
3. At the top of the screen you can choose a document template to send
4. Choose letter or email and submit.

If the order details do not have a billing email address then you won't be able to send email invoices or statements automatically. Add an accounts email address to the customer contact details (it can be the same as the default email address) for future orders, or add a billing email address to the current order to send an email invoice.

Export accounting data to Excel

• Click Accounts->Export Data from the main menu
• Choose some options and export the data
• Open the document with Excel

Allocate payment received against a customer invoice

To clear a customer balance when payment is received:

1. Click Accounts->Customers->Customer Debt from the main menu
2. Click the green "money" allocate payment icon next to the customer required to bring up a list of outstanding invoices
3. Enter a part or whole payment for one of the invoices, with a bank account, date and some details
4. Click Save

Allocate payments to suppliers against invoices

This is the same as for customers but click Accounts->Suppliers->Supplier Debt from the main menu. If you are paying a supplier invoice by personal credit card, make sure your personal card is set up as a bank account in Pearl and use that bank account when allocating the payment.

When you later transfer funds from your main bank account to clear your personal credit card, then enter a bank transfer using Accounts->Bank->Bank Transfer.

Payments and receipts that do not have an invoice

To enter a payment or receipt for a transaction that does not have a matching invoice, use Accounts->Bank->Bank Payment or Accounts->Bank->Bank Receipt. Examples of this type of transaction would be paying staff wages, receiving a VAT payment from the Inland Revenue or paying the Post Office for stamps.

Payments and receipts can be made from any bank account, so if your buy something using a directors credit card, make the payment from that account in Pearl as well.

Petty cash

To track your petty cash, use the Petty Cash account (1230) - this may be set up as a default nominal code in Pearl already, if not, you can add it using the Accounts->Chart of Accounts screen. Any cash payments such as buying stamps or stationery would be entered as a bank payment from the petty cash account. When you need to top up the petty cash account from your main bank account (or till), enter a bank transfer from one account to the other.

Credit control

You can use the Pearl notes and call manager to keep a track of your credit controller(s) actions; from any number of screens. Hover over the notes icon to show a list of recent notes for any contact.

Is the icon for the call manager – use this to get a contact's phone number and automatically keep a track of the call time, create notes and reschedule a reminder for a future call or task.

Correcting an accounts entry

Pearl will allow you to amend an entry until it has either been reconciled with the bank account or reconciled for VAT. Click a Pearl journal ID to take you to the details for the journal, or click Accounts->Corrections and enter the required ID.

The journal ID is to be found on the left hand column when in the search accounts screen, and also elsewhere in the accounting area.

You will need to enter a reason for the correction, and the previous copy of the journal will be saved in the history to maintain an audit trail.