Account Code Overview
An Account Code is a categorization value within Procurify's Chart of Accounts used to classify financial transactions, such as purchases and bills, for accounting and reporting purposes. Each Account Code can contain one or more subcodes, which provide a more granular level of categorization beneath the parent Account Code.
An Account Code and its subcodes together make up an entry in the Chart of Accounts. This structure allows finance teams to track spend at both a broad level, the Account Code, and a detailed level, the subcode.
How does an Account Code work?
An Account Code functions as the parent categorization value in the Chart of Accounts, with subcodes nested beneath it to add further detail. Each Account Code owns a distinct set of subcodes that are not shared with, or duplicated under, any other Account Code.
Can same Subcode be under different Parent Account Codes?
A subcode value, such as 1001, can exist only once across the entire Chart of Accounts. Subcode uniqueness is enforced system-wide, not per Account Code, so there is no concept of the same subcode value belonging to two different parent Account Codes.
A subcode value also cannot be associated with different subcode descriptions or different subcode types depending on which Account Code it sits under. Each subcode value has exactly one description and one type across the entire Chart of Accounts. When a user attempts to create a subcode value that already exists elsewhere in the Chart of Accounts, the system does not permit a second, differently defined instance of that same value.
How to Manage Account Codes in Procurify
Prerequisites
Required permissions vary by task:
Task | Required Permission |
Create an Account Code | Superuser access, or custom permission to Manage Chart of Accounts |
Assign an Account Code to a Department | Accounts Payable user, or custom permission to Manage Chart of Accounts |
Unlink or disable an Account Code | Superuser access, or custom permission to Manage Chart of Accounts |
Delete an Account Code | Superuser access, or custom permission to Manage Chart of Accounts |
How to create a new Account Code
This article refers to "Location" and "Department." Your organization's Procurify account may use different labels for these categories, depending on how it's set up.
If you sync account codes from an accounting software or ERP (e.g., NetSuite, QuickBooks Desktop), ensure that you add your account codes to your accounting/ERP software and not directly to Procurify.
Navigate to Settings > Manage Chart of Accounts.
Click + Create Account Code.
Enter the Account Code details.
Click Save Account Code.
Success! You've created an Account Code.
Additional Information: How to Import and Link Account Codes in Procurify
How do I assign an Account Code to a Department?
An Account Code must be assigned to a Department before users in that Department can select it when submitting a request or Purchase Order. If a newly created Account Code isn't appearing as an option, confirm it has been assigned to the relevant Department using the steps below.
Navigate to Settings > Manage Chart of Accounts.
Find the applicable Account Code and click the three-dot options button on the right.
Select Edit Account Code.
Open the Apply Departments dropdown.
Use the checkboxes to select the Department(s) that need access to this Account Code.
Click Apply Departments to save the assignment.
How do I unlink an Account Code from a Department, or disable it entirely?
Unlinking an Account Code removes it from selection for one or more specific Departments, without deleting the Account Code or its historical data. Deselecting every assigned Department has the same effect as fully disabling the Account Code: it becomes inaccessible for new selection everywhere, while past transactions remain untouched.
Before unlinking or disabling an Account Code, confirm there are no open Purchase Orders or requests still pending approval that use it.
Navigate to Settings > Manage Chart of Accounts.
Click the three-dot options button next to the applicable Account Code.
Select Edit Account Code.
Open the Apply Departments dropdown.
Deselect the Department(s) you want to remove. To disable the Account Code completely, deselect all Departments.
Click Apply Departments.
Click Save Account Code.
If a Purchase Order or order request is later approved or updated using a disabled Account Code, Procurify displays an "Account Inactive" error.
How do I delete an Account Code?
Deleting an Account Code retains all historical data associated with it. Purchase Order and request numbers that used a deleted Account Code are marked with a DEL prefix in exports, so historical order data stays traceable.
Navigate to Settings > Manage Chart of Accounts.
Search for the applicable Account Code in the search bar.
Click the three-dot options button beside the Account Code.
Select Delete Account Code.
Note: Account Codes cannot be mass-deleted. Each Account Code must be deleted individually.
Deleting account codes can lead to messy reporting, as all purchase orders and bills will show a “DEL_timestamp_account code” string. This can make it difficult to track expenses and budgeting. Additionally, deleting an account code removes all spend associated with that code, which can further complicate data reporting.
Instead of deleting account codes, to 'unassign' account codes from departments. This would hide the account code ensuring that no requestors can see those account codes or buy against them.
Next Steps
After creating an Account Code, assign it to the relevant Department(s) so requesters can select it. After disabling or deleting an Account Code, confirm no open Purchase Orders still reference it, since these will surface an "Account Inactive" error if later approved or updated.