Expense Field Glossary
Last updated on Sep 7, 2026
Every field on the Expense Transaction screen, what it does, and when to use it.
Important Expense Fields
| Field | Definition |
|---|---|
| Item | Choose the Expense Item for the expense. The drop-down shows the items you set up under Expense Items. When you select an item, the system automatically populates the item's duration, amortization method, and billing method. |
| Amortization Method | Specify how the system calculates the expense-recognition schedule: daily, monthly, or another predefined method. |
| Billing Method | Choose the frequency with which the vendor bills you (or you pay the commission). For example, if a rep earned $12,000 commission but you pay quarterly, you could select Quarterly to generate four bills of $3,000 each for separate tracking. Most customers select All on Bill Start Date when the transaction and payment amounts match. |
| Dates | These fields determine the period for the expense entries and bills. The Start Date sets the first bill date and the first expense-recognition entry. |
| Amount | Enter the total expense amount. If you use the Multi-Currency advanced workflow, enter the local-currency amount here. A negative Amount represents a vendor credit rather than money you owe, and Maxio's resulting Bill carries a negative balance instead of an amount due. |
| Paid Date | If this expense has already been paid in full, enter the payment date here. If you will pay over multiple bills, leave this blank and record each bill's payment when appropriate. Paid Date has no effect on an expense with a negative Amount: a vendor credit isn't a cash payment, so Maxio leaves its Bill unpaid rather than recording a payment against it, even when Paid Date is filled in. |
| Customer Contract | If the expense relates directly to a revenue-bearing Customer Contract (for example, sales commissions), select the Customer Contract from the drop-down menu. This makes navigation and reporting easier. |
| Recognize | If you do not want the expense's recognition schedule to appear in reports, uncheck this box. This is checked by default. |
| Permit Imbalance | Check this box to suppress the out-of-balance warning that otherwise appears when the Expense's transaction amount doesn't match its total scheduled bills or expense entries. A checked expense is also excluded from the Out of Balance filter on the Expenses list. |
Related information
To record an Expense Transaction using these fields, see Manage Expenses.
To set up the Expense Items referenced by the Item field, see Configure Expenses.
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