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Expense Tracking Overview
Expense Tracking Overview

[For Admins] Learn how to use the Expense Tracking feature to populate, categorize, and report on all transactions for your business.

Audrey avatar
Written by Audrey
Updated over a month ago

ℹ️ This feature is currently in beta.

  • This resource overviews how to leverage the feature if you have access as part of the beta or previews what's coming for those awaiting access!

  • If you're awaiting access, go to the Expenses page from your account on the web, click Join the waitlist, and fill out the form to express interest.

With brightwheel's Expense Tracking feature, administrators can populate, categorize, and report on all transactions for their business. This feature will allow you to:

  • Automatically track expenses, directly in brightwheel — no more paper receipts

  • Customize your chart of accounts and tie them to charges and expenses so you can visualize your P&L

  • Make tax time a breeze

Getting Started

🎥 Watch our 10 minute Onboarding Video

Connect a Bank Account

ℹ️ Only U.S. bank accounts can be connected at this time!

To begin using brightwheel's Expense Tracking platform, you'll first need to connect a bank account, or a Custom source. When a bank account is connected, transactions up to the last year will be imported into your Transactions tab for you to categorize and edit as needed.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click into the Sources tab

  4. Click the purple +Add bank account

  5. Use Plaid to find your financial institution, enter your login credentials, and select the account to import transactions from

  6. Repeat for each account you want to connect, or for multiple accounts from the same institution
    💡 After connecting a new account, it can take up to 10 minutes for historical transactions to populate.

💡 Do not connect the same account more than once, as this will result in duplicate transactions being recorded.

Connect a Custom Source

Providers can create a custom source to track non-bank account related transactions (E.g. Cash, Giftcards, Donations).

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Sources tab

  4. Click the button +Add custom source

  5. Enter the Name & Description of the source

  6. Click Save

Review Transactions

After an account is connected, transactions will populate in the Transactions tab for administrators to review, edit, and categorize.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

ℹ️ The Transactions tab will only show fully processed transactions, not pending transactions.

Add Transactions

Providers can manually add income or expense transactions from any source. Custom sources (E.g. Cash) must be added manually.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Select + Create Transactions

  5. Input the Source, Date, Amount and Description of the transaction

  6. Choose the transaction Category and add any custom notes
    💡The category determines if the amount is income or an expense. Make sure to select the correct category and verify the Type is accurately marked as Income, or Expense.

  7. Click Save

Export Transactions

Transactions listed can be downloaded and printed as needed.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Select Export transactions at the top of the page

Transaction Categories

Providers can classify transactions under specific categories to stay organized and to better understand the the types of expenses and income related to their business. Easily sort transactions using pre-existing categories, or create customized categories.

View & Create a Category

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Categories tab

  4. Click + Add category

  5. Select if the category is Income or Expense and select Yes or No if it will be a sub-category

  6. Under Save category under, select if it will be a broad category or saved under a specific category

  7. Add the Category name that will be displayed, the Description, and optionally the Category ID

  8. Click Save

Categorize Individual Transactions

From the Transactions page, use the Category drop-down menu next to each transaction to select a category for the transaction and mark the transaction as income, or an expense.

💡 If you find a transaction that can't accurately be categorized, use the 'Uncategorized Expense' or 'Uncategorized Income' options.

Bulk Categorize Transactions

Providers can select multiple transactions at once to assign, or update the category for transactions.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Use the filters at the top to sort by the Date, Category, Source, or Receipt status

  5. Use the checkboxes on the left to select transactions, or click the top checkbox to select all.

  6. For multiple pages, optionally click Select all transactions in the blue banner to edit all within the search

  7. Click Edit category. If you've selected a mix of Expenses and Income to edit, choose which transaction type to edit and click Next step

  8. Select the New Category

  9. Click Update

ℹ️ To bulk edit transactions categorized as Transfers, you must make sure to only selected Transfers, or filter the table to only show Transfers.

Edit & Delete Categories

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Categories tab

  4. Select the Income Categories, or Expense Categories tab at the top to view categories based on the transaction type

  5. Select Actions next to the category you wish to manage

    1. Choose Archive to delete the category, then click Yes, Archive

    2. Choose Edit to update the category fields, then click Save

Transaction Receipts

A PDF, photo or a screenshot of a receipt can be uploaded to the Transactions page and stored in brightwheel for future viewing. Receipts are limited to 10 MB in size.

Upload Receipts

  1. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  2. Choose the Transactions tab

  3. Click Add under the 'Receipt' column

  4. Select browse to upload to add a file from the current device
    💡To easily upload receipts stored on a mobile device, follow steps to Upload Receipts from a Mobile Device by scanning the QR code

  5. Click Save Receipt

Upload Receipts from a Mobile Device

Providers can easily upload, or take a photo of a receipt from a mobile device by scanning a QR code.

  1. Select Expenses from the left side menu on the web

  2. Choose the Transactions tab

  3. Click Add under the 'Receipt' column

  4. With your mobile device's camera, center the camera on the QR code and tap the link that appears.

  5. In the browser that opens, select Upload a photo or Take a new photo

  6. Once you've selected the file/image or took a picture, tap Done or Use Photo

  7. Wait for the message 'We've got your receipt' to confirm a successful submission

Download Receipts

Once a receipt is uploaded on the Transactions page, providers can click Download receipts to download all the PDF files or photos of receipts uploaded.

Manage Transactions

Split Transactions

If a single transaction contains purchases across multiple expense, or income categories (E.g. Classroom supplies and food were purchased together), it can be split and sorted under different transaction categories.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Click the Actions drop down menu to the right of the transaction

  5. Select Split

  6. Choose + Add Split as many times as needed to add the split amount. Next select the Category

  7. Optionally, add any custom Notes

  8. Click Save when finished

Edit Transactions

Many fields of a transaction can be edited as needed.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Click the Actions drop down menu to the right of the transaction

  5. Select View / edit

  6. Update the Source, Date, Description, Amount, Category, and Notes as needed

    💡If the transaction was automatically populated from a bank account, the Source field cannot be edited.

  7. Click Save

💡The Type field shows if a transaction is Income, Expense, or Transfer. Positive amounts are Income, while negative amounts are Expenses. For transactions added manually, the Type is determined by the Category selected.

Delete Transactions

If you don't wish for transactions to count towards your income, or expenses in brightwheel, its recommended to delete the expense, or mark the category as Transfer for bank-to-bank transfers.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Click Actions next to a single transaction OR use checkboxes on the left side to select multiple transactions for bulk deletion

  5. Click Archive selected, then Yes, delete

Bulk Edit Transaction Descriptions

To edit the Category and Description of multiple transactions, use the checkboxes to select them and then click Edit Description.

Expenses Dashboard

From the Overview tab, providers can quickly see a snapshot of where their program expenses are at. This dashboard conveniently gives a high level overview of money spent, income and recent transactions in a graph, or pie chart view.

The To dos tile reminds providers to categorize any uncategorized expenses and upload missing receipts, making it easy to keep program data and records accurate.

Even click Print in the upper right corner of the screen to print the page!

Profit and Loss (P&L)

The Profit & Loss page shows a comparison of income and expenses, giving providers insights into how much profit they made in a given date range.

View Profit and Loss

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the P&L tab

ℹ️ Transactions categorized as Transfers are not counted in the overall profit and loss calculations.

Report on Profit & Loss

Providers can export, or print their Profit & Loss Report into a PDF or CSV file.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the P&L tab

  4. Select Export, or Print in the top right corner

Manage Bank Account & Custom Sources

Bank accounts and custom sources can be edited or deleted at any time.

Delete Sources

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Sources tab

  4. Click Remove source next to the sources you wish to delete

Edit Sources

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Sources tab

  4. Click Update Source to edit bank accounts, or Remove source to edit custom sources

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