Skip to main content
All CollectionsUsing brightwheelExpense Tracking
Expense Tracking Overview
Expense Tracking Overview

[For Admins] Learn how to organize and monitor your business expenses and profits with brightwheel's Expense Tracking feature.

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 quickly 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 profit and loss

  • Make tax time a breeze

Getting Started

To begin using brightwheel's Expense Tracking platform, you'll first need to connect a Bank Account, or a Custom Source.

🎥 Watch our 10 minute Onboarding Video

Connect a Bank Account

When a bank account is connected, transactions up to the last year will be imported into brightwheel for you to categorize and edit as needed. Only U.S. bank accounts can be connected at this time.

  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. Find your financial institution via Plaid and select the account to import transactions from (it can take up to 10 minutes to populate historical transactions)

  6. Repeat for each account you want to connect or for multiple accounts from the same institution

💡 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

Edit and Delete Connected Sources

Click here for steps to remove or edit any bank accounts and custom income 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 or Remove source

Manage Transactions

View Transactions

After a source is connected, transactions will populate in the Transactions tab for administrators to review.

  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 add income or expense transactions from any source if it was not automatically populated. 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, Description and Amount of the transaction

  6. Choose the transaction Category and add any custom notes
    ​💡The category defines if it's income or an expense. You can confirm the correct selection under Type.

  7. Click Save

Edit Transaction Details

Click here for steps to edit the details of a transaction such as the description, source, amount, date, or category.

  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.

Edit Transaction Descriptions in Bulk

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

Split Transactions

Click here for steps to split a single transaction into different categories, for example if you purchased classroom supplies and food together.

  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

Delete Transactions

Click here for steps to delete imported transactions, which can be helpful if you don't want a transaction to count towards your income or expenses in brightwheel.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

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

  5. Click Archive selected

  6. To finalize the action, select Archive

Export Transactions

Click here for steps to download and print your list of transactions.

  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

Categorize Transactions

We recommend you classify transactions under a profit or expense category (E.g. Supplies, Rent, Donations), so you can can easily report on specific areas of their business. You can choose from existing categories or create your own!

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. Add information about the category

  6. Click Save when finished

Edit & Delete Categories

Click here for steps to edit and 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

Categorize Individual Transactions

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

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

💡 If you don't wish to categorize a transaction, you can use the 'Uncategorized' label already created in your account.

Categorize Transactions in Bulk

Click here for steps to categorize multiple transactions at once.

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Click the Transactions tab

  4. Use the filters to sort by a specific 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. Click Edit category

  7. Select the New Category and click Update to finalize the changes

Transaction Receipts

A PDF, photo or a screenshot of a receipt can be uploaded from your computer or mobile device and stored in brightwheel for future viewing. Receipts are limited to 10 MB in size.

Upload Receipts

  1. Log into brightwheel on the web

  2. Select Expenses from the left side menu

  3. Choose the Transactions tab

  4. Click Add under the 'Receipt' column

  5. Select browse to upload to add a file, or scan the QR code to add a picture from your mobile device

  6. Once a file is uploaded, click Save

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.

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

Related Articles
Admissions packets
Update Premium Subscription Payment Method
Quickbooks Compatibility Guide
Brightwheel Payroll
Billing in Canada Overview
Did this answer your question?