Transactions
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Overview
The Sage Business Cloud Accounting audit trail is comprised of the day to day transactional activity of a business. The API exposes the transactional data via a generic ‘transactions’ endpoint, returning all transactional activity and individual endpoints which return data for the different transaction types.
Before calling a GET request on the ‘transactions’ endpoint you need to consider the volume of data which may be returned in the response. Without filtering, the response will return all transactions in the data including corrected or deleted transactions. Our recommendation is to filter your request’s by type or date, or, use the individual API endpoints. If you require data attributes which are only available from the transactions endpoint, we recommend making a GET request for the individual transaction.
GET /transactions/{id}
Foreign Currency Transactions
Sage Business Cloud Accounting (excluding Start) provides the functionality to trade with customers and vendors using different currencies to that of the operating business. Non base customers and vendors are defined by setting the ‘currency’ on the individual contact record.
Unlike contacts, the currency of a bank account cannot be changed. If a business has separate bank accounts for any of the currencies it deals in, it is possible to create a bank acount specifically for the processing of payments and receipts in that currency, but all exchange rate variances would need to be accounted for manually. Further information is available from the bank accounts help document.
Transaction Types
The following list provides an overview of transaction types and where applicable, their relative endpoints:
CORRECTION
A transaction of type correction is created when a VAT or Bank reconciled transaction is edited. Corrections are filtered from collections returned for individual endpoints, for example, a corrected
CUSTOMER_RECEIPT would not be returned in the 'contact_payments' response. Transactions of type CORRECTION can be returned via a filtered transactions GET request.
GET /transactions?transaction_type_id=CORRECTIONCUSTOMER_ALLOCATION
Alternative endpoint: /contact_allocations
The process of allocating unallocated invoices, credits, payments & receipts on a customer's account produces transactions of type CUSTOMER_ALLOCATION. The transaction itself does not not increase or decrease the ledger balances but will reduce the unpaid amounts displayed on aged debtor reports. For example, there is an outstanding invoice that is appearing on the aged debtors report along with an unallocated credit note for the value of the outstanding invoice amount. On allocating the credit note to the invoice, the invoice is no longer outstanding and a CUSTOMER_ALLOCATION transaction is created.
GET /contact_allocationsCUSTOMER_OPENING_BALANCE_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /contact_opening_balances
Customer opening balance's are the outstanding invoices and credits belonging to individual customers and tend to be created when a business changes their accounting system. For example, they could be using a manual accounting system and decide to invest in a software package. When setting up the system the invoices and credits outstanding at the point of a closed accounting period (month/year) would be entered into the system as an opening balance.
GET /contact_opening_balancesCUSTOMER_OPENING_BALANCE_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /contact_opening_balances
Customer opening balance's are the outstanding invoices and credits belonging to individual customers and tend to be created when a business changes their accounting system. For example, they could be using a manual accounting system and decide to invest in a software package. When setting up the system the invoices and credits outstanding at the point of a closed accounting period (month/year) would be entered into the system as an opening balance.
GET /contact_opening_balancesJOURNAL
Alternative endpoint: /journals
Journal transactions are entries directly to the journal/ledger. For example, the depreciation of an asset can be entered via a journal entry which consists of two sides (double entry), a credit to the asset balance sheet nominal to reduce the asset value and a debit to the profit and loss nominal for asset depreciation. Journal entries can be made up of many different lines, with the only rule being, the credit and debit values must be equal.
GET /journalsGENERAL_LEDGER_OPENING_BALANCE
Alternative endpoint: /ledger_acount_opening_balances
Like other opening balance transactions, the general ledger opening balance is reflective of the nominal balances at the point in time when the business started using the system. The general ledger represents the five main account types of assets, liabilities, income, expenses and capital.
GET /ledger_acount_opening_balancesPURCHASE_CORRECTIVE_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /purchase_corrective_credit_notes
Spain only. Legacy transaction type. Use 'purchase_corrective_invoices', negative value invoice lines can be added.
GET /purchase_corrective_credit_notesPURCHASE_CORRECTIVE_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /purchase_corrective_invoices
Spain only. Spanish legislation dictates invoices should not be edited after issuing. If there is a change required a corrective invoice should be raised to account for the changes. It is possible to post a negative value item line.
GET /purchase_corrective_invoicesPURCHASE_QUICK_ENTRY_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /purchase_quick_entries
This is a fast method of entering purchase credit notes that allows for only a single item line per transaction and limited item line detail.
GET /purchase_quick_entriesPURCHASE_QUICK_ENTRY_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /purchase_quick_entries
This is a fast method of entering purchase invoices that allows for only a single item line per transaction and limited item line detail.
GET /purchase_quick_entriesPURCHASE_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /purchase_invoices
Invoice received from a supplier which may have a single or multiple item lines.
GET /purchase_invoicesPURCHASE_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /purchase_credit_notes
Credit note received from a supplier which may have a single or multiple item lines.
GET /purchase_credit_notesSALES_QUICK_ENTRY_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /sales_quick_entries
This is a fast method of entering sales credit notes that allows for only a single item line per transaction and limited item line detail.
GET /sales_quick_entriesSALES_QUICK_ENTRY_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /sales_quick_entries
This is a fast method of entering sales invoices that allows for only a single item line per transaction and limited item line detail.
GET /sales_quick_entriesSALES_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /sales_credit_notes
Credit note created for a customer to reflect the crediting of goods or services previously invoiced.
GET /sales_credit_notesSALES_CORRECTIVE_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /sales_corrective_credit_notes
Spain only. Legacy transaction type. Use 'sales_corrective_invoices', negative value invoice lines can be added.
GET /sales_corrective_credit_notesSALES_CORRECTIVE_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /sales_corrective_invoices
Spain only. Spanish legislation dictates invoices should not be edited after issuing. If there is a change required a corrective invoice should be raised to account for the changes. It is possible to post a negative value item line.
GET /sales_corrective_invoiceSALES_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /sales_invoices
Invoice sent to a customer which may have a single or multiple item lines.
GET /sales_invoicesVENDOR_ALLOCATION
Alternative endpoint: /contact_allocations
The process of allocating unallocated invoices and credits on a vendor's account produces transactions of type VENDOR_ALLOCATION. The transaction itself does not not increase or decrease the ledger balances but will reduce the unpaid amounts displayed on aged creditor reports. For example, there is an outstanding invoice that is appearing on the aged creditor report along with an unallocated credit note for the value of the outstanding invoice amount. On allocating the credit note to the invoice, the invoice is no longer outstanding and a VENDOR_ALLOCATION transaction is created.
GET /contact_allocationsVENDOR_OPENING_BALANCE_CREDIT_NOTE
Alternative endpoint: /contact_opening_balances
Supplier/Vendor opening balance's are the outstanding invoices and credits associated with an individual supplier and are created when a business changes their accounting system. For example, they could be using a manual accounting system and change to a software package. When setting up the system the invoices and credits outstanding at the point of a closed accounting period (month/year) would be entered into the system as an opening balance.
GET /contact_opening_balancesVENDOR_OPENING_BALANCE_INVOICE
Alternative endpoint: /contact_opening_balances
Supplier/Vendor opening balance's are the outstanding invoices and credits associated with an individual supplier and are created when a business changes their accounting system. For example, they could be using a manual accounting system and change to a software package. When setting up the system the invoices and credits outstanding at the point of a closed accounting period (month/year) would be entered into the system as an opening balance.
GET /contact_opening_balancesTAX_RETURN
The tax return transaction type is posted on completing a vat return via the web app UI. The transaction clears down the VAT on sales and purchases and posts the net value to the VAT liability nominal. There is no alternative endpoint and this transaction would need to be filtered from transactions.
GET /transactions?transaction_type_id=TAX_RETURN