> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cardops.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Expenses

> How to track costs and link them to orders

Expenses let you track every cost associated with your selling business — shipping supplies, card purchases, platform fees, and more. Linking expenses to orders gives you per-order profitability.

## Types of expenses

CardOps supports two expense types:

### Simple expenses

A single line item with a description, amount, and category. Use these for one-off costs like postage, tape, or a box of mailers.

### Purchase orders

An expense with multiple line items. Use these when you buy inventory or supplies from a vendor and want to break down the cost by item.

## Creating an expense

1. Go to **Expenses** and click **New Expense**
2. Choose **Simple Expense** or **Purchase Order**
3. Fill in the details:
   * **Vendor** — who you paid
   * **Date** — when the expense occurred
   * **Category** — select from system categories or create your own
   * **Amount** — the total cost (in dollars)
   * **Line items** (purchase orders only) — add each item with quantity and unit cost
4. Click **Save**

## Linking expenses to orders

This is where CardOps gets powerful. By linking expenses to specific orders, you can see exactly how much each order cost you — not just in platform fees, but in actual out-of-pocket expenses.

To link an expense to an order:

1. Open the expense detail page
2. Click **Link to Order**
3. Search for and select the order
4. Optionally specify a partial amount if the expense covers multiple orders

You can also link from the order side:

1. Open the order detail page
2. Scroll to the **Linked Expenses** section
3. Click **Link Expense** and select the expense

## Expense categories

Expenses are organized by category for P\&L reporting. System categories include:

| Category                | Typical use                             |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Shipping supplies**   | Envelopes, mailers, tape, labels        |
| **Postage**             | Stamps, shipping labels, carrier costs  |
| **Inventory purchases** | Cards bought for resale                 |
| **Platform fees**       | Monthly subscription fees, listing fees |
| **Office supplies**     | Printing, general supplies              |

You can create custom categories under **Settings > Categories**.

## Tags

Like orders, expenses support tags. Use tags to group expenses by project, vendor type, or any other dimension that matters for your reporting.

## Best practices

* **Enter expenses promptly** — the closer to the transaction, the more accurate your records
* **Link to orders when possible** — this gives you per-order profit margins
* **Use categories consistently** — pick a category for each expense type and stick with it
* **Tag strategically** — tags are most useful when they're consistent across orders and expenses