--- title: What are income categories? description: Learn what income categories are in Gymdesk, how to assign income categories, GL codes, and department codes to memberships and products, and how they appear in your accounting export. --- [Skip to content](https://docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs/what-are-income-categories#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [![gymdesk\_logo](https://docs.gymdesk.com/hubfs/Group%201.svg)](https://gymdesk.com/) - GYM TYPES Show submenu for GYM TYPES - [Fitness gyms software](https://gymdesk.com/software/gyms) - [Martial arts schools software](https://gymdesk.com/software/martial-arts) - [Gymnastics software](https://gymdesk.com/software/gymnastics) - [Yoga studios software](https://gymdesk.com/software/yoga) - [Dance studios software](https://gymdesk.com/software/dance) - [Pilates studio software](https://gymdesk.com/software/pilates) - [Club management software](https://gymdesk.com/software/membership-clubs) - [Crossfit gym software](https://gymdesk.com/software/crossfit) - FEATURES Show submenu for FEATURES - [Memberships](https://gymdesk.com/features/members) - [Billing](https://gymdesk.com/features/billing) - [Attendance](https://gymdesk.com/features/attendance) - [Booking](https://gymdesk.com/features/booking) - [Website](https://gymdesk.com/features/website) - [Point-of-Sale](https://gymdesk.com/features/pos) - [Marketing](https://gymdesk.com/features/marketing) - [Reporting](https://gymdesk.com/features/reporting) - [Facility Access](https://gymdesk.com/features/access) - [Mobile App](https://gymdesk.com/features/member-app) - [Integrations](https://gymdesk.com/features/integrations) - RESOURCES Show submenu for RESOURCES - [Articles on growing a fitness business](https://gymdesk.com/blog/) - [Gyms](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/gyms/) - [Martial Arts](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/martial-arts/) - [Yoga](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/yoga/) - [Gymnastics](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/gymnastics/) - [Dance](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/dance/) - [Pilates](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/pilates/) - [Sports clubs](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/sport-clubs/) - [The gym heroes podcast](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/podcasts/) - [CUSTOMERS](https://gymdesk.com/customers) - [PRICING](https://gymdesk.com/pricing) - [CONTACT](https://gymdesk.com/contact) - [LOGIN](https://gymdesk.com/login) Open main navigation Close main navigation - GYM TYPES Show submenu for GYM TYPES - [Fitness gyms software](https://gymdesk.com/software/gyms) - [Martial arts schools software](https://gymdesk.com/software/martial-arts) - [Gymnastics software](https://gymdesk.com/software/gymnastics) - [Yoga studios software](https://gymdesk.com/software/yoga) - [Dance studios software](https://gymdesk.com/software/dance) - [Pilates studio software](https://gymdesk.com/software/pilates) - [Club management software](https://gymdesk.com/software/membership-clubs) - [Crossfit gym software](https://gymdesk.com/software/crossfit) - FEATURES Show submenu for FEATURES - [Memberships](https://gymdesk.com/features/members) - [Billing](https://gymdesk.com/features/billing) - [Attendance](https://gymdesk.com/features/attendance) - [Booking](https://gymdesk.com/features/booking) - [Website](https://gymdesk.com/features/website) - [Point-of-Sale](https://gymdesk.com/features/pos) - [Marketing](https://gymdesk.com/features/marketing) - [Reporting](https://gymdesk.com/features/reporting) - [Facility Access](https://gymdesk.com/features/access) - [Mobile App](https://gymdesk.com/features/member-app) - [Integrations](https://gymdesk.com/features/integrations) - RESOURCES Show submenu for RESOURCES - [Articles on growing a fitness business](https://gymdesk.com/blog/) - [Gyms](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/gyms/) - [Martial Arts](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/martial-arts/) - [Yoga](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/yoga/) - [Gymnastics](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/gymnastics/) - [Dance](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/dance/) - [Pilates](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/pilates/) - [Sports clubs](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/sport-clubs/) - [The gym heroes podcast](https://gymdesk.com/blog/category/podcasts/) - [CUSTOMERS](https://gymdesk.com/customers) - [PRICING](https://gymdesk.com/pricing) - [CONTACT](https://gymdesk.com/contact) - [LOGIN](https://gymdesk.com/login) - English Show submenu for translations - [Sign-Up](https://gymdesk.com/register) [Sign-Up](https://gymdesk.com/register) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Gymdesk Help](https://docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs?hsLang=en) 2. [Billing](https://docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs/billing?hsLang=en) 3. [Accounting](https://docs.gymdesk.com/en/help/docs/billing?hsLang=en#accounting) # What are income categories? Income categories are accounting labels you attach to the money your gym brings in. Each one can carry a GL code, a department code and a venue code, so your Gymdesk revenue lines up with the chart of accounts you use for your books. With income categories set up, you can: - **Separate revenue by source**, such as adult dues vs. kids program dues, or apparel vs. supplements. - **Match your account codes** so every transaction in your export already carries the right GL and department code. - **Split revenue by location** with venue codes, if you run more than one site. - **Get a clean export** to import into accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero, or to share with your bookkeeper if you have one. **Important:** Income categories only label revenue. They don't change what a member is charged, and they don't affect taxes.   ### **How payment categories are assigned** Every payment gets an income category, even if you never set one up. Gymdesk checks four levels in order and uses the first one it finds: 1. **A manual override on that payment.** Staff can change the category on a single transaction from the Accounting report. 2. **The category on the plan or product.** This is set on the membership plan or retail product itself. 3. **The default for that type of revenue.** You can set one default each for Memberships, Retail Products, Standalone Bookings and Casual charges. 4. **The built-in label.** If nothing else is set, the payment is labeled `membership`, `retail`, `booking` or `casual`. This means you can set things up once at the type level (for example, all memberships use GL code 4000), then add plan-level categories only for the few plans that need their own line.   ### **Setting up income categories** Before you start, decide which GL and department codes each type of revenue should use. If you do your own bookkeeping, these are the account numbers from the chart of accounts in your accounting software. If you work with a bookkeeper or accountant, ask them which codes to use.   #### **Set your type-level defaults** 1. Go to **Billing \> Income Categories**. 2. Set a default income category, GL code and department code for each revenue type: Memberships, Retail Products, Standalone Bookings and Casual. 3. **Save** your changes. #### **Set a category on a membership plan** 1. Open the membership plan you want to categorize. 2. In the **Income Categories** section, enter the income category, GL code and department code. 3. Save the plan. Retail products work the same way: open the product and fill in its **Income Categories** section. #### **Update many items at once with a CSV** If you have a lot of plans and products, you can update them in bulk. 1. Go to **Billing \> Income Categories** and export the list. It includes every plan, product and default along with its current codes. 2. Fill in the income category, GL code, department code and venue code columns in a spreadsheet. 3. Back on the Income Categories page, choose **Import CSV** and upload the file. The import matches rows by Gymdesk ID, so don't change or delete the ID column.   ### **Checking for gaps and fixing single payments** Once your categories are set up, a quick review keeps your reports accurate. Check for plans and products that are missing codes before you export, and correct any single payment that landed in the wrong category. #### **Find items that still need codes** The Income Categories page shows how many items are **Fully Assigned**, **Partially Assigned** or **Using Default**. Use the filters to narrow the list: - **Using Default**: items that fall back to their type-level default - **Missing Income Category** - **Missing GL Code** - **Missing Department Code** We recommend running through these filters before each accounting export. #### **Override the category on one payment** If a single payment landed in the wrong category, you can correct just that payment without changing the plan or product. 1. Go to **Billing \> Accounting**. 2. Find the payment and edit its income category. 3. Save. Only that transaction changes; future payments still follow the plan, product or default.   ### **Where income categories appear** Income categories show up in your financial reports only. They don't affect member counts, attendance or other non-financial reports. | Where | What you'll see | | --- | --- | | Accounting report (Billing \> Accounting) | Every payment and POS sale with its income category, GL code, department code and venue code. You can filter by category, date, payment type and membership. | | Accounting CSV export | The same data as a downloadable file for your records or your accounting software. | | Transaction report | Categories that match the Accounting report. | | Sales list | Income category columns on retail sales. | | Income Categories page | Every plan, product and default with its codes, plus CSV import and export. | ### **Exporting your accounting report** 1. Go to **Billing \> Accounting**. 2. Choose the date range you're reconciling. 3. Click **Export**. You'll get a CSV named `revenue-[date range].csv`. The export includes these columns: Date, Name, Description, Type, Amount, Taxes, Total, Transaction ID, GL Code, Department Code, Venue Code and Income Category. ### **Using the export with accounting software** Gymdesk doesn't sync directly with QuickBooks, Xero or other accounting software. Instead, the GL and department codes on your export let you import the file into your accounting tool and map each row to the right account. Many gyms save that column mapping as a template and reuse it every month.   ### **Frequently asked questions** \+My export says "membership" or "retail" instead of the category I expected. Did it not save? That's the built-in label Gymdesk uses when no category is set at the payment, plan, product or type level. Check the Income Categories page with the **Using Default** or **Missing Income Category** filter to find the item. \+Why is the GL code blank on some rows? Unlike the income category, GL and department codes can be blank if they haven't been set. Use the **Missing GL Code** and **Missing Department Code** filters to fill them in. \+Can I set a category on a specific booking or casual charge? Not individually. Bookings and casual charges use the type-level default you set on the Income Categories page. To fix one payment, override it from the Accounting report. \+Do income categories sync to QuickBooks or Square? No. Categories appear in Gymdesk's reports and CSV export, which you can import into your accounting software. \+What about payments I imported from my old software? 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