---
id: "log-an-expense"
lang: "en"
title: "Record an expense (including wages you paid)"
summary: "Log what the business spends, from rent to the wages you paid. Expenses reduce net profit, and a recurring one records itself on schedule."
area: "Money & accounting"
kind: "task"
url: "https://zeropos.shop/help/log-an-expense"
alternate: "https://zeropos.shop/help/log-an-expense?lang=es"
markdown: "https://zeropos.shop/help/md/en/log-an-expense.md"
screens: ["/reports/accounting/expenses","/reports/accounting/recurring"]
where_to_find: ["INSIGHTS › Accounting › Expenses","INSIGHTS › Accounting › Recurring"]
related: ["accounting-overview","payroll","cash-and-bank-accounts","purchase-orders"]
updated: "2026-10-08"
---

# Record an expense (including wages you paid)

Log what the business spends, from rent to the wages you paid. Expenses reduce net profit, and a recurring one records itself on schedule.

[INSIGHTS › Accounting › Expenses](https://app.zeropos.shop/reports/accounting/expenses) is the business's expense diary. Everything logged there lands on the Accounting overview and counts against net profit.

Where to find it: INSIGHTS › Accounting › Expenses; INSIGHTS › Accounting › Recurring.

## Before you start

- In Expert mode, create the account the money came out of first ([Cash and bank accounts (Expert)](https://zeropos.shop/help/cash-and-bank-accounts)).
- Making an expense repeat needs its own right; by default the owner, administrators and managers have it.

## Steps

### Log an expense

1. Open [INSIGHTS › Accounting › Expenses](https://app.zeropos.shop/reports/accounting/expenses) and tap **Log expense**.
2. Set the **Date** and type the **Amount**.
3. Under **Pay from**, pick the account the money left.
   - A shop without cash and bank accounts picks the **Payment method** instead.
4. Type a **Category**, such as Rent or Wages. Categories you used before are suggested.
5. Add **Vendor (optional)**, **Reference (optional)** and a **Description** if they help your accountant.
6. Pick a **Region (optional)** and **Location (optional)** if the cost belongs to one shop.
7. Tap **Save**, or **Save & new** to log another.

### Make it repeat

8. In the same form, tick **Make this recurring**.
9. Pick the **Frequency**, **Monthly** or **Weekly**, and how often under **Every**.
10. Pick the **Day of month** or **Day of week**, and the date it **Starts on**.
11. Add **Ends on (optional)** if it stops on a known date, then save.

### Pause, change or stop a recurring expense

12. Open [INSIGHTS › Accounting › Recurring](https://app.zeropos.shop/reports/accounting/recurring).
13. Tap **Pause** to skip its next dates, and **Resume** to start it again.
14. Tap the pencil to change it. Changes affect future dates only.
15. Tap the bin to stop it for good. Expenses it already recorded stay.

## What happens next

- The expense shows in the list and the calendar, and in **Operating expenses** on the [Read the Accounting overview](https://zeropos.shop/help/accounting-overview): it reduces **Net profit** for its period.
- With **Pay from** set, the amount comes off that account's balance.
- A recurring expense records itself on each date from **Starts on**. Dates still to come show on the calendar as **Pending commitments** until they arrive.
- Expenses also appear in the **Expenses** data report and on [INSIGHTS › Accounting › Payments](https://app.zeropos.shop/reports/accounting/payments).

## Recording wages

Payroll in Zero POS works out what each person earned, but it never pays anyone and never touches your books ([Team salary and payroll runs](https://zeropos.shop/help/payroll)).

When you pay the team, log what you actually paid, tax included, as an expense: a category such as Wages, from the account the money left.

## Supplier orders

Payments to suppliers are recorded on the purchase order itself ([Order from a supplier and receive it](https://zeropos.shop/help/purchase-orders)). They show in the expenses list as **Supplier order** rows; manage them from the order.

## Common questions

### Can I delete an expense?

Yes, with the bin on its row. By default only the owner and administrators can. Its amount goes back to the account it came from.

### Can I log several at once?

Yes. Tap **Bulk log** to enter several expenses in one go.

### How do I give my accountant the list?

Tap **Export CSV** on the expenses screen: every expense on its own line, the columns named in your language.

## If you see this

- “**Pick the account this expense was paid from.**” — What to do: Choose an account under **Pay from**.
- “**Enter an amount greater than zero.**” — What to do: Type the amount as a positive number, without a minus sign.
- “**Add a category for this expense.**” — What to do: Type any category, for example Rent.
- “**That account belongs to a different region.**” — What to do: Pick an account from the expense's region, or change the **Region (optional)**.

## Good to know

- Use the same category names every time (Rent, Wages, Utilities): the overview splits spending by category.

## Related guides

- [Read the Accounting overview](https://zeropos.shop/help/md/en/accounting-overview.md)
- [Team salary and payroll runs](https://zeropos.shop/help/md/en/payroll.md)
- [Cash and bank accounts (Expert)](https://zeropos.shop/help/md/en/cash-and-bank-accounts.md)
- [Order from a supplier and receive it](https://zeropos.shop/help/md/en/purchase-orders.md)