Transaction References
Transaction References are the numbers that identify your documents. Each document type has its own format and its own running sequence, so an invoice, an order and a payment can be traced and quoted without ambiguity.
Two kinds of number
| Number | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Entry Transaction Number | Internal only. It does not follow a sequence, and you can ignore it for record-keeping. |
| Reference Number | The identifier you and your customers actually use. Sequential, and the number to quote. |
Where to find it
Go to Setup > Company > Transaction References, then Add New.
Creating a Transaction Reference
- Choose the document type the format applies to.
- Build the Reference Number format from fixed text and the placeholders below.
- Set the starting number for the auto-incrementing portion.
- Save. New documents of that type follow the format immediately.
Placeholders
| Placeholder | Replaced with |
|---|---|
{MM} | The month of the transaction date. |
{YY} | The last two digits of the year. |
{YYYY} | The full year. |
{FFFF} | The financial year — for 2023-2024 this gives 2023. |
{UU} | The user who created the document. |
{P} | The point of sale terminal. |
Example Transaction References
| Format | Produces | Suits |
|---|---|---|
{YYYY}-{MM}-{UU}-{006} | 2024-09-AB-006 | Tracing a document to a month and a user. |
{FFFF}/{0001} | 2023/0001 | A clean sequence restarting each financial year. |
INV-{YY}{MM}-{001} | INV-2409-001 | A prefix that identifies the document type at a glance. |
{P}-{0001} | 2-0001 | Retail, where each terminal needs its own sequence. |
The number of zeros in the counter sets its padding — {006} gives three digits, {0001} gives four.
Documentation Example
A worked setup, so the pieces fit together. A wholesaler wants invoices identifiable by financial year, restarting each year, with the branch visible:
- Open Setup > Company > Transaction References and add a reference for Sales Invoice.
- Enter the format
INV/{FFFF}/{0001}. - Set the starting number to
1. - The first invoice of 2024-2025 becomes
INV/2024/0001, the nextINV/2024/0002. - Repeat for each document type —
PO/{FFFF}/{0001}for purchase orders,RCT/{FFFF}/{0001}for receipts.
Keeping one structure across document types, varying only the prefix, is what makes a reference readable at a glance — the prefix says what it is, the year says when, the counter says which.
Points to keep in mind
- The reference on a transaction can be overtyped without changing the format, which is useful when matching a supplier's own numbering.
- References must be unique within a document type. The system rejects a duplicate.
- Settle your formats before going live. Changing them mid-year leaves a visible break in the sequence, which auditors ask about.
Related pages
- Company Setup — company-wide formatting
- Financial Years — what
{FFFF}resolves to - Point of Sale Settings — what
{P}resolves to - Go-Live Checklist — confirm formats before numbering starts