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TasteOfGraze
Level 2

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

A business credit card was used by mistake to make a personal purchase. I paid the amount to the credit card from a personal checking account not tracked in QB. How do I record this transaction since the personal checking account it not a bank account in QB? Thanks.
Solved
Best answer November 10, 2023

Best Answers
Rainflurry
Level 13

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

@TasteOfGraze 

 

Ignore @CharleneMaeF 's response.  If you follow those instructions, you will have an entry in the company's books.

 

IMO, the best way to handle this is to disregard the transaction.  Do not make an entry in the company books since this was a personal charge and paid personally.  When you go to reconcile the credit card, reduce the ending balance by the amount of the charge and everything should balance.  

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9 Comments 9
CharleneMaeF
QuickBooks Team

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

I've got different ways in handling the credit card payment, TasteOfGraze.

 

You can ignore those personal expenses since the purpose of adding it is to track business expenses. Nonetheless, I recommend reaching out to an accountant for further guidance. Doing so ensures the accuracy of your books after recording this.

 

Alternatively, we can create a clearing account. It is used to move money from one account to another when you can't transfer the fund directly. Here's how:

 

  1. Go to the Gear icon and then select Chart of Accounts.
    1.PNG
  2. On the Chart of Accounts screen, click the New tab.
  3. Choose Bank for the Account Type. You may choose any detail type you want for your clearing account.
  4. Type in the Name for the clearing account.
  5. Ensure the balance is zero before clicking Save and Close.
    2.PNG

 

Next, record the credit card payment to the account you've created. I'll show you how:

 

  1. Go to + New and then click Pay down credit card.
    3.PNG
  2. Select the credit card you made the payment.
  3. Enter the amount.
  4. Add the date of the payment.
  5. Choose the clearing account you paid the credit card with.
  6. Once done, click Save and Close.
    4.PNG

 

After that, enter a record a deposit to this false bank account:

 

  1. From the + New menu, hit Bank deposit.
    5.PNG
  2. Under Account, select Clearing.
  3. On the Add funds to this deposit section, add the purchase and the amount.
  4. Once done, Save and close.
    6.PNG

 

In addition, I've added an article that'll help you learn more about handling a personal expense in a business account in QuickBooks Online: Pay for your own purchase from a business credit card or bank account.

 

Should you need further assistance tracking the payment in the program, please keep us posted in this thread. We're always ready to help you out.

Rainflurry
Level 13

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

@TasteOfGraze 

 

Ignore @CharleneMaeF 's response.  If you follow those instructions, you will have an entry in the company's books.

 

IMO, the best way to handle this is to disregard the transaction.  Do not make an entry in the company books since this was a personal charge and paid personally.  When you go to reconcile the credit card, reduce the ending balance by the amount of the charge and everything should balance.  

TasteOfGraze
Level 2

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

Thanks, @Rainflurry This is a much simpler solution. I went with your recomendation more or less. I made a journal entry in the credit card account to debit the credit card charge, and I credited the owner's equity account. Thanks for the help.

TasteOfGraze
Level 2

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

Thanks, @CharleneMaeF. I went with @Rainflurry 's suggestion, seems to be simpler than setting up the clearing account. Thank you for your help.

Rainflurry
Level 13

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

@TasteOfGraze 

 

"I went with your recomendation more or less. I made a journal entry in the credit card account to debit the credit card charge, and I credited the owner's equity account. Thanks for the help."

 

That was not my recommendation and that's not the proper way to do it.  If you do it that way, you will increase the equity in your business by the amount of the personal credit card credit card charge which didn't happen.  The only proper way to do it is to ignore the transaction and not enter it in the company books.   

TasteOfGraze
Level 2

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

@Rainflurry . Ok, got it. I tried to keep the explanation simple, but it's hard to do so. I remember only enough from my college accounting classes to make me not look like a complete idiot. Here's the rest of the story.

I initially had the payment to the credit card coming from a checking account that is tracked in QB. This was a $3400 charge on the CC with a $3400 payment to the CC from the personal account in Jan. A few months later, I was working on the business accounts, I forgot that the payment was made from a personal account, and I created a payment from a business checking account (in QB) to match the payment that was made to the CC account. When I rememberred that the transaction actually came from a personal account, I wasn't sure what to do.

In addition to the journal entry I made, I deleted the checking account payment (in QB) to the credit card, thinking I would be ok. Now, my beginning balance when I try to reconcile the CC account is not right, obviously. 

I can delete the journal entry, no issue there. What is the best way to fix the beginning balance issue brough on by my deletion of the payment? Should I just allow QB to enter an offset adjustment as discussed at the bottom of this article? https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/bank-feeds/fix-beginning-balance-issu...

Thanks again for the help. I'm just trying to keep my wife's booming catering business going.

Rainflurry
Level 13

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

@TasteOfGraze 

 

"I remember only enough from my college accounting classes to make me not look like a complete idiot."

 

If that's all it takes for you to keep from looking like a complete idiot, you're doing great.  I often look like a complete idiot.  

 

If deleting the payment throws off your cc reconciliation, then you must have entered the original cc charge.  Is that correct?  If so, what account did you assign to the charge?  The second payment that you entered from the business bank account - did you ever actually make that payment to the cc or not?  Was that the journal entry you're referring to?  Was that a debit to the cc liability account and a credit to the business checking account or ???

 

If I'm understanding that correctly (doubtful), and the original cc charge was recorded in QB, you will need to reverse that entry.  That entry is a debit to the cc liability account and a credit to the same account as the original charge.  That will replace the cc payment that you deleted and should get your beginning balance back on track.  Let me know how much of this I'm not understanding correctly.       

 

Rainflurry
Level 13

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

@TasteOfGraze 

 

I would not suggest letting QB enter an offset adjustment.  All that does is create an entry to 'Reconciliation Discrepancy' and then you will need to resolve that at some point.  It's just kicking the can down the road.  

FritzF
Moderator

How do I record a credit card payment that was made from a personal account not tracked in QB?

Hi, Rainflurry.

 

I appreciate you for always sharing your knowledge about QuickBooks. This will definitely help other users as well in the future. Please keep on posting here in the Community.

 

Stay safe and have a great rest of the day.

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