Add a Transaction
Overview
This guide explains how to add an individual transaction to your records. This process is ideal for quickly entering individual contributions or disbursements as they occur. If you’re adding multiple records at once, you may want to use our import feature.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- From the main dashboard, navigate to the Transactions section using the left-hand menu.
- In the top-right corner of the screen, hover your cursor over the New transaction button. Two options will appear: Add transaction or Upload. Click the Add transaction button.
- An Add new transaction form will appear. From here, you can fill in the details about your transaction. Please note:. The only two fields required to save a transaction are the Amount and the Reporting date fields.
- Select the appropriate Transaction Type. A default transaction type (e.g., "Contribution - Donation from Individual") is pre-selected. Click the dropdown to change it if needed.
- Enter the monetary value of the transaction in the Amount field. This will always be a positive value (e.g. if you have a -$5.00 transaction, you would select a disbursement transaction type and enter “$5.00”).
- Enter the reporting date. This field defaults to the current date. You can click on it to select a different date from the calendar.
- Once you’ve entered the Amount and Reporting Date, you can save your transaction as-is, or add additional information about the record:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Add an Internal Note | You can enter any specific details or comments about the transaction in this text field. These notes will not show up on your FEC report. |
| Add Memo Text | If you would like to customize the memo text for a given transaction, enter it here. If your transaction is itemized, the text in this field will show up on your FEC report. |
| Group | Link the transaction to a contact. You can either click Select an existing |
| Associated Contact | Link the transaction to a contact. You can either click Select an existing contact to search for someone already in your workspace, or click Add a new contact to create one directly within this form. |
| Tags | Operative includes a flexible tagging system for contacts and transactions. You can create and apply your own tags to contacts and transactions, and then use Search & Filter to query objects matching a specific tag. |
Optionally, add more transaction details for record-keeping or reporting accuracy:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Payment Type | Indicates how the transaction was made (e.g., check, credit card, ACH). Useful for reconciliation and internal reporting. |
| Election Period | Links the transaction to a specific election reporting period (e.g., Primary, General). Note: If your committee files by election, assigning an Election Period ensures the transaction appears in the correct report. |
| External ID | A custom or vendor-provided identifier (e.g., an ActBlue ID or reference number) used for cross-referencing data between systems. |
| Source Code | An internal classification code used to track where a transaction originated (e.g., an event, email campaign, or data import). |
| Source Bank Account | Identifies the bank account associated with the transaction, if your committee has multiple accounts. |
| Fee | Records any associated fees (such as processing fees) to accurately reflect the net transaction amount. |
- Once you have entered all the necessary information, click the Add transaction button at the bottom of the screen to save the transaction.
After successfully saving, the new transaction will be created and should appear in your main list of transactions. You may need to refresh the page to see it.