How to Determine the Bookkeeping Method

This how-to explains how to determine which downstream accounting workflow should be used for each Export Item based on the bookkeeping.method field provided by Pleo.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

You’re familiar with the Export Lifecycle
You’re familiar with the Integration Design for Determining the Bookkeeping Method
You’ve fetched the export item payload data

Example Export Item Payload (Journal Entry)

  {
      "companyId": "12abc3d4-e567-890e-1234-abc56e78fabc",
      "accountingEntryId": "59540ed2-0d68-4e36-9e31-58223975d9e9",
      "type": "card_purchase",
      "subType": null,
      "date": "2025-12-10T15:46:34Z",
      "amount": {
        "inSupplierCurrency": {
          "currency": "GBP",
          "value": 6366
        },
        "inWalletCurrency": {
          "currency": "GBP",
          "value": 6366
        }
      },
      "note": "Printer ink",
      "files": [
        {
          "url": "<string>",
          "type": "image/jpeg",
          "size": 13010
        }
      ],
      "supplier": {
        "code": "1340472473",
        "name": "Target",
        "categoryCode": "1000",
        "country": "GB",
        "account": null,
        "taxIdentifier": null
      },
      "user": {
        "id": "6b71f6bd-e83d-4d49-88ee-2b8cda2d57cf",
        "name": "Luke Richardson",
        "code": null
      },
      "team": {
        "id": "747aaf60-56c6-4b46-ad92-f8a0cb59cf8b",
        "code": "5678",
        "name": "Engineering"
      },
      "accountingEntryLines": [
        {
          "accountingEntryLineId": "0c76ea71-aaaa-4ece-bb68-e1166ccaea04",
          "lineAmount": {
            "inSupplierCurrency": {
              "currency": "GBP",
              "value": 6366
            },
            "inWalletCurrency": {
              "currency": "GBP",
              "value": 6366
            }
          },
          "netAmount": {
            "inSupplierCurrency": {
              "currency": "GBP",
              "value": 6366
            },
            "inWalletCurrency": {
              "currency": "GBP",
              "value": 6366
            }
          },
          "account": {
            "id": "7966c3ba-e4de-4574-8604-6cfa48d62cc8",
            "code": "6990000",
            "name": "Printing & Stationary",
            "identifier": "6990000"
          },
          "tax": {
            "id": "997d8526-5872-484d-ba07-c7a07e08e555",
            "code": "0001",
            "type": "inclusive",
            "amount": {
              "inSupplierCurrency": {
                "currency": "GBP",
                "value": 0
              },
              "inWalletCurrency": {
                "currency": "GBP",
                "value": 0
              }
            },
            "rate": 0.00
          },
          "tags": []
        }
      ],
      "additionalInformation": {
        "reconciliationId": "2500001",
        "reconciledEntries": null,
        "attendees": [],
        "invoiceInformation": null
      },
      "bookkeeping": {
        "method": "journal"
      },
      "vendor": {
        "id": "22e1f2c9-1360-4291-ab41-6b23dcea8888",
        "name": "TestVendor",
        "code": "acc1234",
        "externalId": "ext12345",
        "registrationNumber": "reg001234",
        "taxRegistrationNumber": "taxreg1234",
        "country": "UK",
        "defaultCurrency": "GBP"
      },
      "contraAccount": {
        "id": "993d664c-9b7c-4efc-a677-510e69200857",
        "code": "0876000",
        "name": "0876000_ChartAccounts",
        "identifier": "0876000"
      },
      "_links": {
        "web": {
          "exportItem": "https://app.staging.pleo.io/export/export-item/0c76ea71-aaaa-4ece-bb68-e1166ccaea04"
        }
      },
      "servicePeriod": null
    },
   # [other Export Items omitted for brevity]
   # [Pagination omitted for brevity]

Steps

1. Read the Bookkeeping Method

The bookkeeping method is provided directly in the Export Item:

{
  "bookkeeping": {
    "method": "journal"
  }
}

2. Determine the Workflow

Map the bookkeeping method to the correct processing workflow:

Method	Workflow
`journal`	Journal Entry Handling
`accounts_payable`	Accounts Payable Handling
`none`	Default to Journal Entry workflow
`null`	Legacy Support

3. Route the Export Item

Based on the resolved method:

If journal → process using the Journal Entry Handling workflow
If accounts_payable → process using the Accounts Payable Handling workflow
If none → treat as journal

Example Pseudo

method = item.bookkeeping.method

if method == "journal":
    processAsJournalEntry(item)

elif method == "accounts_payable":
    processAsAccountsPayable(item)

elif method == "none":
    processAsJournalEntry(item)

else:
    failItem(item, "unsupported_bookkeeping_method")

Result

After completing these steps, each Export Item is routed into the correct downstream accounting processing workflow.

What Comes Next?

this how-to is part of:

AS/ERP Processing Workflow Guide Export Integration Workflow Guide (Step 5)

Get Started

Integration Design

Workflow Guides

How-to's

How to Determine the Bookkeeping Method

Prerequisites

Steps

1. Read the Bookkeeping Method

2. Determine the Workflow

3. Route the Export Item

Example Pseudo

Result

What Comes Next?

​Prerequisites

​Steps

​1. Read the Bookkeeping Method

​2. Determine the Workflow

​3. Route the Export Item

​Example Pseudo

​Result

​What Comes Next?

​Related Reading

Prerequisites

Steps

1. Read the Bookkeeping Method

2. Determine the Workflow

3. Route the Export Item

Example Pseudo

Result

What Comes Next?

Related Reading