> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/llms.txt).

# Common questions

Short answers to the questions bookkeepers ask most about ZeraBooks, from uploading statements to closing the books, each with a link to the full guide.

## Getting started

<details>
<summary>Is there a free trial, and do I need a card?</summary>

Yes. The trial lasts 7 days and a card is collected at checkout. Your card is charged when the one-week trial ends. See [Start your free trial](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/getting-started/start-your-free-trial).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Which currencies can my books use?</summary>

USD, CAD or EUR. The books currency can't change after the first transaction, so pick it carefully. See [Currency and region](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/getting-started/currency-and-region).
</details>

<details>
<summary>I'm switching from QuickBooks or Xero. How do I bring my books over?</summary>

Choose **Books are up to date** or **Books need catching up** when you set up the company, then upload your closing trial balance and any unpaid invoices and bills. ZeraBooks brings in closing balances, not your full transaction history. See [Move your books to ZeraBooks](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/getting-started/move-your-books-to-zerabooks).
</details>

## Banks and statements

<details>
<summary>Does ZeraBooks connect to my bank automatically?</summary>

No. There's no bank feed. You upload each account's statement as a PDF, CSV or Excel file, and ZeraBooks reads it and checks its balances. See [Upload a statement](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/upload-a-statement).
</details>

<details>
<summary>What files can I upload, and how big?</summary>

One account's statement per file, as PDF, CSV or Excel, up to 10 MB and 10,000 rows. There's no page limit. See [Upload a statement](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/upload-a-statement).
</details>

<details>
<summary>What happens if I upload the same statement twice?</summary>

It's refused with **Statement already imported**. If a new statement repeats rows from another one, nothing is imported; if only the dates overlap, it imports with a warning. See [Error messages](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/faqs-and-troubleshooting/error-messages).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I undo a wrong upload?</summary>

In **Banks & Cards**, open **Account actions** › **Remove a statement…**. This removes the statement and its transactions permanently. See [Remove a statement](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/remove-a-statement).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I record a credit-card payment or a transfer between my accounts?</summary>

Upload both statements. ZeraBooks pairs the two sides as a transfer, so the payment isn't counted as an expense. See [Transfers, card payments and owner draws](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/transfers-card-payments-and-owner-draws).
</details>

<details>
<summary>What does "need review" mean?</summary>

The transaction is Uncategorized or was flagged by the AI. Switch to **Edit** in **Banks & Cards** and pick a category, or click **Looks right**. See [Review and fix categories](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/review-and-fix-categories).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I fix every transaction from one merchant at once?</summary>

Yes. After you change one, ZeraBooks offers **Apply to N similar**. See [Apply a correction to similar transactions](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/apply-a-correction-to-similar-transactions).
</details>

## Categories and the Ledger

<details>
<summary>Can I delete a category?</summary>

No. Deactivate it instead: nothing new can be booked to it until you activate it again. See [Add, edit and deactivate categories](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/add-edit-and-deactivate-categories).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I import my chart of accounts?</summary>

Yes. Import a CSV, Excel or PDF from your old software. You review every row before anything is saved, and existing categories are kept. See [Import a chart of accounts](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/import-a-chart-of-accounts).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I record a journal entry?</summary>

In **Ledger**, click **Add Transaction** and choose **Journal**. Debits and credits must be equal. See [Record a journal entry](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/record-a-journal-entry).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I see why the AI chose a category?</summary>

Open the transaction and click the **Activity** tab. It shows how the category was set, for example "Categorized by ZeraBooks AI" or "Category set by you". See [Transaction details and activity](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/transaction-details-and-activity).
</details>

## Reconciliation and month-end

<details>
<summary>Do I have to match every transaction to the bank?</summary>

No. ZeraBooks reconciles whole statements: the opening and closing balances prove the month. See [How reconciliation works](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reconciliations/how-reconciliation-works).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I reconcile a credit card?</summary>

The same way as a bank account: upload its statement. It's checked month by month in **Reconciliations**, with **Payments** and **Charges** instead of deposits and withdrawals. See [How reconciliation works](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reconciliations/how-reconciliation-works).
</details>

<details>
<summary>My month shows an orange !. What do I do?</summary>

It doesn't tie. Open it, read **Flags & suggestions**, and fix the misread balance, missing row or extra row. See [Fix a month that doesn't tie](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reconciliations/fix-a-month-that-doesnt-tie).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I sign off a month?</summary>

Click **Finalize…** on a tied month, then **Finalize**, or use **Finalize all N tied months**. See [Finalize a month](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reconciliations/finalize-a-month).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Why did a finalized month say Reopened?</summary>

Its checked numbers changed after sign-off. Review what changed, remove the sign-off and finalize again. See [Reopened months](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reconciliations/reopened-months).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I fix a transaction in a closed month?</summary>

Reopen the books in **Reconciliations**, make the change, then close the books again. See [Close and reopen the books](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reconciliations/close-and-reopen-the-books).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Who records depreciation, loan interest and prepaid expenses?</summary>

Autopilot proposes them from your books and records them or asks you first. See [Month-end entries](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/autopilot/month-end-entries).
</details>

## Autopilot and AI

<details>
<summary>Does Autopilot run overnight?</summary>

No. There's no nightly or scheduled run. It runs when you click **Run now**, when you open ZeraBooks, and a few seconds after you upload or change something. See [What Autopilot does](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/autopilot/what-autopilot-does).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Why did ZeraBooks ask me instead of doing it?</summary>

It wasn't sure enough for your mode and the risk of the decision. Answer in **Needs you**. See [Answer Autopilot's questions](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/autopilot/answer-autopilot-questions).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I undo what Autopilot did?</summary>

Yes, from **Done by AI**, except merged vendors or customers and reminder emails already sent. See [Review and undo AI actions](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/autopilot/review-and-undo-ai-actions).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I make ZeraBooks ask before doing things?</summary>

Switch to **Balanced** or **Cautious**, or turn off individual switches such as **Approve bills and invoices**. See [Choose how much ZeraBooks does](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/autopilot/choose-how-much-zerabooks-does).
</details>

## Bills and invoices

<details>
<summary>Can I pay bills from ZeraBooks?</summary>

No. ZeraBooks records what you owe and matches it to the payment on your bank or card statement. It never sends or moves money. See [Match a bill to its payment](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/bills/match-a-bill-to-its-payment).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Why is my bill waiting in In Review?</summary>

One of the posting checks isn't met, such as a new vendor, lines that don't add up, or a possible duplicate. The bill names what's missing. See [Why a bill is waiting](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/bills/why-a-bill-is-waiting).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can my customers pay invoices online?</summary>

No. ZeraBooks doesn't process payments. Payments are matched from the deposits on your uploaded statements, or recorded with **Mark as Paid…**. See [Record payments and credits](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/invoices/record-payments-and-credits).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Are payment reminders sent automatically?</summary>

Only in **Autopilot** mode with **Send payment reminders** on, for invoices you emailed from ZeraBooks that are at least 7 days overdue. Otherwise ZeraBooks asks you first. See [Payment reminders](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/invoices/payment-reminders).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I issue a credit memo?</summary>

Create an invoice whose total is negative, using a negative price, then apply it to the customer's unpaid invoice. See [Credit memos](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/invoices/credit-memos).
</details>

## Reports

<details>
<summary>Can I switch between cash and accrual?</summary>

No. There's no cash or accrual switch in **Financials**. See [Statement options](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reports-and-insights/statement-options).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I see the transactions behind a number?</summary>

Click any amount in **Financials**, then **Open in Ledger**. See [Drill into any number](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reports-and-insights/drill-into-any-number).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I send financial statements to a client?</summary>

In **Financials**, open the **Download** menu and choose **Email report…**. You can send to up to 10 addresses with up to 25 MB of attachments. See [Email financial statements](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/reports-and-insights/email-financial-statements).
</details>

## Clients and your account

<details>
<summary>How do I add or switch between clients?</summary>

Add one with **Add a client** in <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>K</kbd> or **New client** on **All Clients**. Switch from the company menu or by typing the company's name in <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>K</kbd>. See [Add a client](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/clients/add-a-client) and [Switch between clients](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/clients/switch-between-clients).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Is there a charge per client?</summary>

Your subscription includes 3 active client companies. Each additional active client is $29 a month, or $290 a year on annual billing. See [Billing and your trial](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/my-account/billing-and-your-trial).
</details>

<details>
<summary>How do I cancel or change my plan?</summary>

Go to **Settings** › **Billing** and click **Manage billing**. Card, invoices, plan changes and cancellation are handled on Stripe's secure portal. See [Billing and your trial](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/my-account/billing-and-your-trial).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Do you build solutions for accounting firms?</summary>

Yes. ZeraBooks builds custom solutions specifically for accounting firms, scoped and priced with each firm. Referrals from top-10 U.S. accounting firms are available as references on request. [Contact us](/contact) to talk about your firm.
</details>

## Frequently Asked Questions

<details>
<summary>Does ZeraBooks run payroll?</summary>

No. Upload the statements that show your payroll payments and categorize them; ZeraBooks keeps the books, not the payroll.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I invite my team or set roles and approvals?</summary>

No. ZeraBooks is used by one person per account, with no team roles or approval chains. Bookkeepers keep each client as a separate company.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Is there a mobile app?</summary>

No. ZeraBooks runs in your web browser.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Where do I find every error message explained?</summary>

In [Error messages](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/faqs-and-troubleshooting/error-messages), grouped by screen. For shortcuts and the page map, see [Navigation and shortcuts](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/faqs-and-troubleshooting/navigation-and-shortcuts).
</details>

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