> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/llms.txt).
# Record money in, money out and transfers
Use Pay In, Pay Out and Transfer to record money that moved through a bank or card account before its statement arrives, such as a cash deposit or a check you wrote.
## Choose the right type
Most money in and out reaches your books from the statements you upload in **Banks & Cards**. Record it by hand only when you want it in the books before the statement arrives, or when it never appears on a statement you upload.
In the left navigation, click **Accounting** › **Ledger**, then click **Add Transaction**. Pick a tile on the left:
| Tile | Use it for |
| --- | --- |
| **Pay In** | Money received into a bank or card account, such as a cash sale or a refund. |
| **Pay Out** | Money paid from a bank or card account, such as a check or a card purchase. |
| **Transfer** | Money moved between two of your own bank and card accounts, including paying a credit card from a bank account. |
| **Journal** | An adjustment with no money moving. See [Record a journal entry](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/record-a-journal-entry). |
## Record a Pay In or Pay Out
1. Click **Pay In** or **Pay Out**.
2. Optionally choose the **Party** (the customer or vendor), and enter a **Reference** and a **Memo**.
3. Check the **Date**.
4. Under **Bank or card account**, choose the account the money went into or left.
5. Under **Pay For**, enter a **Description**, the amount and the **Category** it belongs to. Click **Add line** to split the amount across several categories.
6. Check **Total**. It adds up the lines for you.
7. Click **Save & Close**.
If the bank or card account is in a foreign currency, you also see **Bank amount**. It follows your lines until you type over it, so you can enter the exact amount the bank shows.
{% hint style="warning" %}
A Pay In or Pay Out can't go straight to Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payable. ZeraBooks shows "Use the bill or invoice payment action to settle a customer or vendor balance." Record the payment on the bill or invoice instead. See [Match a bill to its payment](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/bills/match-a-bill-to-its-payment) or [Record payments and credits](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/invoices/record-payments-and-credits).
{% endhint %}
## Record a transfer
1. Click **Transfer**.
2. Under **Transfer from**, choose the **From account** and enter the **Transfer amount**.
3. Under **Transfer to**, choose the **To account**. **Amount received** fills in to match.
4. Optionally add a **Description** on each side, a **Reference** and a **Memo**.
5. Click **Save & Close**.
When the two accounts use different currencies, enter both **Amount sent** and **Amount received** exactly as the banks show them. Their home-currency values must balance. Record any bank fee as a separate **Pay Out**.
## When the statement arrives
When you later upload the statement, match the bank line to your manual entry so the money isn't counted twice. See [Match manual entries to statement lines](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/match-manual-entries-to-statement-lines).
## Frequently Asked Questions
How do I record a credit-card payment?
Use **Transfer**, from the bank account that paid to the credit-card account. If the payment is already on an uploaded bank statement, categorize it there instead. See [Transfers, credit-card payments and owner draws](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/transfers-card-payments-and-owner-draws).
What does "A transfer needs two different bank or card accounts" mean?
The **From account** and **To account** are the same, or one is missing. Choose two different bank or card accounts. To move money to a category that isn't a bank or card, use **Pay Out** or **Journal**.
What does "Choose one bank or card account and at least one category" mean?
A **Pay In** or **Pay Out** needs a **Bank or card account** and at least one line with a **Category**. Fill in whichever is missing.
Can I split one payment across several categories?
Yes. Click **Add line** under **Pay For** and give each line its own amount and category. The total is the sum of the lines.
Should I record every bank transaction by hand?
No. Upload your statements in **Banks & Cards** and ZeraBooks records and categorizes every line for you. ZeraBooks doesn't connect to banks directly, so a statement upload is how transactions come in. See [Upload a statement](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/upload-a-statement).
Why can't I edit a Pay In I recorded?
A statement has already matched it. Unmatch it first with **Review match**. See [Edit or remove a manual transaction](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/edit-or-remove-a-manual-transaction).
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