Why Accounting Codes Support Two GL Accounts in Visual Matrix

Why Accounting Codes Support Two GL Accounts in Visual Matrix

Visual Matrix allows each Accounting Code to store two General Ledger (GL) accounts. This design supports accurate hotel financial reporting by mapping both sides of a transaction—the revenue or expense being recorded, and the offset account that balances it. Understanding why the system uses dual-GL mapping can help you configure accounting codes correctly and troubleshoot GL export results with confidence.
Each Accounting Code in Visual Matrix includes two GL fields so the system can post both sides of a financial transaction—its revenue or expense value and the offset account that balances it.

Understanding Dual GL Mapping

Visual Matrix uses two GL accounts to represent the two sides of a financial entry

Primary GL Account: This account records the actual revenue or expense associated with the Accounting Code.
Examples include:
- Room Revenue
- Food & Beverage Revenue
- Tax Liability
- POS Revenue
- Adjustment Expense

Offset GL Account: This account represents the balancing side of the transaction—where the amount is owed, collected, or transferred.
Common offset accounts include:
- Guest Ledger (GL)
- City Ledger (CL)
- Advance Deposit Liability
- Cash or Credit Card Clearing
- AR accounts



Why Two Accounts Are Needed

Hotel accounting entries always produce both a debit and a credit. For example:

Room Charge
- Credit: Room Revenue
- Debit: Guest Ledger

Payment
- Debit: Cash or Credit Card Clearing
- Credit: Guest Ledger

Tax Posting
- Credit: Tax Liability
- Debit: Guest Ledger
Notes
Dual GL mapping ensures these transactions export cleanly to financial systems like QuickBooks, Sage, M3, and others used in hotel accounting.

Tips & Use Cases

- If a revenue amount looks correct but the export does not balance, review the offset GL for the Accounting Code.
- Properties using different clearing accounts for payment types (e.g., credit card batches vs. cash) rely heavily on dual GL configuration.
- When onboarding a new property, confirm both GL accounts for every Accounting Code before enabling the GL Export.
- Use the Accounting Code list as a quick audit tool to confirm revenue categories and ledger offsets align with the property's chart of accounts.

Still Need Help With This Topic?

Ask Yourself:
- Do both GL accounts match the property’s official Chart of Accounts?
- Is the offset account correct for the folio type (Guest, City, or Deposit)?
- Is this Accounting Code used for revenue, payments, adjustments, or taxes?

Support May Ask You:
- A screenshot of the Accounting Code setup
- The property’s chart of accounts
- The specific GL export you are reviewing
- Whether the issue appears during posting or only during export

Set up General Ledger (G/L) for Accounting Export (Cloud)
Set up a New Accounting Code (Cloud)

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