Adding Bank Accounts

Overview

Before you can track transactions, you need to add your bank accounts to Agatabo. This creates a record for each physical account and automatically sets up the ledger system to track balances.

Before You Begin

Prerequisites:

You have bank_accounts:write permission
You know the names and types of your bank accounts
You have current balance information if setting opening balances

What Happens When You Add an Account

When you create a bank account, Agatabo automatically:

Creates a bank account record with your specified name and type
Creates a CASH ledger account behind the scenes to track transactions
Sets initial balance to zero (you can adjust this later if needed)
Makes it available for use in deposits, loans, expenses, and other transactions
Sets as default (first account only - automatically becomes the default account)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Navigate to Bank Accounts

Open Bank Accounts

Click “Bank Accounts” in the sidebar or navigation menu

Click Add Bank Account

Opens the bank account creation form

Step 2: Enter Account Information

Fill in the required fields:

Field	Description	Required	Validation
Name	Descriptive name for the account	Yes	Must be unique within your organization
Type	SAVINGS or CURRENT	Yes	Cannot be changed after creation
Is Active	Whether account is currently in use	No	Defaults to `true` (active)

Account names must be unique: Each account name must be unique within your organization. If you try to create an account with a duplicate name, you’ll receive an error: “This account name is already used in the organization.”

Naming tips: Use descriptive names that help you identify the account easily:

Include the bank name: “BK Operations Account”, “Equity Savings Account”
Include last 4 digits: “BK Current ***1234”, “Equity Savings ***5678”
Include purpose: “Loan Disbursement Account”, “Emergency Reserve Fund”

Step 3: Choose Account Type

Select the appropriate type for your account:

CURRENT
SAVINGS

Current Account (Checking)Use for:

Daily operational expenses
Loan disbursements and repayments
Frequent transactions
Payment processing
Member deposits

Characteristics:

High transaction volume
Easy withdrawals
Lower or no interest
Primary operating account

Note: Most tontines use a CURRENT account as their primary default account. At least one active CURRENT account is required.

Cannot change type: Once you create an account with a specific type (SAVINGS or CURRENT), you cannot change it later. Delete and recreate if needed (subject to deletion constraints).

Step 4: Submit

Review information

Double-check the name and type before submitting

Click Save or Add Account

Creates the bank account record

Verify creation

Account should appear in the bank accounts list with 0.00 balance

First Account Special Behavior

Your first bank account is automatically set as the default account. What this means:

When recording transactions, this account will be pre-selected
Used automatically when no specific account is selected
Simplifies data entry for common operations

For subsequent accounts:

New accounts are NOT automatically set as default
You must manually set a different account as default if desired
Use the “Set as Default” action on the account you want to make primary

Learn how to change the default account →

Setting Opening Balances

If your bank account already has money in it when you add it to Agatabo, you need to adjust the opening balance:

When to Adjust Opening Balance

Adjust opening balance if:

You’re starting to use Agatabo mid-year
The physical bank account has existing funds
You’re migrating from another system
Your bank statement shows a non-zero balance

Skip if:

You’re starting fresh with new accounts
Account actually has zero balance
You’ll be importing historical transactions

How to Adjust Opening Balance

Navigate to bank account

Find the newly created account in the list

Click Adjust Balance

Look for “Adjust Balance” or “Set Opening Balance” action

Enter current balance

Input the balance from your most recent bank statement

Add description

Example: “Opening balance as of June 1, 2026 per bank statement”

Submit

Creates a CASH_OPENING journal entry

What happens:

Journal Entry (CASH_OPENING):
Dr CASH (Your Bank Account)    5,000,000
   Cr OPENING_EQUITY           5,000,000

Result: Bank account now shows 5,000,000 RWF balance

Important opening balance rules:

Only adjust opening balance ONCE when you first set up the account
Do this BEFORE recording any transactions
After initial setup, all balance changes should come from actual transactions
Cannot adjust opening balance after accounting period is closed
Cannot create negative opening equity (total adjustments cannot exceed equity)

Changing the Default Account

If you want to change which account is the default:

Navigate to bank accounts

View the list of all bank accounts

Find the target account

Locate the account you want to make default

Click Set as Default

Action button or menu option

Confirm

Previous default is automatically unset, new account becomes default

Technical details:

Only one account can be default at a time
System automatically unsets previous default
Changes take effect immediately

Multiple Bank Accounts

Most organizations benefit from having multiple accounts for different purposes:

Example Setup

Recommended structure:

BK Current Account (CURRENT, Default)
- Purpose: Primary operations
- Use for: Daily deposits, small expenses, general transactions
- Balance: Moderate operating cash
Equity Savings Account (SAVINGS)
- Purpose: Long-term reserves
- Use for: Emergency funds, statutory reserves
- Balance: High reserve funds
Loan Disbursement Account (CURRENT)
- Purpose: Dedicated for loans
- Use for: Loan disbursements and repayments only
- Balance: Varies based on loan activity
Dividend Account (SAVINGS)
- Purpose: Dividend accumulation
- Use for: Collecting profits before distribution
- Balance: Accumulated undistributed dividends

Benefits of Multiple Accounts

Financial control:

Separate operational funds from reserves
Track specific purposes (loans, dividends, etc.)
Prevent accidental use of restricted funds

Reporting:

Clearer cash flow analysis
Better audit trail
Easier reconciliation

Risk management:

Diversify across banks
Protect reserve funds
Maintain minimum balances per purpose

Active vs Inactive Accounts

Active Accounts

Characteristics:

Available in transaction dropdowns
Can receive deposits and disbursements
Appear in default account selection
Fully functional

Default state: All accounts are active when created (unless you explicitly set isActive: false)

Inactive Accounts

Characteristics:

Hidden from transaction dropdowns
Cannot be selected for new transactions
Historical transactions remain visible
Balance still tracked

When to inactivate:

Closed physical bank account
No longer using this account
Temporary suspension
Migrating to new account

How to inactivate:

Navigate to bank account
Click Edit or Update
Uncheck “Is Active” or set to inactive
Save changes

Constraints:

Cannot inactivate if it’s the only active CURRENT account
Cannot inactivate the default account (set another as default first)

Validation and Constraints

During Creation

Validations applied: ✅ Name uniqueness: Account name must be unique within organization

Error: “This account name is already used in the organization”

✅ Type validity: Must be exactly “SAVINGS” or “CURRENT”

Error: “Invalid account type”

✅ Organization header: Organization ID must be provided

Error: “Organization header is required”

Common Errors

Error Message	Cause	Solution
”This account name is already used in the organization”	Duplicate name	Choose a different name
”Invalid account type”	Type not SAVINGS or CURRENT	Use valid type
”Organization header is required”	Missing organization context	System error - refresh page

After Adding an Account

Next Steps

Immediate:

✅ Adjust opening balance if needed
✅ Verify account appears in accounts list
✅ Check balance shows correctly
✅ Set as default if desired (for non-first accounts)

Within first week:

📝 Record initial transactions
📝 Test deposits and expenses
📝 Verify transaction history appears
📝 Reconcile with bank statement

What You Can Do with the Account

Supported operations:

Record savings deposits (credits CASH)
Disburse loans (debits CASH)
Record loan payments (credits CASH)
Pay expenses (debits CASH)
Record bank charges (debits CASH)
Transfer between accounts (manual journal entries)
Adjust opening balance (one-time)
View transaction history
Reconcile with bank statements

Permissions Required

Action	Permission	Scope
Create bank account	`bank_accounts:write`	ANY
View bank accounts	`bank_accounts:read`	ANY
Set default account	`bank_accounts:write`	ANY
Adjust opening balance	`bank_accounts:write`	ANY
Update account details	`bank_accounts:write`	ANY

Administrator or Accountant role: Typically, only users with Administrator or Accountant roles have bank_accounts:write permission. Regular members cannot create or modify bank accounts.

Troubleshooting

”This account name is already used”

Problem: Trying to create account with duplicate name Solution:

Check existing accounts for similar names
Choose a more specific name (add bank name, account number, purpose)
Delete unused duplicate account if it exists

Account Created But Not Appearing

Problem: Created account but don’t see it in lists Solution:

Refresh the page
Check if account was marked inactive during creation
Verify you’re viewing the correct organization
Check browser console for errors

Cannot Set as Default

Problem: “Set as Default” button not working Solution:

Ensure account is active
Verify you have bank_accounts:write permission
Check if account already is the default
Try refreshing the page

Bank Accounts Overview

Learn about bank account management

Recording Transactions

Start using your bank accounts

Reconciliation

Match records with bank statements

General Ledger

Understand ledger integration

​Overview

​Before You Begin

​What Happens When You Add an Account

​Step-by-Step Instructions

​Step 1: Navigate to Bank Accounts

​Step 2: Enter Account Information

​Step 3: Choose Account Type

​Step 4: Submit

​First Account Special Behavior

​Setting Opening Balances

​When to Adjust Opening Balance

​How to Adjust Opening Balance

​Changing the Default Account

​Multiple Bank Accounts

​Example Setup

​Benefits of Multiple Accounts

​Active vs Inactive Accounts

​Active Accounts

​Inactive Accounts

​Validation and Constraints

​During Creation

​Common Errors

​After Adding an Account

​Next Steps

​What You Can Do with the Account

​Permissions Required

​Troubleshooting

​”This account name is already used”

​Account Created But Not Appearing

​Cannot Set as Default

​Related Topics

Bank Accounts Overview

Recording Transactions

Reconciliation

General Ledger

Overview

Before You Begin

What Happens When You Add an Account

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Navigate to Bank Accounts

Step 2: Enter Account Information

Step 3: Choose Account Type

Step 4: Submit

First Account Special Behavior

Setting Opening Balances

When to Adjust Opening Balance

How to Adjust Opening Balance

Changing the Default Account

Multiple Bank Accounts

Example Setup

Benefits of Multiple Accounts

Active vs Inactive Accounts

Active Accounts

Inactive Accounts

Validation and Constraints

During Creation

Common Errors

After Adding an Account

Next Steps

What You Can Do with the Account

Permissions Required

Troubleshooting

”This account name is already used”

Account Created But Not Appearing

Cannot Set as Default

Related Topics