I am about to start using Manager for the first time. I run a film club and want to record membership subscription receipts. Should I record Cash Account > Receive money and record against an inventory item called “subscription” ? And/Or use a tracking code of “subscriptions” ?
An alternate way seems to be to create a customer and then create a new sales invoice each time a subscription payment is received. Possibly more long winded effort though.
Is there any way to get a membership list using either method ?
I would also like to record (non-subscription) receipts and payments against each film. I think this is best done by setting each film name as a tracking code, but perhaps this would preclude my using option 1 above.
You should not be considering inventory items at all. That’s for goods or materials held for sale or production. The receipt of subscription payments should be recorded against an income account.
Sales invoices are needed only if you sell on credit, expecting payment in the future. You can record cash sales without creating any customers or sales invoices. The only advantage to your creating customers and using sales invoices is that you will have a record of the member’s transactions.
Tracking codes are not really useful for the purpose you describe. They are meant for different divisions of a company. I suggest a custom field in which you enter the film’s name. But this won’t let you calculate profit or loss on a film. The forthcoming project accounting module will serve that purpose, though.
To capture “(non-subscription) receipts and payments against each film” the use of tracking codes is your best option which is exactly what the other community cinema group is doing as noted in the links.
Project Accounting is more relevant to events which happen over time (construction) where the value of Work in Progress needs to be captured before actual completion.
If you want to track subscription renewals then setting them up as Customers would have benefits - For the initial subscription just Receive Money with account P&L - Income - Subscriptions Received, then set up the Subscriber (Customer) noting an expiry date. Then you would only use Sales Invoices for sending out renewal reminders