How to create department codes
Last updated: June 19, 2026
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Overview
Department codes are accounting codes used in the Found Billing module to categorise billing transactions for financial reporting. They sit alongside nominal codes as part of a two-level coding hierarchy that can be applied to billing contract subscriptions, so finance teams can break down income by department (for example, by care type or service area) when reconciling invoices or exporting to an accounting system.
Department codes support two types:
Care fee – for codes used against core care fee subscriptions.
Billable extra – for codes used against billable extras and expense types.
Each code is unique within your organisation. Codes can be archived (soft-deleted) and restored later. You can also set things up so that a department code is mandatory on every billing contract subscription.
How to create a department code
Go to Settings → Billing → Accounting codes → Department.
Select Create department code.
Fill in the form:
Code – the short identifier used in reports and exports (required, 1–50 characters, must be unique).
Description – a longer explanation of what the code represents (optional, up to 500 characters).
Type – choose Care fee or Billable extra depending on what the code will be applied to.
Save the form. The new code is immediately available for selection on billing contract subscriptions of the matching type.
If a code with the same value already exists, you'll see a conflict error and need to choose a different value.
How it works
Once created, a department code can be assigned to a billing contract subscription. The subscription's type must match the code's type (care fee codes can only be applied to care fee subscriptions, and the same for billable extras).
Archiving a code prevents it from being assigned to new subscriptions, but does not retroactively remove it from existing ones. Archived codes can be restored from the Archived tab.
You can choose to make department codes mandatory on every billing contract subscription. When this is on, subscriptions cannot be saved without a code.
Department codes and nominal codes are independent — a subscription can carry both at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Where do I create department codes? A: Go to Settings → Billing → Accounting codes → Department and use the create action on that page.
Q: Who can create or edit department codes? A: Only admins can create, edit, archive or restore codes. Managers and staff can view them and assign them to subscriptions.
Q: What's the difference between a care fee and a billable extra code? A: The type controls which subscriptions the code can be applied to. Care fee codes are used on core care fee subscriptions; billable extra codes are used on billable extras and related expense types.
Q: Can two department codes share the same code value? A: No. Each code value must be unique. Code matching is case-insensitive, so "CARE01" and "care01" are treated as the same.
Q: Is a description required? A: No. The description is optional, up to 500 characters. The code itself is the only required text field.
Q: How long can a code be? A: Up to 50 characters, with at least 1 character.
Q: What happens if I archive a code that's already in use? A: Existing subscriptions keep the code, but it can no longer be assigned to new subscriptions. You can restore it from the Archived tab if you need it again.
Q: How do I make department codes mandatory on every subscription? A: An admin can turn this on from the same settings area, so that every billing contract subscription must have a department code before it can be saved.
Q: Can a subscription have both a department code and a nominal code? A: Yes. The two are independent, so a subscription can carry both at the same time.
Q: Why can't I see the department codes settings page? A: Your organisation needs to be signed up to the Found Billing module for this area to appear. Speak to your admin if you think it should be available.
Q: Why can't I assign a code to a subscription? A: Check that the code's type matches the subscription's type (Care fee vs Billable extra). If the types match and it still isn't working, ask your admin to confirm your access.