Archiving global personal allowance items
Last updated: May 11, 2026
Overview
Global personal allowance items are expense types configured for personal allowance use. They are managed centrally in the expense catalogue and are available across all bookings in your workspace. Archiving an item removes it from selection when recording new personal allowance transactions, while preserving all historical data linked to it.
This feature is part of the Pro billing module and requires the personal allowance feature flag to be enabled on your workspace.
Who can archive personal allowance items?
You need edit permission on expense types to archive or restore items. If you cannot see the archive option, contact your workspace administrator to check your permissions.
How to archive a personal allowance item
Go to Settings → Billing → Expense catalogue.
Find the item you want to archive in the table. Items configured for personal allowance show "Personal allowance" in the Availability column.
Click the three-dot menu at the end of the item's row.
Select Archive type.
A confirmation dialog will appear: "Are you sure you want to archive [item name]? It will no longer be available for new transactions."
Click Archive to confirm.
A confirmation message will appear and the item will be removed from the active catalogue. It will not be selectable when recording new personal allowance transactions.
How to view archived items
On the expense catalogue page, click the Archived button in the toolbar (shown as "Archived (X)" where X is the count of archived items). This opens the archived expense types list.
How to restore an archived item
Go to Settings → Billing → Expense catalogue.
Click the Archived button in the toolbar.
Find the item in the archived list.
Click the three-dot menu and select Restore.
The item is immediately restored and becomes available for new transactions again. No confirmation is required.
Important notes
Archiving an item does not delete it or affect any existing transactions linked to it. All historical records are retained.
Archived items cannot be selected when adding new personal allowance transactions.
Archiving is reversible — you can restore an item at any time.
An item can be configured for personal allowance, billable extras, or both. Archiving affects all availability types for that item.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Will archiving an item delete my existing personal allowance transactions? A: No. Archiving only prevents the item from being selected on new transactions. All existing transactions linked to the item are preserved and remain visible in reports and booking records.
Q: Can I restore an archived item? A: Yes. Navigate to Settings → Billing → Expense catalogue, click the Archived button, and select Restore from the item's row menu.
Q: Why can't I see the "Archive type" option? A: You may not have the required edit permission on expense types. Contact your workspace administrator to review your access.
Q: Why can't I see the Availability column or the personal allowance options? A: The Availability column and personal allowance settings are only visible to users with view permission on personal allowance. This is part of the Pro billing module. Contact your administrator if you believe you should have access.
Q: If an item is used in both billable extras and personal allowance, does archiving affect both? A: Yes. Archiving applies to the expense type as a whole, so it will be unavailable across all its configured availability types.
Q: How do I know how many items are currently archived? A: The Archived button on the expense catalogue page shows the current count, for example "Archived (3)". If no items are archived, the button is disabled.
Q: Can I permanently delete a personal allowance item? A: Permanent deletion is not supported. Items can only be archived to preserve the integrity of historical transaction data.