ExpensesStarter+
Add operating expenses by hand, from invoices, from a spreadsheet or from your accounting system.
Operating expenses are costs outside the order flow: payroll, rent, software. They reduce net profit. Open Costs → Expenses & invoices.
Ways to add expenses
| Way | Best for |
|---|---|
| By hand | A few recurring costs such as rent and salaries |
| Invoices | Bills and receipts you have as PDF or image files |
| Smart import | A spreadsheet or an export from your accounting system |
| Accounting | A QuickBooks Online or Xero company, synced every day |
Add an expense by hand
Name and category
Choose a cost category, for example Overhead or Marketing.
Amount and currency
The amount is per recurrence: per month for a monthly expense.
How it repeats
Once, monthly, quarterly or annual. Recurring amounts are spread evenly across the days of each period; one-time amounts land on the start date.
Scope
Store, brand (split equally across the brand's stores) or company-wide (split across stores equally or by weights you set).
Start and end date
Leave the end date empty for an expense that continues.
Turn invoices into expenses
Upload bills and receipts in bulk: PDF, JPG, PNG or WebP, up to 25 files of 15 MB each. Marginful reads the vendor, amount, period and category, and flags anything that would be counted twice. E-invoices attached to PDFs (Factur-X, ZUGFeRD, XRechnung, UBL) are read directly. Nothing is saved as an expense until you approve it.
Cost categories
Categories group costs on the P&L. Each category belongs to a section:
| Section | What belongs there |
|---|---|
| Product | Part of what each item costs (lowers gross profit) |
| Logistics | Shipping, warehouse, packaging, handling |
| Marketing | Agencies, influencers, content, affiliates |
| Operating | Costs that scale with sales |
| Overhead | Rent, payroll, software, insurance |
Add your own in Costs → Cost categories, for example Photography or Showroom.
Avoid counting a cost twice
Marginful already tracks ad spend, payment fees, shipping and product costs. Do not add them again as expenses. Accounting import suggests Skip for these accounts.
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