[Kmymoney] Credit card usage

[Jack Ostroff]

OK.  At least I think now the problem has been more completely stated.   
The issue is that you want your available balance on a credit card to  
decrease by more than has actually been charged to the card so far.  I  
don't think there is any way for "proper" bookkeeping to do this, but  
I'll offer some possible ideas, although I'm not sure they will  
actually help in the short run.

Normally, I think of using a schedule to set up recurring payments, but  
it can also do recurring bills.  The issue is that I'm not sure how far  
ahead you can see the effects of a schedule.  You can probably get  
further into the future with one of the reports, but that's not an easy  
way to see if you are going to hit your limit.  Let us know if you get  
this to do what you want.

You could just enter the entire charge to the card, which will give you  
an accurate available balance, but then the balance will not actually  
match any statements or on-line balances you get until the entire  
amount has been charged.

Actually, credit cards already do something like this - putting a  
"hold" on an amount.  For example, when you check into a hotel, they  
frequently swipe your card and put a hold on the amount they estimate  
your bill will be when you leave.  When you check out, they release the  
hold, and submit the actual charge.  I have no idea whether your card  
has done something like this or not for your recurring charge.   
Unfortunately, I don't think this approach can help you now.  First, I  
don't know if credit cards ever make these holds visible, either on a  
statement or on-line access.  Second, KMM doesn't know anything about  
this, although I suppose it could be logged as a wish-list.

I don't think any single approach will always work.  Let's say you know  
there will be a $100 charge on your card each month for the next six  
months.  Deducting the entire $600 from your available balance is  
extremely conservative, particularly if you expect to pay off $100 each  
month also.  If your credit limit were $500, would you be allowed to do  
this?  You would not actually be over limit unless you failed to pay  
the first five months.

Well, lot's to think about, at least.

Jack

On 2012.01.22 19:46, Edney Matias wrote:
> Hey Jack!
> 
> It is not clear to me whether the cost of what you purchased is  
> actually
> > being billed to the credit card in installments, or whether it was  
> all
> > billed at once, and you are just paying installments.  These would  
> be
> > handled in slightly different ways. Is the problem that you wish to  
> see the
> > available balance on the credit card decreased by the entire  
> purchase, not
> > just the installments charged so far?
> 
> 
> That's exactly what i want. I want to see the available blance  
> decreased by
> the entire pruchase. When i buy, the entire value becomes  
> unavailable, but
> i'm charged monthly.
> 
> 
> > I can see this might be good to be sure you do not exceed your  
> credit
> > limit,
> 
> 
> That's it! That's is what i want.
> 
> 
> > but I'm not sure it would be easy in KMM, since the credit card has  
> not
> > actually been charged yet.  However, if this is the case, Dave's  
> idea of
> > seeing future transactions from the schedule either on the ledger  
> or a
> > custom report might provide what you want.
> >
> 
> I think so, i'm on Dave's idea right now.
> 
> Anyway thank you all guys.
> 
> Edney Matias