Closed Accounts

Closing an account is the normal way to stop using it without losing its history. In Common Cents, closing is an archive action. It is not the same as deleting the account.

How to close an account #

1. Open the account from Accounts Overview.
2. Choose Edit Account.
3. Look at the footer of the form.
4. Use Close Account, Close Fixed Asset, or Dispose Asset, depending on the account.

Before Common Cents finishes the action, it opens a confirmation sheet that explains whether the account is ready and what you still need to fix if it is not.

What can block closing #

• The balance is not zero: You need to move or clear the remaining balance first.
• The account is the primary transaction account: Pick a different transaction account as primary before closing this one.
• A fixed asset still needs disposal work: If the asset still carries value, the form may show Dispose Asset instead of a plain close button.

For ordinary accounts, the most common fix is to transfer the remaining money out before trying again.

What changes after an account is closed #

• The account moves into the Closed Accounts section on the Accounts page.
• The Closed Accounts header shows a count badge and stays collapsed until you open it.
• Each closed row includes a View Account button so you can review the account without putting it back in your active list.
• In the detail view, the account shows a Closed tag and the close date.
• Edit Account changes to Reopen Account.
• The transaction history stays visible, but it becomes read-only.

That read-only status matters because buttons such as Transfer, Add Transaction, Pay Card, Pay Loan, and Apply Interest are disabled while the account stays closed.

Reopening an account #

If you need the account active again, open it from Closed Accounts and choose Reopen Account. The history stays in place. Reopening simply lets the account accept new activity again.

What Purge Account does #

When you open a closed account’s detail view, you may also see Purge Account. This is much more permanent than closing.

Use purge only when you truly want the account record removed. This action is usually used when an account is created in error. Common Cents only allows purge when all of these are true:

• The account is already closed.
• The account has no transactions left.
• If it is a fixed asset, it no longer has debt accounts linked to it.

Because most real accounts have transaction history, most people should leave those accounts closed instead of purging them.