Understanding Reports & Revenue for Accounting in Arketa
Accurately tracking your revenue is essential for running your business. At Arketa, we offer multiple reports to help you reconcile income, understand payouts, and keep your accounting records clean. This guide explains how to interpret your revenue numbers across different reports and which ones to use depending on your accounting method.
Key Differences in Reporting Metrics
When reviewing revenue in your dashboard, it’s important to distinguish between the Total Payments, Net Amount, and Total Balance.
Total Payments
This reflects the gross amount paid by clients—before any platform or processing fees are deducted. If you’re comparing revenue numbers and they seem higher than expected, it may be because this number does not account for those fees.
Net Amount
The Net Amount represents your true revenue after fees, refunds, or disputes. This is the most accurate reflection of what your business has earned and should be used when calculating your actual income.
Total Balance (on Payout Page)
The Total Balance displays what you’ve earned since your last payout. This value is dynamic:
It increases with every new purchase.
It decreases when refunds or dispute fees are applied.
When a payout is initiated, that portion of the balance becomes “In Transit” and is locked in until it hits your bank.
Recommended Reports for Accounting
We recommend using the Payout Report for most accounting purposes, especially if you're operating on a cash-based accounting system.
Payout Report
Shows when funds were actually paid out to your account.
Ideal for cash-based accounting.
Includes net revenue (after fees and adjustments).
Available under Settings > Payments in your dashboard.
Sales Report
Shows when a payment was originally made (purchase date).
Ideal for accrual-based accounting.
Includes all sales regardless of when they were paid out.
Important Scenarios to Know
Here are some examples where the two reports may show different figures across different time periods:
Refunds & Disputes
A $100 payment is made in June.
A $25 refund is issued in July.
A $15 dispute fee is applied in August.
This single payment affects your books across three different months. Only the payout report will reflect the final net revenue you actually receive.
Delayed Subscription Payments
A client’s recurring payment fails in May, but it successfully processes in June.
The Sales Report logs the charge in May.
The Payout Report reflects the payment in June when the funds were actually paid out.
Filtering Reports by Date
When reviewing your reports:
Make sure to use date filters to view metrics for specific payroll cycles or custom periods.
Keep in mind that “Total Payments” shows all-time data unless a date filter is applied, while “Total Balance” only reflects activity since your last payout.
What if my team needs something custom?
We know every business has unique reporting needs. We’re always open to feedback and would love to learn what would be most helpful for you.