Every transaction in Frank carries a Department (what part of the business the money is tied to) and a Category (what the money was actually for). Together, they power your reporting, dashboards, and forecasts.
This article lists every Department and Category Frank uses, with a short description of each.
Use it as a reference when you're spot-checking transactions or deciding how to teach Frank a new rule.
Departments
Departments describe which part of your business a transaction belongs to. Pick the one that matches the team, function, or activity driving the spend or income.
Account Management — Managing existing client relationships.
Account Transfers — Transfers between accounts.
Accounting & Finance — Bookkeeping, reporting, treasury.
Administrative Services — General office management.
AI & Automation — AI tools, automation tools, AI services.
Business Admin — Oversees daily operations.
Business Development — Strategic partnerships and expansion.
Capital Expenditures — Investments into long-term assets (property, buildings, technology, or equipment).
Capital Markets / Treasury — Managing funding sources and liquidity.
Compliance & Risk — Ensuring regulatory adherence.
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) / Direct Costs — All variable costs associated with delivering products or services.
Customer Support — Resolving user issues.
Engineering — Technical design and implementation.
Estimating / Pre-construction — Calculating material and labor costs for bids.
Executive / Leadership — C-suite management and strategy.
Facilities / Maintenance — Physical building upkeep.
Fleet & Equipment Management — Managing vehicles and heavy machinery.
General & Administrative (G&A) — Standard operating expenses, electronics, travel, and similar overhead.
Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) — Ensuring worksite safety and environmental compliance.
Human Resources (HR) — Employee lifecycle management.
Information Technology (IT) — Internal hardware and software infrastructure.
Inventory / Warehousing — Storage of goods.
Legal — Handling contracts, disputes, and IP.
Loan Servicing / Collections — Managing loan payments and collections.
Logistics / Distribution — Moving goods to customers.
Marketing — Lead generation and brand awareness.
Operations — General business logistics and efficiency.
Payroll — Processing employee compensation.
Procurement / Purchasing — Sourcing goods and vendor management.
Product Management — Lifecycle of product strategy.
Production / Manufacturing — Creating the physical goods.
Project Management (PMO) — Planning and executing specific projects.
Public Relations (PR) — Media image and communications.
Quality Assurance (QA) — Testing and standards verification.
Research & Development (R&D) — Innovation and future product creation.
Revenue — Receiving income, settlements, credit card payment processing.
Sales — Direct selling to customers.
Technical Support — High-level troubleshooting.
Training & Development — Internal education and upskilling.
Underwriting / Credit Risk — Assessing borrower risk and creditworthiness.
Categories
Categories describe what the money was for. Pick the one that best matches the nature of the transaction itself, regardless of which team it came from.
Advertising & Lead Gen — Ad spend, agency fees, promotional materials.
Affiliate Commissions — SaaS affiliate commissions.
Artificial Intelligence — AI tools, ChatGPT, Claude, hello, Frank, AI automation services.
Bank Fees & Interest — Wire fees, monthly service charges, loan interest.
Benefits (HSA, Dental, Lifestyle) — Healthcare, wellness, personal, and dental benefits.
Charity / Donations — Charities and donations.
Client / Reimbursable Expenses — Spending incurred on client or project work that you'll get back.
Commissions — Commissions on sales.
Construction Job Costs — Lumber, concrete, subcontractors (specific to a project).
Cost of Goods Sold — COGS (Fulfillment) — Shipping, freight, packing, materials, fulfillment.
Cost of Goods Sold — COGS (Labor) — Sub-contractors, labor hire.
Cost of Goods Sold — COGS (Materials) — Raw materials, components, direct production inputs.
Credit & Background Checks — Credit reports, background screenings.
Credit Card Payment — Paying off debt with a credit card. Should always go hand in hand with the Paying Down Debt transaction type.
DevOps & Infrastructure — Servers, databases, tech stack, AWS, 3rd party APIs.
Distributors & Agents — Distribution partners, partnership sellers.
Dues & Subscriptions — Industry memberships, news subscriptions.
Education & Training — Seminars, courses, conferences, certifications.
Equipment Leasing — Leasing of business equipment.
Equity Investment — Shares purchased in a public or private company.
General & Administrative (Misc) — Postage, printing, notary fees, archiving, and other office running costs.
Hardware & Electronics — Laptops, servers, monitors, peripherals.
Insurance — Liability, property, cyber, workers comp.
Interest — Interest on income or debt.
Legal Services — Legal fees and services.
Loan Funding & Settlements — Disbursements, settlement payouts.
Meals & Entertainment — Client dinners, team lunches, catering.
Office Supplies — Paper, pens, desk accessories, breakroom supplies.
Payment Processing — Merchant fees, credit card processing, settlement of funds.
Payroll — Contractors — Contractor wages.
Payroll — Salary / Hourly — Salaried employees and hourly wages.
Phone, Internet & Utilities — Electric, water, phone, internet, waste management.
Practice Support — Advisors, tools, coaching, resources.
Professional Services — Lawyers, consultants, accountants.
Refunds & Returns — Refunds for products or services that are categorized as expenses.
Rent & Facilities — Office lease, coworking space, storage rental.
Repairs & Maintenance — Building repairs, equipment service, cleaning.
Research & Testing — Lab supplies, prototyping, user testing incentives.
Retirement / Pension / 401k Contribution — Tracking retirement investments.
Security & Safety — Alarms, guards, PPE, safety audits.
Shareholder Deposit / Distribution — Owner's drawings or payouts.
Shipping & Freight — Courier, postage, cargo containers, delivery fees.
Social Media — Paid advertising on social media, management fees, and creative agency costs aimed at brand awareness, traffic, and conversions.
Software & SaaS — Cloud subscriptions, seat licenses, digital tools.
Taxes & Licenses — State and local taxes, permits, registration fees.
Tools — Tools and small equipment.
Travel — Flights, hotels, trains, car rentals.
Uncategorized / Suspense — Transactions requiring manual review.
Vehicles & Fuel — Gas, fleet maintenance, vehicle leasing, parking.
Warehouse & Logistics — Warehousing, assembly, storage, in/out fees, repalletizing, reworking.
Website / Hosting — Domain registration, hosting, and related website costs.
Summary
Use Department to tag who in the business the transaction belongs to, and Category to tag what the money was for. When you're unsure, pick the closest match and create a rule so Frank applies it consistently going forward.