> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.caleido.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Link payments to accruals

> Link accrual transactions to the payment that settled them so the direct cash flow shows the cost on the day it was actually paid, and remove links when you need to.

When a cost is first booked to a pass-through balance sheet account, such as accrued expenses, and paid later in a separate transaction, the direct cash flow can't tell which payment settled which accrual. Linking tells Caleido. The payment date and status of the payment are copied to the linked accrual transactions, so the cost lands in the direct cash flow on the day the money actually left the bank. Read more about the method in [Direct cash flow](https://support.caleido.io/concepts/direct-cash-flow.md).

> [!NOTE]
>
> The direct cash flow view is not yet available to every organization. Ask the Caleido team if you want it turned on for your organization.

## How linking works

* One transaction in a link is the **Payment**. The others are **Accrual** transactions
* The payment date and status of the payment are copied to every linked accrual transaction
* If the payment changes later, the linked transactions stay in sync
* When you remove a link, the accrual transactions get their original payment date and status back
* One document can be settled by more than one payment, for example a credit note and a bank payment. The same payment can't be linked to the same document twice

## Link transactions

You can link transactions in the **General ledger report** and in the **List view** of a report.

**1. Select the transactions**

Select the lines of the accrual transactions and the line of the payment. The selection must include at least two different transactions. Linking is not available when you use **Select all**, so pick the rows one by one.

**2. Open the link window**

Click **Actions** and select **Data** > **Link transactions…**. The **Link transactions** window opens and lists the lines of each selected transaction.

**3. Choose the payment**

Caleido suggests which transaction is the payment. Check the **Role** column. To change it, click the **Accrual** badge of the right transaction to make it the **Payment**. Pick exactly one payment.

**4. Check the totals**

Below the table you see the total of the accruals, the **Payment** and the **Difference**. A check mark means they balance. If the documents were already settled by payments on different days, choose which payment date they carry.

**5. Save the link**

Click **Link**. If the payment differs from the accruals, Caleido asks you to confirm before it links them.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If Caleido can't link the selection, a warning in the window tells you why. For example, the payment you picked may itself be linked to another payment, so you need to remove that link first.

## See existing links

Add the **Linked transaction** column to the table with **Columns…** in the **Actions** menu. The column shows:

* on an accrual transaction, the number of the payment it is linked to
* on a payment, how many transactions are linked to it

Click the value to see the link. On an accrual you can select **Show payment transaction** to open the payment.

## Remove a link

* **One link:** click the value in the **Linked transaction** column and select **Remove link**. On a payment, select **Remove all links**
* **Several links:** select the linked transactions, click **Actions** and select **Data** > **Unlink transactions…**

Confirm with **Unlink**. The transactions return to their original payment date and status.

## Related pages

* [Direct cash flow](https://support.caleido.io/concepts/direct-cash-flow.md)
* [Use the general ledger and journal](https://support.caleido.io/guides/transactions/general-ledger.md)
* [Create a journal entry](https://support.caleido.io/guides/transactions/journal-entries.md)


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