When you start using Bkper, your Accounts need to reflect their real-world values. If your bank account has $1,000 today, your Bkper Bank Account should show $1,000. This is called setting an opening balance.

To set the balance of any Account, right-click on it in the sidebar and select Adjust balance. Enter the actual balance value and click Continue. That's it - your Account now shows the correct balance.

Bkper automatically records a Transaction to set the balance. You'll see this Transaction in your ledger with the description "Balance adjustment", moving resources from an "initialize" Account to your target Account.

This works for any permanent Account - whether it's a bank balance (Asset), a credit card debt (Liability), or a loan you owe (Liability). Simply right-click, adjust, and you're done.

Imagine you're setting up Bkper for the first time. Your bank shows $5,000, you have $2,000 on your credit card, and you owe $10,000 on a car loan.

Right-click each Account and adjust:

Each adjustment creates a Transaction, and your Book now mirrors reality. You're ready to start recording your daily Transactions.

When you adjust a balance, Bkper records a Transaction using an "initialize" Account. This Account is created automatically and serves as the counterpart for all opening balance entries.

For an Asset like a bank account:

11/02/2026 1,000 initialize >> Bank Account Balance adjustment

For a Liability like a credit card:

11/02/2026 2,000 Credit Card >> initialize Balance adjustment

The initialize Account is an Incoming type Account. Once you've set all your opening balances, you can archive it to keep your Account list clean - it won't affect your reports or balances.

Opening balances are typically set when:

Only permanent Accounts (Asset and Liability types) need opening balances. Incoming and Outgoing Accounts track flows over time and start fresh each period.

If you need to correct a balance after initial setup - perhaps you discovered a discrepancy or need to account for an unexpected adjustment - you can use the same "Adjust balance" feature at any time. Bkper will record the necessary Transaction to bring the balance to your specified value.