[Glossary](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary) Journal entry # What is a journal entry? Journal entry A journal entry is one balanced posting: the same amount leaves one account and arrives on another. In a product ledger that posting is a transaction with a source and a destination. Accountants say journal entry. Engineers say transaction. The book sees one movement either way. ## How does a journal entry work? You pick two accounts, an amount, and a reason. The entry records both sides at once. A deposit, a fee, and a refund are all entries. If you need three accounts, you post two entries or a split whose legs still sum to zero. ## Journal entry vs transaction Transaction is the API object. Journal entry is the accounting name for the same shape. Do not keep a second “journal” table that restates the ledger. Export the ledger when finance wants a journal. ## What makes an entry complete? Two sides, one amount, a unique reference, and a timestamp you will not edit. A memo is useful. A later overwrite is not an entry. That is a new entry that points at the old one. In Blnk the journal entry is the transaction. You always send a source, a destination, and a reference. See [transactions](https://docs.blnkfinance.com/transactions/introduction). Related terms - [Transaction](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/transaction) - [Double-entry](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/double-entry) - [Source and destination](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/source-and-destination) - [Ledger](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/ledger) - [Reference](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/reference)