[Glossary](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary) Precision # What is precision in a ledger? Precision Precision is the multiplier that turns a display amount into the currency’s smallest unit. Most fiat uses 100, so 10.50 becomes 1050. Bitcoin uses 100000000. Ledgers store that integer and do all math on it. They do not store floats, because floats drift. ## How does precision work in a ledger? You send either a float amount plus a precision, or a precise\_amount that is already an integer. The ledger multiplies, stores the integer, and uses that integer for every later calculation. Display code divides by the same precision when it shows the amount to a user. If two currencies in one product use different precisions, pick the highest one and keep it for every posting. Mixed multipliers break exchange-rate math and make two balances incomparable. ## Precision vs decimal places Decimal places are a display choice. Precision is the stored scale. USD has two decimal places and a precision of 100. That pair often matches. It does not have to. You can store more scale than you show, as long as every posting uses the same multiplier. ## What happens if precision is wrong? A missing zero turns 10.00 into 1.00, or 10.00 into 1000.00. Those errors do not announce themselves. They look like real balances. Fix the multiplier before you post, and do not change it on a live currency. In Blnk, precision is a field on the transaction. Fiat defaults to 100. You can send precise\_amount instead of amount when you already have the integer. Keep one precision per currency across the ledger. See [precision](https://docs.blnkfinance.com/transactions/precision). Related terms - [Balance](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/balance) - [Transaction](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/transaction) - [Ledger](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/ledger) - [Wallet](https://blnkfinance.com/glossary/wallet)