One of the main advantages of Gelato is that it gives you total control over your company print spend. To support you with cost allocation, we support cost centers and project codes (or PO numbers).
In this article:
- Cost centers
- PO numbers (or project codes)
- Differences between cost centers and PO numbers/project codes
Cost Centers
Cost Centers can help you track and identify orders placed as well as allocate costs between different departments/functions/business units/countries. They are linked to one or several billing addresses saved in the account and can be set up in advance by the account Admin, so users can select them during the checkout process.
Adding a cost center to your account
To add a cost center select Billing > Cost Centers from the menu on the left side and then click on Add new. You will be asked to input a cost center name and to link it to one or more billing entities currently saved in your account.
Note: Cost centers can be saved as a number, text or a combination of the two.
Tip: You can create different cost centers for the different departments/functions/business units/countries in your organization.
Using cost centers at checkout
Once added, cost centers can be selected when you pay using company invoice. Users will be presented with a list of cost centers linked to the billing entities visible to the group(s) they belong to. Users also have the option not to select a cost center is that is not needed.
Note: By default, every account comes with cost centers active. You can also decide to opt-out or, alternatively, choose to activate project codes (read more below).
Important: It is possible to select only one cost center per order.
Read also our Customer Case Study - Cost Centers
PO numbers (or Project Codes)
PO numbers (or project codes) are similar to cost centers: They are codes to help track and identify orders placed in your account. PO numbers are most popular in those companies that use one time codes per client, project, or order.
PO numbers can be added in 2 different ways:
1. At billing entity level (field: PO number): This field is optional and is commonly used for static or blanket PO. If this field is populated, the PO number will appear on the invoice. This reference will be saved and visible for each order related to that specific billing entity until the field is updated or cleared.
Note: There is a 25 character limitation for this field.
2. At checkout (field: Project Code or PO number): This field is mandatory (if Project codes have been activated for your account) and must be filled during the checkout process by the ordering user, regardless whether there is a PO number registered for that particular billing entity. If a PO is not needed for the order, users could just write 'N/A' or 'None'.
Project codes or PO numbers can be saved as a number, text or a combination of the two, depending on your needs.
Differences between Cost Centers and PO Numbers/Project Codes
One of the main differences between Cost Centers and POs account set-up is that you can have several Cost Centers linked to one billing entity, while you can only have 1 blanket or static PO per billing entity at the time.
Note: At the moment it is not possible to have both cost centers and project codes active in your account at the same time. By default, every account comes with cost centers active. Please contact us here should you wish to switch or opt out.