Balanced before it is written
Every request is validated at the API boundary. If total debits and credits do not match, the journal never reaches the ledger.
Journal API
Post journal entries without building a ledger
Turn product events into balanced debits and credits over REST. Paprel validates every entry, keeps it tied to your source record, and preserves the accounting history your finance team needs.
Create journal entryPOST
curl -X POST https://api-sandbox.paprel.com/v1/accounting/journals \
-H "authorization: Bearer $ACCESS_TOKEN" \
-H "content-type: application/json" \
-d '{
"currency": "USD",
"date": "2026-07-13",
"description": "Marketplace order settled",
"reference": "ORDER-1042",
"posted": true,
"lines": [
{ "account_code": "1010", "debit": "100.00", "credit": null },
{ "account_code": "4000", "debit": null, "credit": "100.00" }
],
"meta_data": {
"root_entity_type": "order",
"root_entity_id": "ORDER-1042"
}
}'Accounting invariants included
A narrow API with production-grade guardrails
The Journal API owns one concrete task: writing reliable accounting entries. The wider general ledger API adds the chart of accounts and ledger-wide read model around it.
Connected to the source event
Store your entity type and external identifier with the journal so a payment, order, invoice, or adjustment remains traceable.
Safe corrections, not silent history edits
Void posted journals and preserve their history. Draft entries can be changed while posted accounting remains reviewable.
Queryable for operations and audit
Filter entries by date, account, reference, posting state, or identifier, then retrieve the full debit and credit lines.
Journal entry API surface
Create, inspect, connect, and correct
Where raw journals fit
Keep your domain model. Add the accounting effect.
Use workflow APIs for standard documents. Use direct journals when your product event is the source of truth and the accounting lines are specific to your business model.
Marketplaces
Record a multi-party split
Turn one order into cash, platform revenue, seller payable, fees, and tax lines while retaining the marketplace order id.
Fintech
Book a money-movement event
Translate a settled transfer or card event into the accounting effect your product needs to report and reconcile.
Vertical SaaS
Map domain events into books
Post journals for industry-specific workflows that do not fit a generic invoice or expense document model.
Follow the five-minute journal guide, then run the complete embedded accounting loop from keys to a live P&L.
Journal API FAQ
The implementation questions teams ask first
Need to evaluate the wider backend? See the accounting engine or compare building versus embedding.
What is a Journal API?
A Journal API lets software create and retrieve the debit and credit entries that make up double-entry accounting. Paprel validates balance, connects entries to source records, and preserves the audit history around changes and voids.
Can I post an unbalanced journal entry?
No. Paprel validates that total debits equal total credits before accepting the journal. An unbalanced request is rejected rather than repaired silently.
Should I use the Journal API or an invoice API?
Use a workflow API when Paprel's invoice, bill, payment, expense, or reconciliation model fits your event. Use the Journal API for custom domain events or migrations where you need direct control of the accounting lines.
How do I correct a posted journal?
Void or reverse the posted entry so the original remains visible in the audit trail. Draft entries can be updated or deleted within the constraints documented in the API reference.
Evaluate Paprel
Build in sandbox, launch with a production trial
Use sandbox for developer testing with no billing. When you are ready for real workflows, start production on a monthly plan with a 14-day free trial.
API-First Delivery
Audit-Ready Controls
Sandbox And Guided Rollout