How to Configure Currency, Exchange Rates and Language in CrmLeaf
All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Installable localisation and language packs require the Language Pack add-on module to be enabled for your account.
Availability: All editions. Core feature - no add-on required. Installable localisation and language packs require the Language Pack add-on module to be enabled for your account.
Overview
Localisation settings decide the money and the words your account works in. CrmLeaf is multi-currency: every document carries a currency, and an exchange rate converts foreign-currency documents into your reporting currency. Language settings decide the wording users see.
Configure currency before you create your first estimate, invoice or purchase order, because each document stores the currency it was raised in.
How It Works
Currencies are seeded for your account when the Company is created. You review them, set the rates, and then every document you raise records which currency applies. Purchase orders record both the currency and the exchange rate used, so a historical document keeps the rate it was raised with.
Review currencies → Set exchange rate source → Refresh rates → Set display format → Set language
- A default set of currencies is created with the account, so you can start immediately and adjust later.
- Each document - estimate, proposal, invoice, order, purchase order, bill, milestone and budget line - carries a currency reference.
- Exchange rates can be refreshed automatically using an exchange-rate API key that you supply in currency settings.
- Display format configuration controls how currency values are presented.
- Vendors carry their own currency, and a purchase order records the currency together with the exchange rate applied to it.
- Language settings apply to the account. The Language Pack add-on module allows additional localisation packs to be installed.
Who Can Use This Feature?
Administrator
- Add, edit and remove the currencies the account trades in.
- Enter the exchange-rate API key and refresh rates.
- Set the currency display format.
- Set the language for the account and install language packs where the add-on is enabled.
This functionality is available only to Administrators.
Prerequisites
- The company profile is complete.
- You know which currencies your business buys and sells in.
- An exchange-rate API key, if you want rates refreshed automatically.
For Administrators
Step 1: Review the currencies for your account
What to do: Review the currencies seeded with your account. Add any currency you trade in and remove the ones you do not need, then Save. Confirm which currency your account reports in before you raise documents.
What to verify: The currency list contains every currency you invoice or purchase in, and the reporting currency is the one your finance team expects.
Step 2: Enter the exchange-rate API key
What to do: Enter your exchange-rate API key in currency settings and Save. This is what allows CrmLeaf to refresh rates rather than requiring you to maintain them by hand.
What to verify: A rate refresh completes and the stored rates change.
Step 3: Refresh the rates
What to do: Refresh the exchange rates so that conversions reflect current values. Do this before a reporting period close if your rates matter to the numbers.
What to verify: The rate shown against each foreign currency is current.
Step 4: Set the currency display format
What to do: Configure how currency values are displayed for the account and Save.
What to verify: Open an existing invoice and confirm the amount is presented as intended.
Step 5: Set the language
What to do: Set the language for the account and Save. If your account has the Language Pack module enabled, install the localisation pack you need first.
What to verify: Reload a screen and confirm the wording changed.
Field and Option Reference
| Field / Option | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| Currency | A currency the account can raise documents in. Every document stores a currency reference. | Yes |
| Exchange rate | The conversion rate applied to a foreign-currency document. A purchase order records the rate used on it. | Yes for foreign currencies |
| Exchange-rate API key | The key that allows CrmLeaf to refresh rates automatically. | No |
| Display format | How currency values are presented across the account. | No |
| Language | The language used for the account's interface. | No |
Expected Result
Your account holds the currencies you trade in with current exchange rates, values are displayed in the format you chose, and the interface language is set. New documents record the correct currency, and purchase orders record the rate applied to them.
Service Organisation Context
Multi-currency matters to a firm that bills a client in one currency and pays the people delivering the work in another. Every estimate, invoice, purchase order, bill, milestone and budget line carries its own currency, and a purchase order also stores the exchange rate applied to it, so a historical document keeps the rate it was raised with - useful where a subcontractor's bill and the client invoice that recovers it sit in different currencies. Set the currencies and the rate source before the first engagement is quoted, because each document stores the currency it was raised in. Multi-currency serves any business trading across borders, not only service firms.
Important Notes
- Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
- Set currencies up before raising documents. Each document carries its own currency reference, so changing settings later does not restate documents already created.
- A purchase order stores the exchange rate used on it, so a later refresh does not alter an existing purchase order.
- Vendors carry a currency of their own. Check the vendor currency when a purchase order shows an unexpected value.
- Currency and language settings apply to the whole Company, including all of its Organizations.
- Additional localisation packs need the Language Pack add-on module. Confirm it is included in your plan.
Common Scenarios
Example: buying abroad. A manufacturer buys components from an overseas vendor. The Administrator adds the vendor's currency, refreshes rates with the API key, and the buying team raises purchase orders in the vendor's currency. Each purchase order keeps the rate applied on the day it was raised.
Example: quoting in two currencies. A services business quotes local clients in one currency and export clients in another. Both currencies are enabled, so an estimate can be raised in either and the invoice created from the accepted estimate follows it.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Possible Cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| A currency is not available on a document | The currency has not been added in currency settings | Add the currency, then re-open the document. |
| Converted values look wrong | The exchange rate is out of date | Refresh the rates. Note that existing purchase orders keep the rate stored on them. |
| Rates do not refresh | No exchange-rate API key has been entered, or the key is not valid | Enter a valid API key in currency settings and refresh again. |
| A purchase order shows an unexpected currency | The vendor record carries that currency | Check the vendor's currency before raising the purchase order. |
| The language did not change | The setting was not saved, or the required language pack is not installed | Re-save the setting; install the pack if the Language Pack module is enabled. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I invoice in more than one currency?
Yes. CrmLeaf is multi-currency and each document carries its own currency.
Does refreshing rates change documents I already raised?
A purchase order stores the exchange rate used on it, so it is unaffected.
Where do I configure tax?
In tax settings, not currency settings. See the article on tax rates.
Can each Organization use a different currency setting?
No. Currency and language settings are held at Company level and shared across Organizations.
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