---
title: "What's the difference between product and reporting categories?"
slug: "what-s-the-difference-between-product-and-reporting-categories"
updated: 2026-06-16T12:57:14Z
published: 2026-06-16T18:32:36Z
canonical: "mysupport.roller.software/what-s-the-difference-between-product-and-reporting-categories"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mysupport.roller.software/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What's the difference between product and reporting categories?

## Question

How do product categories differ from reporting categories?

## Solution

Product categories and reporting categories have different purposes in ROLLER.

- **Product categories** can help you organize and manage your products, including finding bookings or sales related to similar products.
- **Reporting categories** enable you to categorize your products with General Ledger (GL) codes for accounting purposes. This can include grouping reporting data by GL code to make it easier to analyze financial information.

> [!NOTE]
> Product categories and reporting categories are created in different areas in ROLLER and are **not** linked in any way.

### Product categories

[Product categories](/v1/docs/create-your-product-categories) are used to group similar products together. For example, you may want to group products by activity or attraction type, groups, parties or food and beverage. They allow you to:

- Set up, manage and [group your products](/v1/docs/optimize-your-checkout-images) by category in the progressive checkout
- Find what you're looking for when [creating new bookings in Venue Manager](/v1/docs/create-and-manage-bookings-from-venue-manager)
- Search and filter bookings by product categories using the [daily capacity](/v1/docs/monitor-daily-capacity-and-redemptions), [calendar](/v1/docs/monitor-monthly-bookings-from-the-calendar-in-venue-manager) and [runsheet](/v1/docs/streamline-operations-with-run-sheets)
- [Filter report views](/v1/docs/customize-the-reporting-grid) by product categories

> [!NOTE]
> If using product categories to filter booking or reporting views, make sure when you add a new product to ROLLER, you also add it to its product category to keep your filtered results accurate.

To set up your product categories, from Venue Manager, go to **Products** > **Categories**.

### Reporting categories

[Reporting categories](/v1/docs/set-up-and-manage-reporting-categories-and-gl-codes) are useful if you want to group reporting data for multiple products under a particular reporting category and GL code. Each reporting category is assigned to a GL code and helps with grouping products together for ease of reconciliation when reporting.

For example, you may want to create reporting categories using GL codes for parties, season passes, weekday admissions, weekend admissions, food and beverage or merchandise.

They allow you to:

- Group transactions by GL codes when using key reports in ROLLER.
- Map transactions in ROLLER with other accounting systems you use by creating reporting categories with the same GL codes in ROLLER.

Reporting categories appear in the following key [reports in ROLLER](/v1/docs/reports-overview-find-the-report-you-need).

- Detailed Product Sales report
- Revenue Recognition report
- Trial Balance
- Ledger Summary report
- Xero export

> [!NOTE]
> If using reporting categories, you must assign all products to a reporting category for your reporting to be effective.

To create your reporting categories, from Venue Manager, go to **Reports** > **Reporting** **categories**.

## Learn more

- [Create and manage your product categories](/v1/docs/create-your-product-categories)
  - [View daily capacity and redemptions](/v1/docs/monitor-daily-capacity-and-redemptions)
  - [View bookings using calendar view](/v1/docs/monitor-monthly-bookings-from-the-calendar-in-venue-manager)
  - [How to use the runsheet](/v1/docs/streamline-operations-with-run-sheets)
  - [Customize the reporting grid](/v1/docs/customize-the-reporting-grid)
- [Create and manage your reporting categories](/v1/docs/set-up-and-manage-reporting-categories-and-gl-codes)
  - [Reporting categories video on Academy](https://academy.roller.software/reporting/use-reporting-categories-in-roller)
  - [ROLLER for bookkeepers](/v1/docs/roller-for-bookkeepers)

## Related

- [Optimize your checkout images](/optimize-your-checkout-images.md)
- [ROLLER Payments reports overview](/roller-payments-reports-overview.md)
- [Does changing reporting categories and GL codes impact historical data?](/does-changing-reporting-categories-and-gl-codes-impact-historical-data.md)
- [Set up reporting categories and GL codes](/set-up-and-manage-reporting-categories-and-gl-codes.md)
- [How can I identify products without a reporting category?](/how-can-i-identify-products-without-a-reporting-category.md)