Posting Key (SAP Library - FI Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable)

Posting Key

Definition

Two-character numerical key that controls the entry of line items. The posting key determines:

Account type

Debit/credit posting

Layout of entry screens

Use

When you enter a posting, enter a posting key for each item. This key determines how the item is posted. Posting keys are defined at client level and therefore apply to all company codes. The posting key determines:

The data you can enter in the line item
How data you post is processed
How the system updates the data you enter

Posting keys are differentiated by customer, vendor and G/L accounts. Apart from the General Ledger Accounting (FI-GL) and Accounts Receivable and Payable (FI-AR/AP) components, there are also posting keys for asset and material accounts.

The following figure illustrates the posting key:

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

SAP delivers predefined posting keys with the standard system. The following table lists some of the posting keys in the standard system.

Posting keys in the standard system

Posting Key	Description
40	G/L account debit posting
50	G/L account credit posting
01	Customer invoice
11	Customer credit memo
21	Vendor credit memo
25	Vendor payment
31	Vendor invoice

Integration

The document type specifies which account types you can post to. The posting key specifies which account types you can post to. A posting key can only be entered for an account type which is permitted for that document type.

As well as the predefined posting keys in the standard system, you can also define your own keys in Customizing. To do this, proceed as follows in Customizing: Financial Accounting → Financial Accounting Global Settings → Document → Line Item → Controls → Define Posting Keys.

Note

If you want to delete posting keys, you should ensure that these are not already used in the system.