Who this is for: Admins and Team Members
What this article covers: This article is for admins and team members who categorize bill pay transactions in Reap Pay.
Overview
Every Reap Pay transaction requires a category, an expense label like "Software & SaaS" or "Payroll & Wages" that tags the payment for your records and CSV exports. An optional memo field lets you add context like invoice numbers or project names.
Jump to:
- Select a category
- Available categories
- Use the memo field
- Old payments
- CSV export
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact our Support Team
Select a category
Category is a required field when creating a Reap Pay transaction. It replaces the old "Purpose of Payment" dropdown.
To select a category:
- Start creating a payment as usual.
- Open the Category dropdown.
- Browse by group or type in the search bar to filter.
- Select the category that best describes the payment.
If none of the categories fit, select Other. Custom categories are coming soon.
Available categories
| Group | Categories |
| People |
|
| Facilities |
|
| Technology |
|
| Professional Services |
|
| Operations |
|
| Travel & Entertainment |
|
| Financial |
|
| Other |
|
Each category has a short description visible in the dropdown to help you choose.
Use the memo field
The memo field sits below the Category dropdown and accepts up to 500 characters. It's optional.
When you select a category, the memo auto-fills with that category's description (e.g., selecting "Software & SaaS" fills in "Software subscriptions, licenses, cloud tools"). You can:
- Keep the default: useful if you don't need specific context.
- Replace it with your own text: e.g., "Figma annual license - Design team" or an invoice number.
- Clear it entirely: the memo saves as empty.
If you've typed a custom memo and then change the category, your custom text is preserved — it won't be overwritten.
Edit category or memo after payment
Both fields are editable in the payment drawer after the payment is created.
| Payment status | Category | Memo |
| Draft or Scheduled | Editable | Editable |
| Awaiting Approval, Submitted, Completed, or Failed | Editable (updates your records only, does not change what was sent to the bank) | Editable |
| Approver view | View only | View only |
For recurring payments, edits apply to the individual payment only, they don't carry over to future payments in the series.
Old payments
Payments created before this feature launched do not have categories. They display their original Purpose of Payment value (e.g., "Payment for business services") in the Category field. No categories are backfilled.
You can still edit the category and memo on old payments from the payment drawer.
CSV export
The CSV export now includes two new columns:
| Column | New payments | Old payments |
| Category | Your selected category name | Original Purpose of Payment value |
| Memo | Category description or your custom text | Empty |
Frequently Asked Questions
What category should I use for [X]?
Check the category descriptions in the dropdown - each one lists what it covers. If your payment doesn't fit any category, select "Other." Custom categories are on the roadmap.
I selected the wrong category. How do I change it?
Open the payment drawer and select a new category. Category is editable in any payment status. If the payment has already been submitted to the bank, changing the category updates your Reap records only, the banking record stays as-is.
The category doesn't match what was sent to the bank.
This is expected. Reap automatically translates your category into the banking code required by the payment provider at the time of submission. If you edit the category after submission, only your Reap-side label changes. If you believe the original translation was wrong, contact Reap Support.
Where did the "Purpose of Payment" dropdown go?
It's been replaced by Category. Reap now handles the banking-required purpose code automatically based on your category selection, you no longer need to choose banking terms.
Can I filter payments by category?
Not yet. Category appears in the payment drawer and in the CSV export. In-app filtering is planned.
Will my old payments get categories?
No. Payments created before this feature show their original Purpose of Payment value. No backfill is applied. You can manually add a category by editing the payment in the drawer.
Does this affect Reap Card categories?
No. Reap Card categories are auto-assigned from merchant codes. Reap Pay categories are selected by you at payment time. They are independent systems.
What is the memo field for?
Additional context for your records - invoice numbers, project names, vendor details. It auto-fills with the category description, but you can replace it with anything up to 500 characters. The memo is included in your CSV export.
What does "Bank & Payment Fees" mean? Does it cover Reap's fees?
No. "Bank & Payment Fees" is for when you're paying someone else's fees. For example, a vendor invoice that includes processing charges. Reap's own fees (banking fees, FX fees, payment processing fees) are calculated separately and appear in your statements. They are not categorized in the bill pay flow.
Contact our Support Team
Something doesn't look right?
Contact Reap Support with:
- The payment reference number
- A description of the issue
Include a screenshot if the category or memo isn't displaying as expected.