# Record expense

Record expense is a command in the HeadHoncho API. Record a cost on a job: parts, a rental, fuel. Paid by a technician, it is paid back to them on top of their share.

Page: https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/record_expense | Part of the HeadHoncho API docs: https://headhoncho.app/docs/api | Machine-readable: https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/openapi.json | Everything in one file: https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/llms-full.txt

## The request

Reference for **Record expense**, HeadHoncho API v1. It is a command, sent to the base address `https://api.headhoncho.app`.

`POST /api/v1/commands/record-expense`

The key needs the **Money** area at **do**. An answered call costs 1 credit; a refusal costs nothing. See [credits](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#credits).

It runs the app's own command `record-expense`. Send an `Idempotency-Key` header with every call: the same key with the same body returns the first answer and runs nothing twice. See [the model](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/model#idempotency).

## Parameters

| Name | Kind | Required | Description | Example |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `job_id` | id, in the JSON body | Yes | The job id, or its number. | `job_1138` |
| `expense_type_id` | id, in the JSON body | Yes | From Who am I's expense_types. | `ext_01` |
| `amount` | money, in the JSON body | Yes | What it cost, a number. | `180` |
| `paid_by_worker_id` | id, in the JSON body | No | The technician who paid it. Empty: the company paid. | `wrk_7a12` |
| `incurred_on` | date, in the JSON body | No | The day. Default: today in the company's time zone. | `2026-10-16` |
| `vendor` | text, in the JSON body | No | Who it was bought from. | `U-Haul` |
| `reference` | text, in the JSON body | No | A receipt or invoice number. | `R-55102` |
| `memo` | text, in the JSON body | No | Anything to remember. | `Dolly rental` |

## Try it with your key

Paste your key and change the values. The box builds the call as a cURL line and a fetch line, ready to copy. It never sends anything itself.

Paste your key on the web page and it fills a cURL line and a fetch line with your key and the example values. The page never sends the key anywhere. The same lines with a placeholder key are under Examples below.

## What comes back

accepted, job_id, number, expense_id, amount and position.

It never deletes anything. It changes only what the command names, and it writes the change to the job's history with who asked for it.

## Every field in the answer

Types are read from the example answer. Money is a plain number in the company's currency. A time carries its offset from UTC (`Z` is UTC). Ids are opaque text. A field with no line of its own here has its name spelled out; the common fields mean the same on every page.

| Field | Type | Meaning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `accepted` | true or false | True when the command ran. A command that cannot run is an error instead. |
| `job_id` | id (text) | The id of the job. |
| `number` | whole number | The number people say out loud, such as the job number. |
| `position` | whole number | Where the change landed in the event log. Pass it as `after` on a read to see your own write. |
| `expense_id` | id (text) | The id of the expense. |
| `amount` | money (decimal as text) | The amount. In the company's currency. |

## Errors that apply

| Code | Status | What it means |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [`missing_key`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#missing_key) | 401 | Send your key as Authorization: Bearer hh_live_... |
| [`unknown_key`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#unknown_key) | 401 | That key is not one we issued, or it was revoked. |
| [`no_access`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#no_access) | 403 | This credential does not reach that. Ask the person who made it for access. |
| [`read_only`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#read_only) | 403 | This credential may read this area but not change it. |
| [`not_found`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#not_found) | 404 | No such record in the companies this credential reaches. |
| [`invalid`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#invalid) | 422 | Some fields were refused. See fields. |
| [`missing_idempotency_key`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#missing_idempotency_key) | 400 | Send an Idempotency-Key header on every command. |
| [`idempotency_mismatch`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#idempotency_mismatch) | 409 | This Idempotency-Key was used with a different body. |
| [`idempotency_in_progress`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#idempotency_in_progress) | 409 | A command with this Idempotency-Key is still running. Wait a moment and send it again. |
| [`no_credits`](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors#no_credits) | 402 | Out of credits. Top up on Settings › Credits, or turn on auto top-up. |

## Related

- [Record payment](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/record_payment): Record money the customer paid on a job. A payment that covers the price closes the job, as it does in the app.
- [Void payment](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/void_payment): Stop a payment entered wrong from counting. It stays on the job's money, marked voided, with why.
- [Void expense](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/void_expense): Stop an expense entered wrong from counting. It stays on the job's money, marked voided, with why.
- [Book field report](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/book_field_report): Book what a technician reported: the payment, the parts and the job's price, as sent or as you correct them. The job closes when nothing is missing.
- [Dismiss field report](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/dismiss_field_report): Not this: book nothing from a technician's report. What they said is kept on the job.
- [Add expense type](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/add_expense_type): Add a kind of cost the company records, such as Parts or Truck rental. A name already in use is refused, so sending it twice adds one.
- [Update expense type](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/update_expense_type): Rename an expense type, or retire it so new expenses cannot pick it. Old expenses keep it either way.
- The same records in the app: [the Finance panel](https://headhoncho.app/docs/finance).
- How the API fits together: [the model](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/model), [API keys](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/keys), [errors](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/errors) and [the MCP server](https://headhoncho.app/docs/api/mcp).

## Examples

### Answer

```json
{
  "accepted": true,
  "job_id": "job_1138",
  "number": 1138,
  "position": 88502,
  "expense_id": "exp_2b11",
  "amount": "180.00"
}
```

### cURL

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.headhoncho.app/api/v1/commands/record-expense" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer hh_live_..." \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: 6f1d2c9e-1b7a-4c1e-9a52-0d3f8e4b7a10" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
  "job_id": "job_1138",
  "expense_type_id": "ext_01",
  "amount": 180,
  "paid_by_worker_id": "wrk_7a12",
  "incurred_on": "2026-10-16",
  "vendor": "U-Haul",
  "reference": "R-55102",
  "memo": "Dolly rental"
}'
```

### Python

```python
import requests
import uuid

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.headhoncho.app/api/v1/commands/record-expense",
    headers={
        "Authorization": "Bearer hh_live_...",
        "Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),
    },
    json={
        "job_id": "job_1138",
        "expense_type_id": "ext_01",
        "amount": 180,
        "paid_by_worker_id": "wrk_7a12",
        "incurred_on": "2026-10-16",
        "vendor": "U-Haul",
        "reference": "R-55102",
        "memo": "Dolly rental",
    },
)
response.raise_for_status()
print(response.json())
```

### JavaScript

```javascript
const response = await fetch("https://api.headhoncho.app/api/v1/commands/record-expense", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: "Bearer hh_live_...",
    "Idempotency-Key": crypto.randomUUID(),
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    "job_id": "job_1138",
    "expense_type_id": "ext_01",
    "amount": 180,
    "paid_by_worker_id": "wrk_7a12",
    "incurred_on": "2026-10-16",
    "vendor": "U-Haul",
    "reference": "R-55102",
    "memo": "Dolly rental"
  }),
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);
```

### Your AI

```text
Tool: record_expense
Arguments: job_id (id, required), expense_type_id (id, required), amount (money, required), paid_by_worker_id (id, optional), incurred_on (date, optional), vendor (text, optional), reference (text, optional), memo (text, optional)
Access: do on Money
Hints: readOnly=false, destructive=false, idempotent=false, openWorld=false
Try asking: "Using HeadHoncho, record expense with job_id job_1138 and expense_type_id ext_01 and amount 180 and paid_by_worker_id wrk_7a12."
```