My Starbucks challenge

[Wm...]

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 23:35:28 <1447486528127-4681497.post at n4.nabble.com>
Steve <butterandsalt at gmail.com> wrote...

>One of my asset accounts is my Starbucks card.
>
>If I want to load the card with $10 from my checking account, it's an easy
>allocation to my Starbucks asset account.  If I later spend $5 off my
>Starbucks card, it's an easy deduction from my Starbucks asset account and a
>credit to my dining expense category.  Works well.

Ummm.  Sorry to be boring but I think that should be a debit to your 
dining expenses, you can check this by playing with
Edit / Preferences / Accounts / formal accounting labels.  On to the 
more interesting stuff ...

>Here's my question.  I buy a Groupon (or similar promotion) for Starbucks
>for $10, worth $15 (which I transfer at the Starbucks site onto my Starbucks
>card).  I pay the $10 for the Groupon out of my checking account and it's
>credited to my Starbucks asset account.  What's the best way to get the
>other $5 to show up in the Starbucks asset account?  For the time being,
>I've been putting an entry for the $5 in this example in the Starbucks asset
>account and allocating it to equity open balance which I realize makes no
>sense.
>
>Ideas?

Split transaction

Assets:CoffeeCard    15
Assets:RealMoney    -10
Income:FreeStuff     -5

OR
                      Dr      Cr
Assets:CoffeeCard    15
Assets:RealMoney             10
Income:FreeStuff              5

if you use a fixed pitch font

The non-intuitive bit may be realising that the 5 is income.

-- 
Wm...