[GNC] How to Handle Mastercard Points

[Cam Ellison]

On 2026-01-05 21:23, Adam H. Kerman wrote:
> 10:22pm -0000 01/05/26 David T. via gnucash-user <gnucash-user at gnucash.org>...:
>
>> My apologies. I see that Cam was the poster using this term. But I do think
>> you're not talking about shares in Costco (which the reference to a DRIP
>> would imply).  I'm pretty sure the use of the term "Costco dividends" was a
>> misstatement, and the poster was referring to a rewards program balance,
>> rather than shares in the Costco corporation.
> Let's say that you are correct, it's a rebate through a customer loyalty
> program. I'd make a similar recommndation to set up a contra expense account
> to book the rebate so it is not booked as income. This is key. Credit the
> rebate account, debit the liability account representing the store account.

At the time it is applied, you could show it in a contra account under 
Expenses. For the sake of argument, call it Expenses:Rebates. It would 
be a debit to Liabilities:Mastercard and a credit to Expenses:Rebates (I 
think it goes that way).

Alternatively, you could set up an Assets:Rebates account and an 
Expenses:Rebates account, and record receipt of the rebate there if you 
are not going to apply it immediately. Then the payment transaction 
would involve Liabilities:Mastercard and Assets:Rebates.

This discussion has got me thinking about how I set up the Costco 
rebate/dividend. I realise I have it wrong: it's a reduction of 
Expenses, not a change in Equity.

Cheers

Cam