Unioncloud Nominal Codes User Guide
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Guidance for Students
Reason for the change
We have added a compulsory field "Nominal Code" for memberships and events created on Unioncloud, so that we can connect Unioncloud to our Finance System with an API. Once it's up and running, we'll be able to bring sales income data into our finance system multiple times a day, meaning that student group income and expense reports will be more up to date.
What you need to do
When you add a membership or event, select the relevant Nominal Code from the drop down list. Your list will be shorter than in the snip below and should only show codes relating to your group.
The field looks like this:
What is a Nominal Code? What is it made up of?
In this context (i.e. in Unioncloud only) the "Nominal Code" field is a finance reference that we use to allocate income from Unioncloud. It needs to be entered in the membership or event. It is made up of two or three bits, separated with "#"s:
| First part | Separator | Second part | Separator | Third part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student Group Finance Code | # | General Ledger (GL) code & short description | # | Student Group Sub-Account code |
- The first part of the code MUST BE your Student Group Finance Code. E.g. 3907-TEST GROUP (unless it's a free ticket, see below).
- The second part of the code is for the type of income/sale. It's made up of a 5 digit code and a short description. E.g. 52720 Memberships
- The third part of the code is for the Student Group Sub Account where applicable. (Most groups don't have sub accounts). E.g. SG001-TEST SUB AC 1
- The parts are separated by #s
- You don't need the third part, but the first and second are compulsory, and the two #s
Example
Example with a sub account: 3907-TEST GROUP#52720 Memberships#SG001-TEST SUB AC 1
Or without a sub account: 3907-TEST GROUP#52720 Memberships#
Which code should you choose, which second element for the income type?
Memberships
For Membership sales, please always choose the code with #52720 Memberships# as the second element.
Free Events
For Free events, please always use the code 0001-FREESTUDENT#00001-FREESTUDENT#
Fundraising for another charity
If you're raising money for another charity please use the code with #52795 RAG Fundraising# as the second element.
Event tickets
You can put all other event tickets on the code with #52715 Tickets# as the second element.
Training, Trips, Competitions, Other Income
Or, if you use the csv report to analyse your data from the student expenses app (option 3, circled from the report selection screen in the snip below), then there are some other second elements you can choose to analyse your income further:
- #52725 Training#
- #52730 Trips#
- #52735 Competitions#
- #52750 Other Income#
Finding the report with income analysis in the Student Expenses App
Third element: Sub-accounts
If your group has sub-accounts, and you want to allocate the income to a sub account, please put the sub account code after the second #. E.g. 3907-TEST GROUP#52720 Memberships#SG001-TEST SUB AC 1
Example Income Codes for Student Groups (replace the test group code with your group's code)
| To be used for: | Nominal code |
|---|---|
| All group memberships | 3907-TEST GROUP#52720 Memberships# |
| Party tickets, event tickets | 3907-TEST GROUP#52715 Tickets# |
| Event tickets to go to a sub account | 3907-TEST GROUP#52715 Tickets#SG001-TEST SUB AC 1 |
| Classes/training | 3907-TEST GROUP#52725 Training# |
| Trips | 3907-TEST GROUP#52730 Trips# |
| Entry to a competition | 3907-TEST GROUP#52735 Competitions# |
| Other income | 3907-TEST GROUP#52750 Other Income# |
| Fundraising for other charities | 3907-TEST GROUP#52795 RAG Fundraising# |
| Free events or memberships | 0001-FREESTUDENT#00001-FREESTUDENT# |
For more help
For help setting up tickets or events in Unioncloud
Please contact Student Opps: bristol-su@bristol.ac.uk
For missing Nominal Codes
If you are feeling confident that you know exactly what the code should be, please choose the option "Other" and type the code in.
Please don't choose Other and leave it blank or type nonsense in or similar, as your income might not be allocated correctly.
To get a code added to the dropdown list, please email bristolsu-accounts@bristol.ac.uk
Guidance for Staff
What is a nominal code, what is it made up of?
In this context (i.e. in Unioncloud only) the "Nominal Code" field is a finance reference that we use to allocate income from Unioncloud. It needs to be entered in the membership or event. It is made up of two or three bits, separated with "#"s:
| First part | Separator | Second part | Separator | Third part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Central Department Code | # | General Ledger (GL) code & short description | # | Project code or Student Group Sub Account code |
- The first part of the code MUST BE the Department Code for the income. E.g. 1510-WWEEK (unless it's a free ticket, see below).
- The second part of the code is for the type of income/sale. It's made up of a 5 digit code and a short description. E.g. 52605 Tickets
- The third part will be the Project Code, but these aren't active yet.
- The parts are separated by #s
- You don't need the third part, but the first and second are compulsory, as are the two #s
Some examples for codes for income for tickets for events put on by the main SU
E.g. 1 Intramural sports membership sold by the main SU would go on: 1504-INTRAMURAL#52705 Sports#
E.g. 2 BSU Events team sells tickets for a day trip to Bath: 1512-EXCURSIONS#52605 Tickets#
E.g. 3 BSU Events team sells a ticket for a welcome week club night: 1510-WWEEK#52605 Tickets#
E.g. 4 SEH access pass memberships: 1102-FINANCE#32120 SEH Access Pass#
Reason for the change
We have added a compulsory field "Nominal Code" for memberships and events created on Unioncloud, so that we can connect Unioncloud to our Finance System with an API. Once it's up and running, we'll be able to bring sales income data into our finance system multiple times a day.
What you need to do
When you add an event, select the relevant Nominal Code from the drop down list.
You can type in the field and it will take you to the code which starts with what you type in.
The field looks like this:
The ticket Nominal Code will auto-populate from the Nominal Code in the Event, but you can change it if it should be different for different tickets.
Which GL code (second element) should you choose for the income type?
The second element, the GL Code, drives the VAT treatment of the sale, so it's important that it's correct.
It starts with a 5 digit code, which matches the GL in the Management Accounts.
Please don't use the codes for the Student Groups, (see above) as the VAT treatment is different for them.
Events
Most tickets will have #52605 Tickets# as the second element. 20% VAT will be included in the ticket sales price. (But please don't put sports, training sessions or bus tickets on this code.) This includes club nights, trips, quizzes, balls and parties, fight night spectator tickets...
Free Events
For FREE events, please use the Nominal Code 0000-FREESTAFF#00000 FREESTAFF#. This is the whole code, you don't need to use your department code as the first part.
Sports
If you are selling tickets to a sports class, sports league membership, sports competition entry or anything else that allows students to take part in sports, please use #52705 Sports# as the second element.
Sports, when provided by a charity, is VAT Exempt, so no VAT will be charged on these tickets.
'Sports' is quite wide ranging and includes Martial Arts, Dance, Table Tennis, Snooker, Skipping... For a full list see Sport supplies that are VAT exempt (VAT Notice 701/45) - GOV.UK
This is only for people taking part in sports, not for spectators.
It also can't be used for kit sales.
Training and Education
If you are selling tickets to a training or education session, for example, First Aid Training for students, then please choose the second element #52706 Training#.
Training and Education, when provided by a charity is VAT exempt, so no VAT will be charged on these tickets.
Bus Transport
If we sell tickets to students which are just for transport, then please put them on #52710 Bus Travel# for the second element. This income is zero-rated so no VAT is charged. An example might be if we arrange a bus to London to attend a protest.
If this is part of a trip, where we also sell entrance to an attraction, then use #52605 Tickets# for the second element, as the VAT relief is only for transport, not days out.
Fundraising Events
If we sell tickets to an event, where the main purpose of the event is to raise funds for Bristol SU students, for example for Sanctuary Scholars, then please use #53610 Fundraising# for the second element.
Most charitable fundraising events are VAT exempt, so no VAT will be charged on these tickets.
Other income
If the code you want isn't available from the above or the Nominal Code dropdown list, please contact bristolsu-accounts@bristol.ac.uk
If you are feeling really confident about using a GL from your Management Accounts for income, which isn't one of these codes, you can enter it by selecting "Other" from the dropdown list and then typing the full Nominal Code in.
For this second element, only the 5 digit number is important - the short description is just to make it easier to find the right code from the drop-down.
Nominal Code Selector Tool
We've made a tool to help staff select the right Nominal Code: Nominal Code Creator.xlsx
Nominal Codes in the Event v in the Ticket
The Nominal Code field is compulsory when you set up a new event.
The Nominal Code field in the ticket will be auto-populated from the event.
If different tickets for an event should have different Nominal Codes, you can change the code in the ticket.
For more help
For any questions on Nominal Codes in Unioncloud, please contact bristolsu-accounts@bristol.ac.uk
FAQs
What is a nominal code, what is it made up of?
In this context (i.e. in Unioncloud only) the "Nominal Code" field is a finance reference that we use to allocate income from Unioncloud. It needs to be entered in the membership or event. It is made up of two or three bits, separated with "#"s:
| First part | Separator | Second part | Separator | Third part |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business central department code | # | General Ledger (GL) code & short description | # | Project code or Student Group Sub Account code |
I don't know what my Student Group Finance Code is
Your President/Captain and Treasurer will probably know the code. If not, they can look it up on the Student Group Expenses app, it's at the top the Income and Expenditure report and will start with a 3, 4 or 5, followed by a shortened version of the group name. E.g.:
How do I work out which Nominal Code to select?
Staff can use this tool: Nominal Code Creator.xlsx
Students, please see Example Income Codes for Student Groups (replace the test group code with your group's code)
Why are nominal codes now compulsory?
Having consistent coding will allow us to connect Unioncloud to our finance system via an API (automatic data channel) which will allow us to bring our income into the finance system more quickly and accurately, so it should show up in Student Group Income & Expenditure reports in hours rather than days.
The code I can see is for a different student group, what should I do?
Please contact bristolsu-accounts@bristol.ac.uk
Do I need a nominal code for free events/tickets?
Yes, you still need a code.
- Students, please use: 0001-FREESTUDENT#00001-FREESTUDENT#
- Staff, please use: 0000-FREESTAFF#00000 FREESTAFF#
If you get these codes muddled up, it doesn't really matter as there is no income, but you do need to put a code in, and it will help with our data quality check if you use the one we expect.
Can I use different Nominal Codes for different tickets for the same event?
Yes. The Nominal Code that you enter when you set up the event will automatically get added to the ticket, but if one of the tickets should be on a different Nominal Code (e.g. if there are some free tickets), you can change it in the ticket.
What is a Project Code?
We aren't using Project Codes yet, but later on they will be a way of keeping track on income and costs on a project.
What happens if I choose the wrong nominal code?
For income for the main SU put on by staff members, the wrong nominal code may send the income to the wrong department code, wrong GL code, and get the VAT treatment wrong.
For Student Groups -- you should only be able to see codes for your group, so you shouldn't be able to send the income to the wrong student group. The rest of the code is to make it easier for you to understand your income, it's for your information (though please try to put membership income on the membership code and other income on one the other code which is the best fit).
I'm a treasurer of a student group, and I want a sub account, what do I do?
We aren't adding any new group sub accounts at the moment, but we hope to be soon. Please email bristolsu-accounts@bristol.ac.uk to flag your interest.
Does it matter if I don't include the short description in the GL second element?
No -- the API will only pay attention to the five numbers, which match up to the five numbers in our finance system.
What if I want a nominal code that doesn't appear in the drop-down list?
You have two options, you can either select "Other" from the drop-down list and type the Nominal Code you want, or you can send bristolsu-accounts@bristol.ac.uk an email and ask them to set up a new Nominal Code in Unioncloud to be selectable in the drop down list.
When will the Nominal Code become compulsory?
5 August 2026
When will the API go live and the income start being brought in automatically?
Sept – Nov 2026. We need to get it built and tested before go-live.
What will happen before the API goes live
We'll keep analysing the income the way that we do at the moment, so income will be uploaded every day or so.
