Global Currency Fields

A Global Currency Field

lets you record a monetary amount in any currency and have Kinabase convert it to your organisation's base currency automatically. Every conversion is traceable - the rate, the method and the date are all kept - so a deal booked in euros and another in dollars can sit side by side and still total correctly in pounds. It's ideal for organisations that quote, buy or sell across borders.

Available on the Max plan, and only once accounting features are enabled for your organisation. If you can't see it, contact our support team to enable it for your organisation.

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1. Set up your currencies

Before you add a Global Currency field, set up your currencies in Settings → Operations → Currency.

1. Set your base currency

Your base currency is the one every Global Currency value is converted into for sorting, filtering and reporting. It defaults to GBP.

2. Enable the currencies you need

Add the currencies your team works in. Only enabled currencies can be selected in a Global Currency field; until you add more, only the base currency is available.

3. Add exchange rates

For each currency, click Add rate and enter a rate against your base currency, along with the date it applies from. Add an optional Note (such as Q1 budget rate) for context.

Rates are kept for audit and can't be edited after entry - only their notes can be changed. To correct a rate, add a new entry with the appropriate date.

4. Review rate history

Use View Chart to see how a currency's rate has moved over time.

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2. Add a Global Currency field

1. Open the Fields pane

Open the collection

, click the options menu (⋯) and select Configure (or right-click the collection in the sidebar and choose Configure), then under Setup click Fields. See Configuring fields.

You'll need Configure permission

Permission

The level of access — No Access, View Only, View & Edit or Not Enabled — granted through a Role for a specific area of Kinabase, such as records, tasks or configuration.

for the collection. If you're unsure, ask your System admin.

2. Add the field

Click Add field, give it a Name, and set the Type to Global Currency.

3. Set the options

On the Details tab, configure:

• Direction - Neutral, Buy or Sell, to reflect the context of the conversion (a mid-market rate, a buying rate, or a selling rate).
• Allow users to manually enter exchange rates - when on, users can override the system rate with their own value and a reason.
• Allow users to update to the latest exchange rate - when on, users can refresh a value to the most recent rate available.

4. Save

Click Add field.

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3. Enter data

When adding or editing a record with a Global Currency field:

1. Choose the currency and amount

Select a currency from the dropdown and type the amount.

2. Check the conversion

Kinabase fetches the rate and shows the base-currency equivalent. Click the rate to see the full details - the method used, the rate and the date.

3. Adjust if allowed

If the field permits it, override the rate manually (with a reason) or update to the latest available rate.

Conversion methods. A direct conversion uses a rate held between the selected currency and your base currency. A manual conversion uses a rate a user entered, together with their reason.

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4. Sort, filter and report

Because every value is normalised to your base currency, you can:

• Sort records by their base-currency equivalent for consistent ordering.
• Filter on base-currency values for fair comparisons across currencies.
• Report across records in different currencies, with totals in your base currency.

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5. Tips

• Record clear effective dates and Notes on each rate so your finance team can trace decisions later.
• Set Direction deliberately, so a field reflects whether it's a buying, selling or mid-market context.
• Allow manual rate entry only for trusted roles, and require a clear reason for every override.
• Turn on update to the latest exchange rate only where it's operationally right - some teams need historical consistency during a period close.

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Need more help? Ask your System admin, or contact our support team via Help & Support.