How to track money in several currencies

How a multi-currency wallet works

Each place with a balance gets one wallet: a card, cash, a brokerage account, a credit card or a debt.

If a card holds euros and dollars, you add both currencies to the wallet, and each has its own balance. The balance in each currency is the opening balance plus the transactions and adjustments in that currency.

A rate is needed only for combined totals. The amount in the wallet's own currency stays as recorded.

How to create a wallet

1. Click "Wallet" in the wallet list. If there are no wallets yet, click "Create wallet".
2. In the "New wallet" panel, enter the "Name" and choose "Asset" (card, cash) or "Liability" (credit card, loan).
3. Choose the "Wallet kind" and add currencies with "+ currency".
4. Enter the "Opening balance" for each currency and, if you need it, the "Group".
5. For a credit card or a loan, enter the terms: limit, statement day, grace period. Then save the wallet.

How to see net worth as one amount

Net worth is assets minus debts, shown in the main currency. An amount in another currency equals the original amount times the rate for the transaction date.

The "Bank" wallet holds €500 and $800. At €0.80 per dollar, the dollars equal €640, and €1,140 together with the euros.

A debt counts in net worth with a minus sign, and an amount owed to you with a plus sign. Amounts with no rate stay out of net worth until you set a rate.

How to record a transfer between currencies

A transfer between your own wallets is not counted in spending or budgets. A transfer needs two different wallets: one to take the amount from and one to credit it to.

If the currencies differ, it is enough to enter the rate ("Apply rate") or the destination amount ("Apply amount"): the second value follows from the first.

If the bank has already credited the amount, enter it: the bank rate can differ from the market rate because of fees.

How to set the rate for a foreign purchase

You record a purchase in the currency of the purchase. Totals use the rate for the transaction date: the automatic rate comes from a rate source such as the National Bank of Georgia or the ECB, and you can enter the exact bank rate by hand. Accept the proposed rate with "Use suggested rate".

A purchase of AED 22.00 at a rate of 0.25 is €5.50 in the main currency.

A manual rate applies from the date you pick, and you can note its source.

How to add a missing rate

You can record a transaction without a rate: while there is no USD/EUR rate, its amount is left out of the total and stays visible in its own currency. If the final rate of a transfer between currencies is unknown, the quick transaction has "Rate later": the wallet balance is an estimate until the rate is confirmed.

In the wallet list such a balance is flagged with the line "Some balances have no exchange rate", and the card has a "Set rate" button.

In the "Missing exchange rates" dialog, choose "Find automatically" or "Add rate", enter the value and click "Save rate". Until there is a rate, the amounts are shown in their original currencies.

If one rate fits every date without a rate, choose "Use this rate for empty dates".

How to record a debt with a person

In the quick transaction, choose "Lent" or "Borrowed", then the person or company, the amount and the due date.

Record a repayment with "Repaid" at the start of the phrase or with the "Record repayment" button on the debt card. A fully repaid debt shows "Debt settled".

In the wallet list these debts are grouped in the "Personal debts" section. The two debts in the sample add up to +$50: $200 is owed to you and $150 is owed by you.

How to reconcile a wallet with the bank

If the bank balance differs from the wallet balance, click "Reconcile with bank".

In the "Reconcile with bank" dialog, enter the balances from the bank to record the difference as adjustments, then click "Mark reconciled".

If the bank has transactions that Tetri does not, import the statement first and reconcile afterwards.

Instead of an adjustment, you can change the "Opening balance": no transaction is created.

Wallet and currency settings

Default currency

The main currency is called the default currency in settings: you choose it in the "Currencies" section with "Set as default". Net worth, budgets and plans are shown in it. The wallet currencies and the original amounts of old transactions do not change, and the main currency itself cannot be deleted or turned off.

Enabled currencies

Lists of currencies show only enabled currencies. If you turn a currency off, it leaves the lists, and existing wallets and transactions do not change.

Wallet currencies

You add a currency to a wallet with "+ currency". You can remove a currency from a wallet if the wallet has another currency, the balance in that currency is zero, it has no transactions and it is not part of a recurring transaction.

Custom currencies

You create a currency that is not on the list with "Add currency" and "New currency…": it needs a code, a symbol, decimal places and the "Manual" rate source. For a supported crypto asset you can enter a CoinGecko ID.

Totals and forecast

If you turn off "Include in totals and forecast", the wallet amounts are left out of totals and the forecast.

Credit card

For a credit card you set the "Credit limit", the "Statement day", the "Grace period in days" and the "Payment account". You record a payment with "Record payment" for the full amount or with "Pay the minimum only"; after a full payment there is no interest.

Wallet archive

The "Archive" button takes the wallet out of lists, totals and forecasts, and you can restore it later. For transactions you choose "Keep in reports" or "Archive transactions", for recurring transactions "Pause" or "Keep active"; budgets stay available.

Rate reports

In the "Exchange-rate difference" report, the result of exchanges for a tax year is recorded on the FIFO principle: the currency bought first is sold first. Example: $100 bought at €0.90 and sold at €0.94 gives a result of €4. The "Currency conversions and reference rates" report shows the difference between the conversion rate and a reference rate; the difference is preliminary and does not mean a bank fee.