> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://hub.equipme.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://hub.equipme.io/dokumentation/organization/cost-centers-and-billing-addresses.md).

# Cost centers and billing addresses

Create, import and assign billing addresses and cost centers; how cost centers are inherited by services.

**Path:** Settings → **"Company profile"** → **"Billing address"** or **"Cost center"** tab (administrators)

Cost centers allocate costs to the responsible areas. Each cost center is linked to a billing address, so invoices reach the right place.

## Billing addresses

* **"New"**: "Name" (required, unique), "Email", "Note" and address (country is required).
* **Default:** The first billing address automatically becomes the default. Use **"Set as default billing address"** to choose a different one. There is always exactly one default address.
* **Delete:** only possible if the address is no longer in use.
* List columns: "Id", "Profile name", "Address", "Cost centers" (count), "Note".

## Cost centers

* **"New"**: **"Cost center"** (code, required, unique), **"Manager"** (one or more employees), billing address, "Description".
* **"Assign billing address"**: assign a billing address to several cost centers at once.
* **Delete:** only possible if the cost center is not used anywhere.

The **managers** of a cost center approve orders if the approval type "Cost Center Manager Approval" is active (see [Configure approvals](/dokumentation/procurement/approval-settings.md)).

## How cost centers are assigned

Cost centers are attached to **employees**, **locations**, **cloud services** and individual **services**.

* For an order, the cost center is determined automatically in this order: **cloud service before employee before location**. You can check and change it in the [order requests](/dokumentation/procurement/order-requests-and-checkout.md) before ordering.
* Services of a location (including in the location's warehouse) take over the location's cost center. Services assigned to an employee carry the employee's cost center.
* **Changing an employee's cost center:** All of their services are switched over.
* **Changing a location's cost center:** With "Update cost center for services" you decide whether existing services are switched over as well.
* You change individual services on their [detail page](/dokumentation/assets/inventory/asset-details.md) under "Assignment details".

You analyze costs and changes per cost center in [cost management](/dokumentation/controlling/cost-management.md#by-cost-center-tab).

## Importing

Both tabs have an **"Import"** (.xlsx with sample file). Imports create **only new** entries; existing names or codes cause an error.

| Import                | Columns                                                                                                                                                |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Billing addresses** | Name (required), email, note, address fields with country as ISO-2 code (required), optionally cost center (is created **new** and linked)             |
| **Cost centers**      | Code (required), description, manager (email addresses, comma-separated; must exist as employees), billing address (exact name of an existing address) |

{% hint style="info" %}
For the cost center import, the name of the billing address must match **exactly**, including spaces. With [HR sync](/dokumentation/organization/hr-sync.md) active, cost centers are created automatically from the employee data.
{% endhint %}


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