Debits and credits are terms used by bookkeepers and accountants when recording transactions in the accounting records. The amount in every transaction must be entered in one account as a debit (left side of the account) and in another account as a credit (right side of the account). This double-entry system provides accuracy in the accounting records and financial statements. The initial challenge is understanding which account will have the debit entry and which account will have the credit entry. To keep a company's financial data organized, accountants developed a system that sorts transactions into records called accounts. When a company's accounting system is set up, the accounts most likely to be affected by the company's transactions are identified and listed out. This list is referred to as the company's chart of accounts. Depending on the size of a company and the complexity of its business operations, the chart of accounts may list as few as thirty accounts or as many as thousands. Because every business transaction affects at least two accounts, our accounting system is known as a double-entry system. For example, when a company borrows $1,000 from a bank, the transaction will affect the company's Cash account and the company's Notes Payable account. When the company repays the bank loan, the Cash account and the Notes Payable account are also involved. If a company buys supplies for cash, its Supplies account and its Cash account will be affected. If the company buys supplies on credit, the accounts involved are Supplies and Accounts Payable. If a company pays the rent for the current month, Rent Expense and Cash are the two accounts involved. If a company provides a service and gives the client 30 days in which to pay, the company's Service Revenues account and Accounts Receivable are affected. Although the system is referred to as double-entry, a transaction may involve more than two accounts. An example of a transaction that involves three accounts is a company's loan payment to its bank of $300. This transaction will involve the following accounts: Cash, Notes Payable, and Interest Expense. After you have identified the two or more accounts involved in a business transaction, you must debit at least one account and credit at least one account. To debit an account means to enter an amount on the left side of the account. To credit an account means to enter an amount on the right side of an account. Here's a Tip: Debit means left, Credit means right. Generally, these types of accounts are increased with a debit: Dividends (Draws) Expenses Assets Losses You might think of D - E - A - L when recalling the accounts that are increased with a debit. Generally, the following types of accounts are increased with a credit: Gains Income Revenues Liabilities Stockholders' (Owner's) Equity You might think of G - I - R - L - S when recalling the accounts that are increased with a credit. To decrease an account you do the opposite of what was done to increase the account. For example, an asset account is increased with a debit. Therefore it is decreased with a credit. The abbreviation for debit is dr. and the abbreviation for credit is cr.