With this update, you can now enter both Cost to Business and Cost to Client directly when logging a purchase in purchase history. This is especially useful for purchases made outside of Ply, so you can still keep complete financial records inside the system.
➡️ Where to find it
Go to the material in your catalog.
From the material’s detail page, click on Purchase History.
Add a new purchase from this button.
4. In the form, you’ll now see these fields:
Supplier Name
Cost to Business (the amount your company paid)
Cost to Customer (the amount you will charge your customer)
Purchase Date - So you can save your history.
Location
Job
➡️ Why it’s useful
Lets you record purchases made outside Ply while still capturing key cost data.
Ensures your purchase history reflects both sides of the transaction.
By filling in both fields, you’ll have more accurate reporting and a clearer view of profitability, even for purchases not directly managed through Ply.
➡️ Best practices
✅ Log outside purchases as soon as possible after buying.
The longer you wait, the easier it is to forget the exact price paid or which job/location it was for.
✅ Use this consistently, not just occasionally.
If your team sometimes swings by a supply house for a quick pickup, logging those purchases here keeps your reporting complete; skipping it even once can leave a gap in your cost history for that material.
✅ Double-check the material's catalog view after logging the purchase.
Since this entry captures both Cost to Business and Cost to Client for that transaction, it's worth confirming the material's current cost reflects what you expect, especially if you also use Cost Layers to track purchase costs over time.
✅ Understand the difference between the three cost types in Ply before deciding how to use this feature alongside manual edits or bulk pricing tools, see Understanding Costs in Ply for the full breakdown of Cost to the Client, Cost to the Business, and Supplier Price.
➡️ Common issues & fixes
"I'm not sure if logging a purchase here also updates the material's regular Cost to Business field elsewhere in the catalog."
This form is specifically built to log outside purchases into Purchase History with both cost fields captured together. If you need to confirm exactly how a specific entry affects the item's current catalog cost in your account (for example, if you're also using Cost Layers), the safest approach is to check the material's catalog view right after logging the purchase or reach out to support to confirm the behavior for your setup.
"I need to update pricing for many materials at once instead of logging outside purchases one by one."
If you're catching up on a backlog of external purchases or need a broader pricing update, consider whether Global Price Editing (a percentage adjustment across your whole catalog) or a bulk upload/update fits better than logging each purchase individually.
Still need help? Contact Support!
Questions about setting this up? We're happy to walk you through it.