Internal transfers allow you to move products between two different restaurants in the same Company and Concept that share the same product database. Use this feature when one location needs to send products to another without involving an external vendor.
When would you use this? Suppose your downtown location over-ordered a case of chicken thighs and your midtown location is running low. Instead of placing a new vendor order and waiting for delivery, you record an internal transfer. The product and its cost move from downtown to midtown, and both locations’ inventory and reporting update accordingly. This also works for non-food items — if one location purchased cleaning supplies that another location needs, internal transfers handle that as well.
- Transfer must occur between two (or more) units that share the same Company and Concept
- An appropriate Payment Account created for the transfers
- A dedicated Vendor for the transfers
- Completed setup in every unit that will be transferring
Video Overview
Setting Up Internal Transfers
To set up internal transfers, navigate to Orders > Transfers. The setup page appears:
Internal Transfer Vendor Name
On the setup page, review the name of your new Internal Transfer Vendor. If you want to change the suggested name, do so here. The vendor name cannot be changed once created.
Payment Account Configuration
Next, set up your Payment Accounts. There are three configuration options. A dedicated account for transfers is recommended — if you have not set one up yet, see Setting Up Payment Accounts for Internal Transfers.
Complete Setup
After configuring your payment accounts, click Complete Setup. This creates your new Internal Transfer Vendor. To edit your payment account configuration later, go to Orders > Setup > Internal Transfers.
Setup in Other Restaurants
Before you can use internal transfers, complete the same setup process in all other restaurant units in your Company. Repeat these steps in each unit.
Note: Garde does not support same-location internal transfers.
Recording Transfers
With setup complete, you can begin recording transfers.
1 — Select the Restaurant You’re Transferring To
Use the Transfer to: dropdown to select a restaurant unit. Only restaurants within your company concept show up in this list.
2 — Review the Transfer Date
The default date is today. If you need to record a transfer for the past or future, change the date here.
3 — Add Products to Transfer
Click the green Add Product button to generate a new row.
Under the Product column, search through your restaurant’s product list. Once you select a product, the unit and price auto-populate using the product’s count-by and last ordered price. The unit cannot be changed.
4 — Specify the Quantity
Enter the amount you are transferring under the quantity column. The line price automatically calculates based on quantity times price.
5 — Review the Price
The product price auto-populates with the last ordered price by default. If you need a different price, click on the price cell and type in your desired transfer price.
6 — Record the Transfer
After adding all your products, click Record Transfer. This creates a closed invoice for the internal transfer in both the sending and receiving restaurant units.
Once the transfer is complete, it appears in budgets and reports and is ready to export to accounting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How will this look in Garde reporting?
At the sending location, the value of the transferred product is subtracted from the purchased amount and from your COGS reporting. At the receiving location, the transfer is added to the purchased quantity and corresponding COGS category — just as if it was purchased from any other vendor.
How will this look in my accounting system?
At the sending location, a journal entry is exported that credits the appropriate COGS categories and debits the balance sheet account designated for transfers. At the receiving location, an equal but opposite journal entry credits the balance sheet account and debits cost of goods. The net result: the expense moves from one location to the other, and the balance sheet account that accommodates the transaction has a net balance of zero.
Can I change the price of products when recording a transfer?
Yes. Click on the price cell and type in your new price.
When you change the price, the product price in the sending restaurant stays at the most recent purchase price. But the receiving restaurant’s product price updates to the new price you specified.
Keep in mind: if you increase the price above what you paid, you may see a negative Cost of Goods Sold at the sending restaurant, since the transfer value exceeds your actual purchase cost. Garde does not currently support marking upcharges as sales.
Can I just transfer category totals?
Yes. Create a new product to represent the category transfer and select that product.
For example, to transfer Marketing Expenses:
- Go to Products and create a new product called “Marketing Expenses”
- Set the category allocation as 100% to your “Marketing Expenses” category
- Specify the count-by unit as “1 Each”
- Set the product price as needed (you can adjust this during the transfer)
- Click “SAVE”
Now select your “Marketing Expenses” product, set the quantity to 1, and update the price to whatever category total you want to transfer.
How can I create a report showing my transfers?
You can download the data and work with it as a spreadsheet. For guidance, see How to use the Purchasing Export.
Can I transfer recipes?
No. Internal transfers only handle products. To transfer recipes, use the Commissary Feature instead.
Can I export these transfers as invoices to be received and bills to be paid?
No. Garde cannot export an invoice to accounts receivable. The only way to transfer products is as journal entries as described above.
What is the difference between Internal Transfers and Commissary Transfers?
The Commissary Feature is an in-app order management tool that lets you convert recipes into products and transfer them from one designated central location to other restaurant units. Internal Transfers allow for bi-directional product transfers within your company concept.
Both features are included in your Garde subscription, and you can use them together. 
