Why the notebook is not enough
The till knows what you sold. The notebook knows who owes you. The bank knows what came in. And nobody puts the three side by side until the accountant asks for the papers — by then a bill was paid twice, a customer's balance is a guess, and the profit is whatever is left in the drawer.
Books puts all of it in one set of books, fed by the till, and opens it on words you already use.
Plain words first
The owner's page answers five questions. Behind each one is the proper accounting term, one click deeper, for your accountant:
| The owner asks | The accountant calls it |
|---|---|
| Money in | Receipts into cash and bank |
| Money out | Payments and expenses |
| What I'm owed | Accounts receivable, and their ageing |
| What I owe | Accounts payable |
| Profit | The profit and loss statement |
Under them: the journal, the trial balance, the general ledger and the chart of accounts — all there, all balanced.
The till writes the books
Every fifteen minutes, each branch's business day is posted by itself — one entry per day by default, or one per receipt if your accountant wants that detail. It carries sales, returns, voided receipts, credit sales, expenses paid from the drawer, supplier payments and the VAT on deposits.
- Posted means final. A sale made offline that reaches us late is added as a new correcting entry; nothing already posted is edited.
- One balance per customer. A Books invoice and a credit sale at the till raise the same balance, so the till and the books never disagree about who owes what.
- No till? No problem. An office or a service company can use Books on its own.
Quotes, invoices and getting paid
A wholesale customer asks for a price. You send a quote; he opens it from the link and accepts or declines it himself. It becomes an order, then a delivery note, then an invoice — all of it or part of it at each step. When he pays, a receipt settles one invoice or several; if goods come back, a credit note.
- Three print templates with your logo and colour, an A4 page in Arabic and English; print it or save it as PDF from the browser.
- Send by e-mail, a copied link, or a prefilled WhatsApp message that you send with one tap — nothing goes out by itself.
- Retail and wholesale price levels, a special price per customer, discounts, prices with or without VAT, the salesperson on the document, and recurring invoices for monthly clients.
- Customer statements and aged receivables, so you call the right customer first.
Suppliers, expenses and the bank
A supplier bill is entered by hand or made from goods you received, and Books warns you if the same supplier invoice is entered twice. Pay one bill or several at once, record an advance, and check “due in 7 days” before the week starts. A recurring expense like the rent records itself each month as a paid expense — it writes the books, it never moves money.
For the bank: download the statement from your bank and import it (CSV, Excel, OFX or MT940). An import can be undone, and the same line never comes in twice. Books suggests matches — it never applies them by itself — and bank rules fill in the usual lines. A reconciliation closes only when the difference is zero. Card settlements with their fee, cheques, petty cash and a 13-week cash forecast are there too.
The 14% VAT, prepared
The VAT summary comes monthly or quarterly: output tax, input tax, the net, zero-rated and exempt — and every figure opens the transactions behind it. When your accountant has filed, you record the filing and those months lock. There is also an Egyptian withholding-tax register.
Your accountant stays in charge
Books keeps the books straight every day; your accountant still decides. Invite him with his own login and give him only what he needs. There are six rights — view, sales, purchases, bank, post entries, close periods — and at first only the owner has them; a manager gets none automatically.
- A month-close checklist (till feed complete, banks reconciled, tax reviewed), then year-end; reopening a month asks for a reason.
- Optional approvals above an amount, budgets against actuals, and cost centres; fixed assets with their depreciation now live in the Fixed assets module, which posts to Books.
- Documents in other currencies at a typed rate (the books stay in EGP), and private, encrypted attachments.
- Profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, trial balance and general ledger, by branch, to CSV and Excel.
Switching it on
Books is hidden until the owner switches it on in Settings → Features. Then a five-step setup, each step saved on its own:
- Your kind of business and the month your financial year starts.
- Your tax identity: tax number, address and phone for the invoices.
- Your cash and bank accounts.
- Opening balances — sit with your accountant for this one.
- Invite your accountant.
What it does not do (yet)
It is new, so here is the honest list:
- It is online only — there are no Books screens in the program on your PC.
- PDFs come from the browser's Print → Save as PDF.
- No bank payment files, and nothing contacts your bank.
- It does not file your taxes, and Books invoices are not sent to the Tax Authority's systems.
- Paying a Books invoice at the till is not wired yet.
- Bank accounts in a foreign currency are not supported yet.
Which plans include it
Books is part of Business (2,500 EGP a month) and Chain (5,000 EGP a month, + 750 per extra branch). Every new shop starts with 14 days of Business, no card, so you can try Books from the first day. On a smaller plan, move up from Billing → Plan. The full comparison is on the PosMasr Cloud page.
First year 20% off every plan, with the code AHLAN20.
Quick answers
Does this replace my accountant?
No. It keeps the books ready every day; your accountant reviews them, closes the months and files the returns. Invite him in.
Is it in the program on my PC?
No. Books is in PosMasr Cloud only, on the Business and Chain plans.
Will it file my VAT?
No. It prepares the 14% summary with the transactions behind it; filing and paying stay with you and your accountant.
Do invoices go out on WhatsApp by themselves?
No. Books prepares the message; you send it with one tap.
Can my cashier see the profit?
Not unless you give him a Books right. Only the owner has them at first.
Your books, written while you sell
Start the 14-day trial of Business, no card, switch Books on and invite your accountant.
First year 20% off every plan — with the code
