Questions
Short answers about how Pennies works, what it costs and where your data goes.
What is Pennies?
Pennies is a WhatsApp service that files receipts, till slips and supplier invoices for small businesses and their accountants. You send a photo or PDF on WhatsApp; Pennies reads the supplier, date and amount, asks what it was for, and files it by month where your accountant can see it.
How do I send receipts to my accountant?
Save the Pennies number, send a photo of each receipt on WhatsApp and add a few words about what it was for. If your accountant uses Pennies, they see it straight away. If they don't, invite them from your dashboard – accountants join free on the Business plan.
Do I need to download an app?
No. Pennies works inside WhatsApp, which you already have. Owners and accountants also get a web dashboard, opened with a one-time code sent on WhatsApp.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. Every plan starts with 14 days free. No card is needed to start. The trial reads up to 75 receipts; anything after that is saved and read once your plan starts.
How much does Pennies cost?
The Business plan is R249 a month for an owner and up to 5 staff, including 200 receipts a month. The Practice plan is R250 a month plus R69 for each client who sends receipts that month, including 60 receipts per client. Extra receipts are R1 each on both plans. Prices are in South African rand.
Does my business need to be VAT registered?
No. Pennies works the same whether or not you're VAT registered. When a receipt shows VAT, Pennies records the amount and the supplier's VAT number so your accountant can decide what can be claimed – that call stays with them.
Can my staff send receipts and claim expenses?
Yes. Owners invite staff with a link. Staff receipts are filed under the business and marked with who sent them. Staff say whether they paid with their own money or a company card, send the word 'claim' when they're ready, and the owner receives a PDF claim pack. The owner approves, queries or rejects it on WhatsApp or the dashboard, then marks it paid once the money is paid back – the staff member is told at each step.
Can Pennies keep a travel logbook for SARS?
Yes. Send a message or voice note such as 'trip 42km client meeting Sandton', or the odometer readings. Pennies builds a SARS-style logbook spreadsheet for each tax year, March to February.
Which languages and currencies does Pennies support?
Pennies replies in English, Afrikaans and the other official South African languages, plus Portuguese and French. Each receipt keeps its own currency, so rand, pounds, euros and dollars sit side by side without being converted.
Does Pennies catch duplicate receipts?
Yes. Pennies flags likely duplicates – the same receipt sent twice, or an invoice and the card-machine receipt for the same purchase – so they're only processed once.
Does Pennies work with Xero?
Pennies exports a Xero bills CSV, a general CSV and an Excel index for any period. Your accountant imports or processes them in the accounting system they already use. Receipts already exported are skipped next time, so nothing is posted twice.
Where is my data stored, and is Pennies POPIA compliant?
Documents are stored on access-controlled servers run by Railway, with nightly encrypted backups in Cloudflare's Western European region. Dashboards open only with a one-time code sent to your WhatsApp. Pennies only uses your information to file your documents and share them with the accountant you choose. See the security page and privacy policy for the full detail, including your rights under POPIA.
Can I use Pennies outside South Africa?
Yes. Pennies works anywhere WhatsApp does, and keeps every receipt in its own currency. The pricing page shows prices in rand, pounds, euros and dollars. The SARS travel logbook is South African; everything else works the same everywhere.
I'm looking for a Dext, AutoEntry or Hubdoc alternative. How is Pennies different?
Pennies is built around WhatsApp, so clients send receipts from the chat they already use instead of installing and logging in to another app. It is priced in rand for South African practices and businesses, and includes staff expense claims and a SARS travel logbook.
Can Pennies pick up supplier invoices from my email?
Yes. Every business gets its own Pennies email address, such as yourbusiness-k7m2qp@in.penniesapp.com – send 'inbox' on WhatsApp or open Email on your dashboard to see it. Set a Gmail filter or an Outlook rule to forward your suppliers' emails there, or forward invoices by hand. Pennies reads each PDF or photo attached and files it with your receipts. If you've used that supplier on an open project, Pennies asks on WhatsApp whether to add the invoice to it.
What happens to supplier statements that are emailed in?
Pennies recognises a statement and keeps it on its own list for the business and its accountant, so it never counts as a receipt or ends up in an expense claim or export. Invoices and credit notes are filed as usual.
Send your first receipt today.
14 days free. No card, no app to install – it starts in WhatsApp.