Questions
Questions about SwiftlyBooks
What people ask most about SwiftlyBooks: what it does, what it costs, moving in, and each feature.
SwiftlyBooks
What is SwiftlyBooks?
Cloud accounting software for African businesses, made by Intetrix Solutions: double-entry books in every currency you trade in, with your country's taxes and e-invoicing ready.
How much does SwiftlyBooks cost?
From $15 a month for up to 300 documents, with every feature and as many users as you like. The first 30 days are free, with no card needed.
Which countries does SwiftlyBooks work in?
Zimbabwe and Zambia today, each with its own chart of accounts, taxes and e-invoicing.
Does SwiftlyBooks fiscalise invoices?
Yes: ZIMRA fiscalisation for VAT-registered companies in Zimbabwe, and ZRA Smart Invoice for VAT-registered companies in Zambia, which Intetrix sets up with you.
Is there a phone app?
Yes. SwiftlyBooks installs on Android and iPhone from the browser: approve, snap a bill, invoice and take payments, with alerts when something waits for you.
Can I move my books from another package?
Yes: from Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online and Desktop, Sage Pastel or Excel, using each package's own export files.
Is my data safe?
Each company's books are kept apart from every other company's, sign-in can take two steps, and every change is recorded.
Pricing and paying
What counts as a document?
The invoices, receipts, credit and debit notes, bills and expenses you issue in a month, together. Manual journals do not count.
Do I pay per user?
No. Every plan has as many users as you like, and every feature.
What do SwiftlyBooks for Property Managers and SwiftlyBooks for Lawyers cost?
SwiftlyBooks for Property Managers: $0.50 a unit let a month, at least $10.00. SwiftlyBooks for Lawyers: $10.00 a fee earner a month, at least $20.00. Each is added to any plan, and the free trial includes them.
Are stock, budgets and fixed assets extra?
No. Every plan includes them: switch on the ones you want in Settings.
Do accounting firms pay for the accountant hub?
No. The hub is free. Each client keeps its own subscription, unless the firm pays for it, at a discount Intetrix sets for the firm.
Is there a free trial?
Yes: 30 days with every feature, and no card needed. If you do not choose a plan when it ends, your books become read-only and nothing is lost.
Can I pay for a year?
Yes. A year costs the same as ten months.
Can I pay in kwacha?
Yes, in Zambia. A Zambian company is invoiced in kwacha, from K300 a month, and pays by bank transfer. In Zimbabwe, you pay in US dollars.
Can I cancel?
At any time. Your plan runs to the end of the period you have paid for, and is not renewed.
Is there a setup fee?
No.
Moving in
Which packages can I move from?
Zoho Books, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop and Sage Pastel, using each package's own export files, and any other package through Excel.
Does my history come over?
No. It stays in your old package. SwiftlyBooks starts from the balances on your last day there, with every invoice and bill still unpaid on that day.
Can Intetrix move our books for us?
Yes. Turn on "Intetrix staff may help with our move" in Settings, and Intetrix can take the steps with you. Everything they do is in your activity log.
What if the figures do not agree?
SwiftlyBooks shows each difference before anything posts: the old trial balance, what customers owe and what suppliers are owed, beside what came over.
Sales and purchases
Can I send invoices on WhatsApp?
Yes. An invoice can be shared on WhatsApp or emailed, with a link your customer opens without signing in. The link works for 14 days.
Are invoice numbers gapless?
Yes. Each kind of document is numbered per branch with no gaps.
Can I change an invoice once it has gone out?
Not in place. A draft can be changed until it is approved; after that, it is corrected with a credit or debit note, so the record stays whole.
Can SwiftlyBooks remind me of bills I have to pay?
Yes. Switch on bill reminders in Settings. Every bill to pay is on one page, with what is overdue first, and reminders come by email and in the app: at first 3 days before, on the due day, and 1 and 7 days late.
Every currency
Which rate does an invoice use?
The one you choose as you raise it: today's operating rate first, the last one used for that customer, or your own. An invoice made from a quote keeps the quote's rate. The books still value it at the official rate, for reports and tax. Settings can change each of these.
Do I set the rates every day?
Yes, for each currency you trade in beside your base currency: your rate and the official one. Every day's rates are kept, so each document keeps the rates of its own day.
Tax and e-invoicing
Who switches on fiscalisation?
Intetrix, with you, once your fiscal device or VSDC is registered with the tax authority: for a VAT-registered company, in Zimbabwe and in Zambia.
Can I use SwiftlyBooks without fiscalisation?
In Zimbabwe, yes: a company that is not VAT-registered keeps its books and invoices as usual. In Zambia every business must invoice through Smart Invoice, and SwiftlyBooks connects VAT-registered companies to it.
Can I correct a fiscalised invoice?
Only through a credit or debit note, which is signed with the tax authority in turn.
Banks, mobile money and cash
Which banks can I use?
Any bank. A statement saved as CSV, Excel or OFX is read once its columns are matched.
Can I keep wallets in different currencies?
Yes. Each wallet has its own currency, and money moved between them is valued at the day's rates.
Reports and the close
Can my accountant use it?
Yes. Give your accountant a user with the Accountant role, and they see and do what that role allows.
Can a closed month be reopened?
Yes, by someone with the right to, who gives the reason. The reopening and the reason stay on the record.
Can I see each branch on its own and together?
Yes. Reports show one branch, all branches together, or each branch in its own column beside the total, on the profit and loss, the balance sheet and the trial balance.
Stock
Do I have to track stock for every item?
No. You choose the items whose stock is tracked. Services, and items you do not track, work as before.
Which costing method does it use?
Average cost unless you choose first in, first out in Settings. Last in, first out is not offered: IFRS for SMEs does not allow it.
How do I start?
Switch stock on in Settings, then choose the items to track and count what each branch holds. Every plan includes stock, budgets and fixed assets.
Budgets
Can I budget for one branch or project?
Yes. A budget is for the whole company, one branch, or one tag, such as a project or a grant.
What does budget against actual mark?
An expense over its budget, or income under it, by more than the margin you set (10% at first), in amber. So is an expense with no budget.
Can Swiftly write the budget?
Swiftly drafts one from last year's figures, up or down as you ask. It saves nothing: you check the draft, save it and approve it.
How do I start?
Switch budgets on in Settings. Every plan includes them.
Fixed assets
Does depreciation post by itself?
By default your accountant runs it each month, in one click. Settings can have it post by itself once each month ends.
Are capital allowances posted to the books?
No. They are worked out beside the books for the tax return, by tax year, and never posted.
Can an asset bought on one bill be split?
Yes. Ten laptops on one bill line can join the register as ten assets.
How do I start?
Switch fixed assets on in Settings. Every plan includes them.
Swiftly, the assistant
Can Swiftly post or send anything by itself?
No. Swiftly drafts, and a person approves. Posting, fiscalising and sending always wait for you.
Can I switch Swiftly off?
Yes, in Settings.
On your phone
Is SwiftlyBooks in the Play Store or App Store?
No. It installs from the browser instead, and stays up to date without store updates.
Do alerts work on an iPhone?
Yes, once SwiftlyBooks is on the home screen, on iOS 16.4 or later.
Does anything post with no connection?
No. The last figures show with their time, and a snapped bill waits on the phone. Numbering, posting and fiscalising wait until it is back online.
I keep the books of several companies. Do I need an app for each?
No. With two or more companies, one app holds them all. Sign in once, and switch from the top of Home.
Does everything work on a phone?
Yes. The app's own screens cover the day's jobs, and Full SwiftlyBooks opens every other page inside the app, from reports to Settings.
Payroll from SwiftlyPeople
Do I need SwiftlyPeople?
Only for payroll. SwiftlyBooks keeps your books on its own, and SwiftlyPeople adds HR and payroll.
Can I post payroll from another system?
Yes, as a journal.
Security and control
Can I get a copy of all my data?
Yes. An administrator can download a full copy at any time.
Who decides who signs in?
Your administrators. They add each person, give them a role, and can end their access at once.
Zimbabwe
Does SwiftlyBooks connect to ZIMRA fiscalisation?
Yes. For a VAT-registered company, each invoice, receipt and note is signed with ZIMRA as it is issued. Intetrix sets it up with you.
Can I keep books in US dollars and ZiG?
Yes. Each document posts in its own currency, and the books value it at the official rate for reports and tax.
How do I pay for SwiftlyBooks in Zimbabwe?
In US dollars, by bank transfer against our invoice.
Zambia
Does SwiftlyBooks connect to ZRA Smart Invoice?
Yes. For a VAT-registered company, each invoice, receipt and note is signed with ZRA as it is issued. Intetrix sets it up with you.
Can I keep books in kwacha and US dollars?
Yes. Each document posts in its own currency, and the books value it at the official rate for reports and tax.
How do I pay for SwiftlyBooks in Zambia?
In kwacha, by bank transfer against our invoice.