Car wash management system for Kenyan car washes
Suds records every car at the counter by its number plate, takes cash and M-Pesa, works out each washer's pay and shows you the day on your phone. It is built for how car washes in Kenya actually run, and it keeps working when the internet goes off.
What a car wash management system should do
Most car washes in Kenya still run on an exercise book, an M-Pesa statement and the cashier's memory. That works until a car is washed and never written down, a discount is given without anyone knowing, or two washers argue over who did which car.
A car wash management system replaces the book with a record that cannot quietly change. Every car, every payment and every change is saved with the time and the person who did it, and the owner can see it from anywhere.
How Suds works at the counter
The cashier types the number plate. If the car has been in before, Suds shows the customer's name and their last visits. The cashier picks the vehicle class (saloon, SUV, pickup, van, truck or bodaboda) and the services, and the price comes from your own price list for that class.
The car goes onto the forecourt board: checked in, being washed, ready, paid, handed over. Anyone at the counter can see what is waiting and for how long.
Cash and M-Pesa on every car
Each payment is recorded against the car it paid for, cash or M-Pesa, with the name of who took it. With M-Pesa switched on, Suds sends an STK Push prompt to the customer's phone, and the car is marked paid the moment Safaricom confirms. Payments to your own till or paybill show up in Suds within seconds, ready to put on the car, so nobody scrolls through SMS messages to check. More in our guide to M-Pesa POS for car washes.
At the end of each shift the drawer is counted, and Suds shows whether it is short or over. Discounts have a limit you set; anything bigger needs a manager.
Washers paid by the cars they washed
Every car carries the name of the washer or washers who did it. Suds works out their earnings as a percentage or a fixed amount per car, the way you pay now, shows what you still owe each person, and keeps a payslip when you pay out. See car wash attendant commission and payroll.
Customers who come back
Suds remembers every customer by plate and phone number. You can see who has not been in for 30, 60 or 90 days and send them one WhatsApp message with their own name and car in it. Customers get messages when their car is checked in and ready, and a receipt, from your own WhatsApp number. Regulars can earn money off, for example KES 500 off every tenth wash.
Stock, expenses and reports
Record deliveries of shampoo, wax, tyre shine and cloths and what each shift used, and Suds warns you before anything runs out. Rent, fuel, repairs and lunches go in as expenses by category, so you see profit after costs and wages, not just takings.
Reports show takings by hour, day, service, vehicle class and washer. Your Nairobi Water and Kenya Power balances are checked for you, and everything exports to Excel or CSV.
Branches, fleets and KRA eTIMS
Each branch gets its own counter, till or paybill and job numbers, and the owner sees every branch from one phone. Taxi and company cars can run a monthly account with a credit limit and a numbered invoice; see fleet and corporate accounts. KRA eTIMS invoicing is available on request: each sale is reported to KRA in the background and KRA's invoice number prints on the receipt; see eTIMS for car washes.
It keeps working without internet
Mobile data drops, power goes, a phone runs out of bundles. Suds saves every car and every payment on the phone first and sends everything when the connection comes back, so the counter never stops selling.
What you need
An Android phone or tablet at the counter. You check in from your own phone. We set Suds up with you: your services, your prices for each vehicle class and your staff, and your team practises in a practice mode before the first real sale. Comparing options? See what to check before you buy car wash software.
Suds compared with a notebook and a generic POS
| Exercise book | Generic shop POS | Suds | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knows the car by its plate | No | No | Yes |
| Washer commission per car | By hand | No | Yes |
| M-Pesa matched to the car | No | Sometimes | Yes |
| WhatsApp receipts from your number | No | Rarely | Yes |
| Works when the internet is off | Yes | Often not | Yes |
| See the day from anywhere | No | Sometimes | Yes |
Questions
Is Suds only for big car washes?
No. It works for a two-bay wash with one cashier as well as for several branches. You set it up for the services and staff you have.
Can my staff learn it quickly?
If they can use WhatsApp, they can use Suds. Practice mode lets them try every step without touching real money.
Does it work with my M-Pesa till?
Yes. You keep your till or paybill. Payments to it show up in Suds within seconds, and Suds can send STK Push prompts to customers' phones once M-Pesa is set up for your business.
Does Suds support KRA eTIMS?
Yes, on request. Each sale is reported to KRA in the background and KRA's invoice number prints on the receipt.
Can I run several branches?
Yes. Each branch has its own counter, till or paybill and job numbers, and you see all of them from your phone.
What happens when the internet is off?
The counter keeps working. Everything is saved on the phone and sent when the internet comes back.
What does it cost?
Your first month is on us, so you can test Suds before you commit. After that, send a request or a WhatsApp and we tell you the price for a business your size.
Get Suds at your business
Your first month is on us, so you can test Suds before you commit. Leave your details: we reply the same day and set it up with you. Every feature on this page is in the app today.
More from Suds
- Suds: car wash software, on your phone
- M-Pesa POS for car washes: every payment matched to its car
- LPG gas shop software for Kenyan gas dealers
- How to run a car wash business in Kenya, day to day
- eTIMS for car washes in Kenya
- Car wash attendant commission and payroll in Kenya
- Fleet and corporate accounts for car washes
- Choosing the best car wash software in Kenya