# Suds: everything about the product > Suds is car wash and LPG gas shop software for Kenya, made by a car wash owner. Staff record every car or gas sale at the counter by number plate or customer, take cash and M-Pesa on the business's own till or paybill, and the owner sees takings, wages and missing cash on their phone. Runs on Android, iPhone, Windows and any device with a browser, including low-end phones. Works offline. Contact: WhatsApp +254 759 179794 (https://wa.me/254759179794), email info@edhanse.com, sign in at https://app.suds.co.ke/. ## Features - Car wash point of sale with cash and M-Pesa - Runs on Android, iPhone, Windows and any device with a browser, including low-end phones - Washer commission, daily, weekly and monthly salaries, and advances - Stock of car wash consumables with low-stock warnings - Expenses by category and profit after costs and wages - Customer records by number plate with WhatsApp receipts - Works offline - M-Pesa STK Push - Photo proof at check-in - Nairobi Water and Kenya Power bill tracking - Customer debts settled oldest first - Fleet accounts with credit limits and monthly invoices - Excel and CSV data export - Several branches, each with its own counter, till or paybill and job numbers - Uses your existing M-Pesa till or paybill - Staff profiles, statements and Excel exports - Loyalty reward every Nth visit - Reports by hour, day, service and washer, with shift drawer reconciliation - KRA eTIMS invoicing, on request - LPG gas shop sales and cylinder stock - Cylinder deposits held until the empty is returned - Gas stock counts with differences by brand and size - Distributor balances, payments and cylinder cost history - Refill profit by gas brand and size - Delivery riders on their own app: cylinders out, empties back, money collected - Damaged cylinders taken out of stock with a reason - Value of missing and damaged cylinders - Purchase orders to distributors and supplier invoice photos - Gas profit after cost of gas, expenses and wages - Gas stock for every outlet, or all added up - Gas sales, stock moves and deposits held exported to Excel - Empties of another brand taken in on a refill - Public API and signed webhooks for hotel, fleet and other systems - Test keys on a sandbox copy of the business - Oracle Opera connection for hotels, set up with the hotel ## Questions owners ask - **My staff are not good with phones.** If they can use WhatsApp, they can use Suds. They practise first without touching real money. - **The internet here is bad.** Suds keeps working without internet and sends everything when it 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. - **Can a staff member hide something?** Every change, refund and cancellation is saved with who did it and when. - **Does it work with KRA eTIMS?** Yes, on request. Each sale is reported to KRA in the background, and KRA’s invoice number prints on the receipt. - **I have more than one branch.** Each branch gets its own counter, till or paybill and job numbers. You see every branch from your phone, and every report and export shows which branch. - **Can Suds work with our hotel or fleet system?** Yes. Suds has an API and webhooks, and for hotels on Oracle Opera we set up the connection with you. Every business gets test keys to try it first. - **How do I start?** Tap Get started or send a WhatsApp. We set up your services, prices and staff, and your team practises first. - **What do I need?** Any phone, tablet or computer you already have: Android, iPhone, Windows or anything with a browser. Suds runs well on low-end phones too. We set it up with you. ## Pricing - First month: free, with every feature, set up with you. - After that: a monthly price for a business your size. Ask on WhatsApp +254 759 179794 or with the Get started form at https://suds.co.ke/. - Included: setup of services, prices and staff; updates; support; a monthly performance report. - On request (switched on per business): M-Pesa STK Push, KRA eTIMS, several branches, live API access. Test API keys are free for every business. - Updated: 2026-11-15 ## Public API Docs: https://suds.co.ke/api/docs. Test keys (sandbox copy of the business) for every business; live keys switched on by Suds. Endpoints: GET /api/v1/setup, GET /api/v1/changes, GET /api/v1/jobs/{id}, POST /api/v1/ops. Signed webhooks for jobs, shifts and expenses. ## Car wash management system for Kenyan car washes URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Suds is a car wash management system (carwash system) built for Kenya. It 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 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 (https://suds.co.ke/mpesa-car-wash-pos/). 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 (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-commission-payroll-kenya/). ### 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 (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/). 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 (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-etims-kenya/). ### 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 Any phone, tablet or computer you already have: Android, iPhone, Windows or anything with a browser, and it runs well on low-end phones. 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 (https://suds.co.ke/best-car-wash-software-kenya/). ### 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. ## M-Pesa POS for car washes: every payment matched to its car URL: https://suds.co.ke/mpesa-car-wash-pos/ (updated 2026-11-07) At most washes, checking M-Pesa means scrolling through SMS messages and trusting a screenshot. Suds puts each payment on the car it paid for, shows who took it, and sends the customer a receipt on WhatsApp. ### The problem with M-Pesa at the counter When a customer pays by M-Pesa, someone has to confirm the money arrived and decide which car it was for. On a busy Saturday that means a phone passed around, messages read in a hurry and payments that are hard to trace later. Cash has the same problem in a different form: the drawer is counted, but nobody can say which car is missing. ### How Suds handles M-Pesa: STK Push, till and paybill With M-Pesa set up for your business, the cashier sends an STK Push prompt straight to the customer's phone for the amount on their car. The customer enters their M-Pesa PIN and the car is marked paid as soon as Safaricom confirms. Nobody types a code or checks a message. You keep the till or paybill your customers already know. Payments made to it show up in Suds within seconds, with the payer's name and amount, and the cashier puts each one on the car it paid for with one tap. Anything not yet on a car stays in a list, so no payment disappears. ### Cash, counted every shift Cash payments are recorded on the car with the name of the person who took them. At the end of the shift the drawer is counted, and Suds shows the expected amount, the counted amount and whether it is short or over. Every discount, cancellation, refund and correction is saved with who did it and when, and the owner can see the list from their own phone. ### Receipts the customer actually keeps When a car is paid, the customer can get a receipt on WhatsApp from your business's own number, or by SMS from the counter phone's SIM. They also get a message when their car is checked in and when it is ready. ### Works offline, catches up later Cash sales keep going when the internet drops. Suds saves them on the phone and sends them when the connection returns, so a bad network day never means a gap in your records. See everything else in the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/). ### Questions - **Do I need a new till number?** No. Suds works with the till or paybill you already have once M-Pesa is set up for your business. - **What if a customer pays the wrong amount?** The payment still lands on the car, and the car shows what is still owed or what was overpaid. - **Can staff delete a payment?** No payment disappears. A wrong cash entry can be voided with a reason, and the void is saved with who did it and when. - **Does the customer need an app?** No. They pay with M-Pesa as usual and get their receipt on WhatsApp or by SMS. - **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. ## LPG gas shop software for Kenyan gas dealers URL: https://suds.co.ke/lpg-gas-shop-software-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-07) Suds runs the counter of a gas shop: refills and new cylinders by brand and size, the empties customers still owe you, deliveries, stock and payments in cash or M-Pesa. It is the same app that runs car washes, set up for gas. ### Every sale by brand and size The attendant picks what the customer is taking, for example a 13 kg K-Gas or a 6 kg ProGas, and whether it is a refill or a new cylinder. The price comes from your own price list, and brands that cost the same can share a price group so you change one price instead of many. If the customer has bought before, Suds shows their last gas, so a regular's usual order takes seconds. A customer can hand in an empty of another brand. The attendant records the brand of the empty that came in, so your empties stay right brand by brand. ### Empties owed, never forgotten When a customer takes a full cylinder without leaving an empty, Suds records the empty they owe. You can see who owes you cylinders at any time, and mark them returned when they come back. You can take a deposit for the empty at the counter. It prints on the receipt, Gas stock shows the total you are holding in deposits, and when the empty comes back Suds puts it into stock and pays the deposit back from the drawer. ### Riders on their own app Each delivery rider has their own Suds app. It records the cylinders they take out, the customer and place at each door, the empty they bring back and the money they collect, so you can square up with every rider at the end of the day. ### Full and empty stock, counted and checked Suds keeps full and empty cylinders apart for every brand and size, from sales, restocks and returns, and warns you before one runs low, so you can order from your distributor in time. When you count the shop, type what you find. Suds shows the difference from the book for each brand and size and what the missing cylinders are worth in shillings, and keeps every count in the history. A leaking or broken cylinder is marked damaged. It leaves stock with a note of what was wrong and its value, and shows in the history apart from sales and counts. With more than one outlet, the owner switches between branches in Gas stock, or sees every branch added up. ### Distributors, costs and profit Keep a list of the distributors you buy from. Each restock records what came in and what one full cylinder cost, so the price of every restock stays in the history. Suds shows what you owe each distributor and records every payment to them. Send a purchase order to a distributor from the app. It waits under Open orders, and when the gas arrives one tap fills in the restock and closes the order. Take a photo of the supplier's invoice on the restock and it stays with it. From those costs, Suds works out refill profit for each brand and size: what the refills brought in, less what each full cylinder cost on its latest restock. ### Profit after every cost, and exports The Money screen shows what came in, your spends including transport, wages and what you paid distributors, and the profit left after the cost of the gas you sold. Export gas sales, stock moves and the deposits you hold, customer by customer, to Excel or CSV for your accountant. ### Cash, M-Pesa and the owner's view Each sale is paid in cash or M-Pesa and recorded with who took the money. The owner sees takings, payments and every change from their own phone, and the counter keeps working when the internet goes off. ### A free shop page Every business on Suds can have a public shop page with its items and prices. Customers can send an order or request from it, and it arrives in the app. ### Questions - **Does it work for a small refill shop?** Yes. It works for a single shop with one attendant as well as for dealers with deliveries and several branches. - **Which brands does it support?** Any brand and size you sell. You add your own brands, sizes and prices. - **Can I see which customers owe me empties?** Yes. Suds keeps the list of empties owed by customer until they are returned. - **Can I take a deposit on a cylinder?** Yes. When a customer takes a refill without an empty, you can take a deposit. It shows on the receipt and under Gas stock, and Suds pays it back from the drawer when the empty is returned. - **Can I count my cylinders and see what is missing?** Yes. Type what you count and Suds shows the difference from the book for each brand and size. - **Can I track what my delivery riders take?** Yes. Each rider has their own app that records the cylinders they take, the empties they bring back and the money they collect at each door. - **Can I see stock for all my outlets?** Yes. The owner can look at any branch's gas stock, or every branch added up. - **Does it work out profit after expenses?** Yes. Money takes off the cost of the gas sold, your spends including transport, and wages, and shows the profit left. - **Does it show profit per brand and size?** Yes. Type what one full cylinder cost when you restock, and Suds shows refill profit for each brand and size. - **Does it work offline?** Yes. Sales are 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. ## How to run a car wash business in Kenya, day to day URL: https://suds.co.ke/how-to-run-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-07) Opening a car wash is the easy part. Keeping it profitable comes down to a few habits: write down every car, price by vehicle class, pay washers by a rule they understand, count cash every shift and give customers a reason to come back. This guide covers each one. ### 1. Price by vehicle class, and write it down A saloon, an SUV, a pickup and a matatu take different time and water. Set a price for each service per vehicle class and put it where every cashier can see it. When prices live in one person's head, every busy day becomes a negotiation and discounts creep in. Review your prices when your costs change, and change them in one place so every shift charges the same. ### 2. Record every car, at the counter The single biggest leak at a car wash is the car that was washed and never written down. Make recording the car the first step, before anyone touches it: plate, vehicle class, services, price and the washer assigned. A record made at the start can be checked at the end of the day against the cash and M-Pesa received. A record made later from memory cannot. ### 3. Pay washers by a rule they can check Most Kenyan washes pay washers a percentage of each car or a fixed amount per car. Either works if the rule is written down and every washer can see the cars counted against their name. Disputes usually start when nobody can show who washed which car. Pay on a regular schedule and keep a record of each payout, so what you owe is never a matter of opinion. More in how to pay car wash attendants (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-commission-payroll-kenya/). ### 4. Count the cash every shift Count the drawer at the end of every shift, compare it with what the records say should be there, and write down the difference with the cashier's name. Small shortfalls that are noticed the same day stay small. Set a limit on discounts that a cashier can give alone, and have anything bigger approved by a manager or the owner. ### 5. Match every M-Pesa payment to a car M-Pesa removes the risk of handling cash, but only if each payment is tied to the car it paid for. Check payments as they come in rather than at the end of the week, and keep a list of anything that cannot be matched. See M-Pesa POS for car washes (https://suds.co.ke/mpesa-car-wash-pos/). ### 6. Bring customers back A regular who comes every two weeks is worth more than any passing car. Greet returning customers by name, tell them when their car is ready, and send a short message to the ones who have not been back in a month or two. A simple loyalty rule, such as a free wash after a set number of visits, gives them a reason to choose you. ### 7. Know your costs, not just your takings Takings are not profit. Shampoo, wax, water, electricity, rent, repairs and wages all come out first. Write down every expense the day it happens, keep an eye on how fast soap and wax are used, and check your water and power bills every month. A car wash that knows its cost per car can price with confidence. ### 8. Keep your KRA records straight KRA expects businesses to issue electronic tax invoices through eTIMS, and companies that bring their cars to you need an eTIMS invoice to claim the expense. A record of every sale made at the counter makes this simple; a notebook makes it painful. See our guide to eTIMS for car washes (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-etims-kenya/). ### 9. Plan for the internet going off Whatever system you use, decide what happens when the network drops. Records should keep going and catch up later, never be skipped until the connection comes back. ### Where software helps Each of these habits can be kept on paper with discipline. Car wash software (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/) such as Suds makes them automatic: every car is recorded by plate, washer pay is worked out per car, M-Pesa is matched to the car, the drawer is counted each shift and customers get WhatsApp messages, all visible to the owner from their own phone. If you are choosing a system, use our checklist for choosing car wash software (https://suds.co.ke/best-car-wash-software-kenya/). ### Questions - **What is the most common way car washes lose money?** Cars that are washed but never recorded, and discounts given without approval. Recording every car at the counter before work starts closes both. - **How should I pay car wash attendants?** Choose a percentage or a fixed amount per car, write the rule down, and let each washer see the cars counted against their name. - **How often should I count the cash?** At the end of every shift, against what the records say should be there. - **How do I get customers to come back?** Know them by name, message them when the car is ready, follow up with those who have not returned, and reward regular visits. ## eTIMS for car washes in Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-etims-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-07) KRA expects every business to issue its invoices through eTIMS, and the companies that bring their cars to you need an eTIMS invoice to claim the expense. Suds, on request, reports each sale to KRA in the background and prints KRA's invoice number on the receipt, so compliance happens at the counter instead of at month end. ### What eTIMS is eTIMS is KRA's electronic Tax Invoice Management System. Instead of a paper invoice book, each sale is sent to KRA as it happens and KRA gives it a number that anyone can check. Since 2024, KRA expects businesses to issue invoices through eTIMS whether or not they are registered for VAT. For a car wash this matters in two places: your own tax records, and your business customers. A company, taxi operator or government office can only claim a car wash expense that is backed by a valid eTIMS invoice. Without it, your fleet customers have a reason to go elsewhere. ### Why it is hard at a car wash counter A car wash makes many small sales a day, often in a rush, often in cash and M-Pesa. Typing each one into a separate KRA app or portal after the fact means two records that drift apart, invoices issued late and hours of catching up. The easy way is for the invoice to come from the same record the cashier already makes: the car, the services and the payment. ### How Suds handles eTIMS With eTIMS switched on for your business, every paid sale in Suds is reported to KRA in the background. The cashier does nothing extra. The customer gets their car and their receipt straight away, and KRA's invoice number is added to the receipt. If KRA or the internet is slow or down, the counter never waits. The sale is queued and sent as soon as KRA answers, minutes or hours later, and retried until it goes through. Refunds and cancelled sales are sent to KRA as credit notes, so your KRA record matches what really happened, and the tax on each sale is split the way KRA expects. ### eTIMS and fleet accounts Fleet and company customers usually pay monthly. Suds keeps their cars on an account with a credit limit and makes a numbered invoice at the end of the month, so their accounts department gets both the statement and the KRA invoices it needs. See fleet and corporate accounts (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/). ### Getting started eTIMS is set up per business on request. Tell us your KRA PIN when you send a request, and we switch eTIMS on with you once your business is ready. Check your own tax obligations with KRA or your accountant. Weighing up systems? See what to check before you buy car wash software (https://suds.co.ke/best-car-wash-software-kenya/). ### Questions - **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. - **Do I need eTIMS if I am not registered for VAT?** KRA expects businesses to issue eTIMS invoices whether or not they are VAT-registered. Check your own case with KRA or your accountant. - **What happens if KRA's system is down?** The counter keeps selling. Suds queues the sale and sends it to KRA when KRA answers again. - **Are refunds handled?** Yes. A refund or cancelled sale is sent to KRA as a credit note. - **Why do my company customers ask for eTIMS invoices?** Because a business can only claim an expense that is backed by a valid eTIMS invoice. ## Car wash attendant commission and payroll in Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-commission-payroll-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-07) Washers at most Kenyan car washes are paid by the car, and most arguments at a car wash are about pay. Suds puts every washer's name on every car they washed, works out what they earned at your rates and keeps a statement of what they are owed, paid and advanced. ### How car wash attendants are usually paid The two common ways are a percentage of each car, for example a third of the wash price, or a fixed amount per car. Many washes pay more for a truck or an SUV than for a saloon, and some pay a supervisor or cashier a daily or monthly salary on top. Any of these works if the rule is written down and every washer can see the cars counted against their name. Disputes start when nobody can show who washed which car. More habits in how to run a car wash business in Kenya (https://suds.co.ke/how-to-run-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/). ### Commission worked out per car In Suds you set the commission rule once: a percentage or a fixed amount, and a different rate per vehicle class if you pay that way. Every car carries the name of the washer, or washers, who did it, and their earnings are worked out as the car is paid. A change of rate applies from the day you make it, so work already done is never repriced. ### Salaries, advances and pay later Staff on a daily, weekly or monthly salary are owed it automatically when the period falls due. An advance is recorded when it is given and comes off what the person is owed next. A day paid short can be kept as owed and paid later, and if a staff member owes the business money, that shows too. ### Payslips and statements When you pay someone, Suds keeps a payslip. Each person has a statement showing what they earned, what they were paid, advances and what is still owed, so a question about pay is answered by opening their page, not by argument. ### Complete staff profiles Each staff member's profile holds their photo, national ID, next of kin, KRA PIN, NSSF and SHA details, so the papers you need are in one place when you need them. ### Exports for your accountant Wages earned, wages paid and each person's statement export to Excel or CSV for any dates, alongside your sales, payments and expenses. Choosing a system? Use the car wash software checklist (https://suds.co.ke/best-car-wash-software-kenya/). ### Questions - **What is a fair commission for car wash attendants in Kenya?** It varies by area and wash. What matters most is a written rule every washer can check against the cars counted under their name. - **Can two washers share one car?** Yes. A car can carry more than one washer's name. - **Can I pay some staff a salary instead of commission?** Yes. Daily, weekly or monthly salaries are owed automatically when they fall due, alongside commission. - **How are advances handled?** An advance is recorded when given and comes off what the person is owed next. - **Can I export payroll?** Yes. Wages earned, wages paid and staff statements export to Excel or CSV. ## Fleet and corporate accounts for car washes URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-07) A taxi operator with twelve cars, a company pool or a rental fleet will not pay at the gate every time. They want a monthly bill. Suds lets you run accounts with a credit limit, makes the numbered invoice at the end of the month and keeps every shilling owed in plain view. ### Why fleet customers matter One fleet account can bring dozens of cars a month, on weekdays when the wash is otherwise quiet. Fleet managers choose a car wash that makes their paperwork easy: one invoice a month, with every car and every service listed. More habits that grow a wash in how to run a car wash business in Kenya (https://suds.co.ke/how-to-run-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/). ### Accounts with a credit limit The owner decides who may run a tab and how much. Account cars are washed and released unpaid, and Suds keeps them against the account until the limit is reached. Deciding who gets credit stays the owner's call; cashiers cannot open accounts. ### A numbered invoice at the end of the month At the end of the month Suds makes a numbered invoice listing every car and service on the account, ready to send to the customer's accounts department. With KRA eTIMS switched on for your business, each sale also carries KRA's invoice number, which company customers need to claim the expense. See eTIMS for car washes (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-etims-kenya/). ### Debts from walk-in customers too Not every debt is a fleet. When a regular customer is short today, the car can be released unpaid and the amount is kept against them. When they pay, the oldest debt is cleared first, so the balance always makes sense. Customers who owe can get a reminder on WhatsApp with a statement of what they owe, built from the record as it stands that day. ### See who owes you The owner sees every account and every customer who owes money, how much and since when, from their own phone, and can export it to Excel. ### Questions - **Can I set a credit limit per account?** Yes. Each account has a limit set by the owner. - **Does Suds make monthly invoices?** Yes. A numbered invoice listing every car and service on the account. - **How are part payments handled?** A payment clears the oldest debt first. - **Can customers be reminded to pay?** Yes. A WhatsApp reminder can go with a statement of what they owe. - **Can fleet customers get eTIMS invoices?** Yes, with eTIMS switched on for your business, on request. ## Choosing the best car wash software in Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/best-car-wash-software-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-07) Most POS systems are built for shops that sell items off a shelf. A car wash sells a service to a car, paid in cash and M-Pesa, done by washers paid by the car. Before you pay for any software, check it against the list below. ### Why car washes need their own software A shop POS counts items. A car wash needs to know the car, the washer and the M-Pesa payment that belongs to each. That is why Suds, car wash software made in Kenya (https://suds.co.ke/), was built by a car wash owner around the counter, not the shelf. ### 1. Does it know the car by its plate? A car wash's customer is a car. Software should find a returning car by its number plate, show the owner's name and visits, and price services by vehicle class: saloon, SUV, pickup, van, truck, matatu, bodaboda. ### 2. Does it keep your M-Pesa till or paybill? Changing the number customers pay is costly. Look for software that works with your existing till or paybill, shows payments as they arrive and can send an STK Push prompt to the customer's phone. See how Suds handles M-Pesa (https://suds.co.ke/mpesa-car-wash-pos/). ### 3. Does it keep working without internet? Networks drop. Software that stops selling when data goes off will be abandoned within a month. Sales should be saved on the device and sent later. ### 4. Does it pay washers by your rules? Commission per car or per vehicle class, salaries and advances should be worked out by the software, with a statement each washer can see. This is where generic POS systems fail car washes most. See car wash commission and payroll (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-commission-payroll-kenya/). ### 5. Can you see and trust the cash? Look for a drawer count every shift, limits on discounts and a record of every change, refund and cancellation with who made it. ### 6. Is it ready for KRA eTIMS? Company and fleet customers need eTIMS invoices. Software that reports each sale to KRA in the background saves you a second system. See eTIMS for car washes (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-etims-kenya/). ### 7. Do you own your data? You should be able to export sales, payments, expenses, wages and customers to Excel or CSV at any time, for any dates. ### 8. Does it grow with you? Several branches, fleet accounts with monthly invoices, stock and expenses: you may not need them today, but switching systems later is painful. See fleet and corporate accounts (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/) and the full car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/). ### The checklist, and how Suds measures up | What to check | Why it matters | Suds | |---|---|---| | Finds the car by plate | Customers are cars | Yes | | Your own till or paybill | No new number for customers | Yes | | M-Pesa STK Push | Paid without codes or screenshots | Yes | | Works offline | Networks drop | Yes | | Washer commission and salaries | Fewer pay disputes | Yes | | Drawer count every shift | Cash you can trust | Yes | | KRA eTIMS | Company customers need it | On request | | Several branches | Room to grow | Yes | | Excel and CSV export | Your data stays yours | Yes | | Runs on Android, iPhone and Windows | Use the device you already have | Yes | ### Questions - **What is the best car wash software in Kenya?** The one that knows cars by plate, keeps your M-Pesa till, works offline and pays washers by your rules. Suds was made by a car wash owner to do exactly that. - **Do I need special hardware?** No. Suds runs on the phone, tablet or computer you already have: Android, iPhone or Windows, including low-end phones. A receipt printer is optional. - **Can I try it before paying?** Yes. Your first month is on us, so you can test Suds before you commit. We set it up with you, and your team practises in practice mode before the first real sale. - **Is the website in Kiswahili?** Yes, and in six other languages. Ask us about the app in your language. - **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. ## How to start a car wash business in Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-11) To start a hand car wash in Kenya you need a yard with water and drainage, a pressure washer, a single business permit from your county and washers who do good work. One published starter budget puts the total at about KSh 100,000. This page covers the cost, the permits, the site, the equipment, the staff and the records to keep from the first car. ### What it costs to start The cost depends on the site and the equipment. Biznakenya's guide (https://biznakenya.com/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/) lists a starter budget of KSh 100,000 for a small hand car wash, shown in the table below. It was published in 2018, so expect to pay more today: get current quotes for rent and equipment before you commit. A wash with an automatic machine costs many times more than a hand wash. Start with the hand wash unless you already have the customers to fill a machine. ### Pick the site first The site decides how many cars you wash. Look for a place drivers already pass and can pull into easily: near an estate, a shopping centre, a petrol station, a matatu or bodaboda stage. Stand there on a weekday and a Saturday and count the cars. Check four things before you pay a deposit: a reliable water supply, somewhere for dirty water to drain, room for cars to wait without blocking the road, and security at night. ### Water and power Water is the biggest running cost after wages. Find out whether the site has county water, a borehole or needs deliveries, and buy a storage tank so that a dry tap does not close the business for the day. A pressure washer and a vacuum cleaner need steady power. Keep an eye on both bills from the first month. Suds tracks your Nairobi Water and Kenya Power balances next to your takings, so a rising bill does not surprise you. ### Permits and licences Every car wash needs a single business permit from the county government where it operates. The fee depends on the county and the size of the business, so ask at the county offices or on the county's online portal. A car wash also produces dirty water. Kenya's water quality rules expect a business that discharges effluent into the environment to hold an effluent discharge licence from NEMA. Small washes are treated differently from large ones in practice, so ask your NEMA county office (https://nema.go.ke/services/environmental-licensing/) what applies to your site before you open. This page is general information, not legal advice. ### Equipment to buy first Buy what washes cars and nothing else: a pressure washer, a vacuum cleaner, a water tank, buckets, microfibre cloths, sponges, car shampoo and tyre polish. A shade or a simple roof lets you work through sun and light rain. Add the rest when the takings pay for it: a second pressure washer, a carpet cleaner, an engine steam cleaner, a waiting area. ### Hire washers and agree their pay Good washers bring customers back. Most car washes pay washers by the car, as a percentage or a fixed amount, and some pay a daily or monthly salary. Agree the rule before the first day and write it down, because pay disputes are the fastest way to lose a good washer. See how car wash commission and payroll work (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-commission-payroll-kenya/) for the common ways to pay and how to keep the count fair. ### Set your prices Price by vehicle class, since a truck takes more water, soap and time than a saloon. Walk past the washes near you, note what they charge, then check that your price covers the washer's share, water, soap and rent. See car wash prices in Kenya and how to set yours (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-prices-kenya/). ### Take M-Pesa on your own till Most customers will want to pay by M-Pesa. Register a till or paybill in the business's name so the money never passes through a staff member's phone. See M-Pesa at a car wash (https://suds.co.ke/mpesa-car-wash-pos/). ### Keep records from the first car Most new car washes start with an exercise book. It works until a car is washed and not written down, or the cash in the drawer does not match the book. Record every car, who washed it and how it was paid from day one, and you will know your real numbers when you need them: for a loan, a partner or a second branch. Suds does this on the phone you already have, Android or iPhone, or on a Windows computer: every car by its plate, cash and M-Pesa, each washer's pay and the day's takings. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/), how to run a car wash day to day (https://suds.co.ke/how-to-run-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/) and whether a car wash is profitable (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-business-profit-kenya/). ### A published starter budget for a small hand car wash | Item | What it covers | Biznakenya estimate (2018) | |---|---|---| | Yard rent | First month at the site | KSh 15,000 | | Rehabilitation | Levelling, drainage, shade | KSh 10,000 | | Licences | County single business permit | KSh 20,000 | | Equipment | Pressure washer, vacuum, tank, cloths | KSh 50,000 | | Marketing | Signboard and opening offers | KSh 5,000 | | Total | Before the first car | KSh 100,000 | ### Questions - **How much capital do I need to start a car wash in Kenya?** One published starter budget for a small hand car wash is KSh 100,000: rent, site preparation, licences, equipment and marketing. That figure is from 2018, so get current quotes. An automatic machine costs many times more. - **Which licence does a car wash need in Kenya?** A single business permit from your county government. Ask your NEMA county office whether your site also needs an effluent discharge licence for its waste water. - **Do I need a car wash machine to start?** No. Most car washes in Kenya are hand washes with a pressure washer and a vacuum cleaner. Buy bigger equipment when the takings pay for it. - **How many washers do I need?** Start with two or three and add more as the queue grows. Pay by the car and each extra washer costs you only when they wash. - **How do I keep track of cars and money?** Record every car, the washer and the payment as it happens. Suds does this on a phone and works without internet. Your first month is free. ## Is a car wash business profitable in Kenya? URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-business-profit-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-11) A car wash in Kenya can be profitable, and four numbers decide it: cars per day, the average price, what you pay washers and the rent. Work them out before you sign a lease. This page shows the sum with example figures, how to find your break-even point and where the money usually leaks. ### Do not trust a headline figure Articles about car wash profit often quote one big number. Biznakenya's guide (https://biznakenya.com/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/), for example, says a well run car wash can make KSh 130,000 a month at a 40 percent margin. The same guide assumes 15 cars a day at KSh 200 each, which is KSh 3,000 a day, or about KSh 90,000 in a 30 day month before any costs. The two figures do not match, and that is the lesson: do the sum with your own numbers for your own site. ### The sum Takings are cars per day, times the average price, times the days you open. From that, take the washers' share, rent, water and power, supplies and permits. What is left is yours. The table below works this through for an example wash. The figures are an example only, chosen to show the sum. Replace each one with your own. ### Find your break-even point Add up the costs that do not change with the number of cars: rent, water and power, supplies, permits. In the example that is KSh 58,000 a month. Then work out what one car leaves after the washer's share: KSh 300 less 30 percent is KSh 210. Divide one by the other: 58,000 divided by 210 is about 276 cars a month, or 11 cars a day over 26 days. Below that the example wash loses money, above it every car adds KSh 210. ### What moves profit most Cars per day matters most, and it changes with the weather, the day of the week and the season. Rainy weeks are slow. Weekends and the days after rain are busy. Plan your staff around that pattern. The average price is next. A customer who adds a vacuum or an engine wash can double what one car brings in, with little extra cost. See car wash prices in Kenya (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-prices-kenya/). ### Where the money leaks Many car washes are busy and still make little, because money leaks before it reaches the owner. The usual leaks are cars washed and never written down, discounts nobody approved, a cash drawer that is short at the end of the shift, and cars released unpaid that are never followed up. Each leak is small on its own. Two unrecorded cars a day at KSh 300 is about KSh 15,600 over 26 days, a fifth of the profit in the example. ### How Suds protects the profit Suds records every car at the counter by its plate, with the washer and the payment, so a car cannot be washed off the books. The drawer is counted every shift against what was taken. Discounts have a limit you set, and every change, refund and cancellation is saved with who did it. You see takings, costs, wages and what is left on your phone each day. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/) and how to run a car wash day to day (https://suds.co.ke/how-to-run-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/). ### Bring customers back A regular customer costs nothing to win again. Know each customer by plate, reward repeat visits and message the ones who have stopped coming. Company fleets bring steady work every week: see fleet and corporate accounts (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/). Starting from nothing? Read how to start a car wash business in Kenya (https://suds.co.ke/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/). ### A worked example (replace with your own figures) | Line | How to work it out | Example | |---|---|---| | Cars per day | Count them for a week | 25 | | Average price | Takings divided by cars | KSh 300 | | Takings per month | 25 cars x KSh 300 x 26 days | KSh 195,000 | | Washers' share | 30 percent of takings | KSh 58,500 | | Rent | Your lease | KSh 30,000 | | Water and power | Your bills | KSh 15,000 | | Soap, polish, cloths | What you buy in a month | KSh 8,000 | | Permit and other costs | Yearly costs divided by 12 | KSh 5,000 | | Left for the owner | Takings less every cost above | KSh 78,500 | ### Questions - **Is a car wash business profitable in Kenya?** It can be. Profit depends on cars per day, the average price, washer pay and rent. In the worked example on this page, 25 cars a day at KSh 300 leaves about KSh 78,500 a month after costs. Do the sum with your own figures. - **How much does a car wash make per day in Kenya?** Takings per day are the cars washed times the average price. At 25 cars and KSh 300 that is KSh 7,500 a day before costs. Your own site may do more or fewer cars. - **How many cars does a car wash need to break even?** Divide your fixed monthly costs by what one car leaves after the washer's share. In the example, KSh 58,000 divided by KSh 210 is about 276 cars a month, or 11 a day. - **Why is my car wash busy but not making money?** Usually because of leaks: cars not recorded, discounts nobody approved, a short cash drawer and unpaid cars. Recording every car and counting the drawer each shift closes them. - **How do I see my profit every day?** Suds shows takings, expenses, wages and what is left on your phone, by day and by month. Your first month is free. ## Car wash prices in Kenya, and how to set yours URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-prices-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-11) There is no fixed car wash price in Kenya. Published prices for a basic wash run from about KSh 200 at a small estate wash to KSh 800 or more in parts of Nairobi, and bigger vehicles pay more. This page shows what washes charge, how to set a price list that covers your costs and how to make sure staff charge it. ### What car washes charge Prices depend on the town, the area and the service. Biznakenya's guide (https://biznakenya.com/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/) assumed an average of KSh 200 a car for a small wash in 2018. A Nairobi price guide (https://achisystems.co.ke/book/mobile-car-wash-service.html) dated April 2025 lists an exterior wash at about KSh 600 to 800 for a saloon and KSh 1,000 to 1,200 for a large SUV, and an engine wash at KSh 1,500 to 3,000. The gap between those figures is the point: a wash in a Nairobi suburb and a wash in a small town are different businesses. Use the washes within a few kilometres of your site as your guide. ### Price by vehicle class A bigger vehicle takes more water, more soap and more of a washer's time, so it should pay more. Most washes use the same classes: bodaboda, saloon, SUV, pickup, van, matatu and truck. Write one price for each class and each service, and put the list where customers can see it. A posted price ends most arguments at the counter. ### Price the extras separately A body wash brings the car in. The extras make the money: vacuum, interior cleaning, engine wash, wax, carpet and seat cleaning. Price each one on its own and offer it at check-in, when the customer is deciding. ### Work back from your costs Before you copy the wash next door, check the price covers your costs. Each car costs you the washer's share plus water and soap. On top of that, every car must carry a slice of the rent, power and permits. If a saloon pays KSh 300 and the washer gets 30 percent, the car leaves KSh 210 to cover everything else. See the full profit sum (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-business-profit-kenya/) to find how many cars you need a day at your price. ### Do not race to the bottom Cutting the price to beat a neighbour rarely works, because they cut theirs too and both washes earn less. Customers return for a clean car, a short wait and being remembered. Compete on those and hold your price. ### Discounts and regulars Decide in advance who can give a discount and how much. A discount given quietly at the counter is one of the commonest ways takings go missing. A reward that everyone knows, such as a free wash after a set number of visits, keeps regulars without hiding anything. ### Company and fleet prices Taxi fleets, delivery firms and company cars bring steady work. Give them an agreed price, wash on account and send one invoice at the end of the month. See fleet and corporate accounts (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/). ### Make the price list stick A price list only works if the counter charges it. In Suds you set the price for every service and vehicle class once. The cashier picks the class and the services and the price is worked out, discounts stop at the limit you set, and every change is saved with who made it. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/), or start with how to start a car wash business in Kenya (https://suds.co.ke/how-to-start-a-car-wash-business-in-kenya/). ### An example price list (set your own) | Vehicle | Body wash | Body wash and vacuum | |---|---|---| | Bodaboda | KSh 100 | Not offered | | Saloon | KSh 300 | KSh 500 | | SUV | KSh 400 | KSh 700 | | Pickup | KSh 400 | KSh 700 | | Van | KSh 500 | KSh 800 | | Matatu | KSh 600 | KSh 1,000 | | Truck | KSh 1,000 | KSh 1,500 | ### Questions - **How much is a car wash in Kenya?** It depends on the area and the vehicle. Published figures run from about KSh 200 for a basic wash at a small wash to KSh 600 to 800 for a saloon and KSh 1,000 to 1,200 for a large SUV in parts of Nairobi. - **How much is an engine wash in Kenya?** A Nairobi price guide from April 2025 lists an engine wash at about KSh 1,500 to 2,000 for a saloon and KSh 2,500 to 3,000 for a large SUV. Prices are lower outside the city. - **Should an SUV pay more than a saloon?** Yes. A bigger vehicle uses more water, soap and time. Set one price for each vehicle class. - **How do I stop staff charging their own prices?** Post the price list and record every car. In Suds the price comes from the vehicle class and services, and discounts stop at the limit you set. - **Is the example price list a market survey?** No. It is an example of the layout only. Set your own prices from the washes near you and your own costs. ## A monthly performance report for your car wash URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-monthly-performance-report/ (updated 2026-11-11) Every month we give you a report on how your business performed: what changed, why it changed and what to do next. It is written from your own records in Suds. Below is a real report from a car wash that uses Suds, with the business and staff names removed. ### What the monthly report tells you Most owners know what they took last month. Few know why it moved. The monthly report answers that from your own records: takings per day and the trend, new customers against regulars, queues and busy hours, how much work each washer did, work that is finished but not collected or paid, prices and add-ons, and how well staff are recording. It ends with a short list of things to do, in order. ### A real report, as it was written This report was written for a car wash that uses Suds, on 8 November 2026. These are its two pages as the owner received them. Only the name of the business and the names of the washers have been removed. A real report from a car wash that uses Suds. The business name and the washers' names were removed. Tap a page to open it full size. Read the report as text Performance Brief Nov 8, 2026 Daily revenue is down 36% from the peak week: KES 5,030 a day in 11–17 Oct, KES 3,240 a day in 1–7 Nov. The cause is acquisition. New customers fell from 96 to 28 a week while repeat visits held at 70–87. Released jobs since 7 Oct total KES 122k from 573 cars. Weekly trend New customers fell from 96 to 28 a week; repeat visits held up. Released cars per week (Sun–Sat). Revenue per day: peak KES 5,032 → KES 3,242. 4–10 Oct: 75 new customers, KES 3,838 a day 11–17 Oct: 96 new, 32 returning, KES 5,032 a day 18–24 Oct: 79 new, 53 returning, KES 4,236 a day 25–31 Oct: 45 new, 87 returning, KES 3,757 a day 1–7 Nov: 28 new, 69 returning, KES 3,242 a day Visits export, 8 Nov 2026 12:52 · released jobs 7 Oct–7 Nov · 4–10 Oct is 4 trading days Findings Customers: 199 of 325 customers (61%) visited once. Repeat customers return every 8.5 days on median. Only 56 of the 250 customers who first visited before 25 Oct have come back since 1 Nov. The top 20% of customers bring in 46% of revenue. Capacity: customers walk away when the queue reaches 6–10 cars; the normal queue is 3. 8 of 13 cancellations were walk-aways. Peaks: Wed and Fri at 9am, Sunday from 12pm to 5pm. The branch averages 18.7 cars a day on 4 washers. Washers: One's load rose from 22 to 46 cars a week while another's fell from 29 to 20. Median wash time is 32–39 minutes for all of them, so the gap comes from how cars are assigned. Carpets: 10 carpet jobs worth KES 6,600 are still open, 4 of them ready but uncollected for up to 17 days. Carpets average KES 718 against KES 196 for a car. Pricing: prices are consistent and no discounts have been given. Add-ons are almost absent: 1 job in 573 had more than one service. Data: 517 of 573 jobs were paid in the same minute as handover, so staff are updating status at the till, not at the bay. Saturday 7 Nov has no records. 599 of 607 check-ins used the shared login. Recommendations Send an SMS win-back message to lapsed customers and start a referral offer to restore new-customer growth. Add a fifth washer on Friday mornings and Sundays. Send carpet collection reminders to collect KES 6,600. Prompt add-ons such as vacuum, engine wash and tyre shine at check-in. Give each staff member a login and require status updates at the bay. ### What this owner learned Daily revenue had fallen by 36 percent in three weeks. The easy guess is that regulars were leaving. The records said the opposite: repeat visits held, and new customers had dropped from 96 a week to 28. That calls for a different fix. The report also found KES 6,600 of finished carpets waiting to be collected, and that only 1 job in 573 had more than one service. Both are money the business can take without washing one more car. ### Where the numbers come from Every figure comes from the business's own records in Suds: each car checked in by its plate, who washed it, what it paid and when it was handed over. Nothing is estimated. That is why recording every car matters. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/), whether a car wash is profitable (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-business-profit-kenya/) and how to set your prices (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-prices-kenya/). ### Questions - **Is this report from a real business?** Yes. It was written for a car wash that uses Suds, on 8 November 2026. The business name and the washers' names were removed. Nothing else was changed. - **How often do I get a report?** Every month. - **What do I need to do to get one?** Use Suds at the counter: record each car, the washer and the payment. The report is written from those records. - **Can I see my numbers between reports?** Yes. Suds shows takings, wages and expenses on your phone every day. - **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. ## Car wash booking system: customers book, you confirm URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-booking-system-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Suds gives your car wash its own booking page. A customer picks a service, their vehicle type, a day and a time, and sends the request. You confirm or decline it in the app, and the customer hears on WhatsApp or SMS. When the booked car arrives, the counter already knows it. ### How online booking works You choose which services can be booked, and each can have a picture and a line saying what it includes. Your booking page lists them with your price for each vehicle class, so the customer sees what they will pay before they come. The customer types their name, phone number and number plate, then picks a day and a time inside your opening hours. The request reaches you as a WhatsApp message and a notice in Suds. ### You stay in control of the yard A booking is a request until you answer it. Confirm it and the customer gets a message with the service and the time. Decline it, with a reason if you like, and they are asked to pick another time. Nobody is promised a slot you cannot keep. Bookings due soon are on every tablet at the counter. When a car with a booked plate is checked in on the booked day, Suds links the booking to the job, so you can see which bookings turned into washes. ### One link for WhatsApp, Instagram and Google Your booking page has its own short link. Put it in your WhatsApp status, your Instagram bio and your Google Business Profile. The same page can list products you sell, like air fresheners or wax, for customers to ask about. ### Part of the whole system Bookings are one part of Suds. The same app records every car by plate, takes cash and M-Pesa, pays washers and keeps your customer list. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/) and mobile and home car wash software (https://suds.co.ke/mobile-car-wash-software-kenya/) for washes at the customer's place. ### Suds booking compared with phone calls and DMs | | Phone calls and DMs | Suds booking page | |---|---|---| | Customer sees prices first | No | Yes | | Only times you are open | No | Yes | | Confirm or decline in one tap | No | Yes | | Customer told on WhatsApp or SMS | By hand | Yes | | Booked car known at check-in | No | Yes | ### Questions - **Do customers need to download an app to book?** No. The booking page opens in any phone browser from a link. - **Can I choose which services can be booked?** Yes. You switch booking on per service, and add a picture and a short description to each. - **What if I cannot take a booking?** Decline it in the app and add a reason if you like. The customer gets a message asking them to book another time. - **Does a booking block the time for others?** A booking is a request you confirm, so you decide what fits your yard. You see every booking for the day in Suds. - **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. ## Carpet cleaning business software for Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/carpet-cleaning-business-software-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Carpets, curtains, sofa covers and duvets come in without a number plate, so they are easy to lose track of. Suds records each piece by the customer's name and phone, prices carpets by their size, and keeps a list of work that is clean but not yet collected or paid for. ### Price a carpet by its size Set a rate per square foot or per square metre, and a minimum charge if you want one. At the counter, type the size the way you would say it, like 5x10, 1.5m x 2m or round 6, or several pieces at once. Suds works out the area and the price, so two cashiers never charge differently for the same carpet. Curtains, duvets and other items can have a fixed price, or a custom price typed at the counter for the odd job. ### Every piece from drop-off to collection Each job carries a description of what came in, so whoever is at the counter can read out what the customer left. The job moves from received to being cleaned to ready, and Suds shows what has been ready the longest. The customer can get a WhatsApp or SMS message when their carpet is in and when it is ready. ### Money that is waiting at the door Clean carpets that nobody collects are money you have earned and not taken. Suds shows every job that is ready and what is still owed on it, so you can call or message the customer. Payments are cash or M-Pesa, recorded against the job they pay for, and a part payment at drop-off is kept as a deposit on that job. A real report from a business that uses Suds found KES 6,600 of finished carpets waiting to be collected. See the monthly performance report (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-monthly-performance-report/). ### Carpets beside car washing Many car washes in Kenya clean carpets too. Suds keeps both in one place: cars by plate, carpets by customer, one till and one set of reports. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/). ### Questions - **How do I price a round carpet?** Type round and the size across, like round 6. Suds works out the area and the price from your rate. - **Can I take a deposit when the carpet comes in?** Yes. Record what the customer paid at drop-off; it stays on the job, and the balance is shown when they collect. - **Can customers be told when their carpet is ready?** Yes. Suds can send a WhatsApp or SMS message when it is checked in and when it is ready. - **Can I run carpets and car washing together?** Yes. Both go through the same app, till and reports. - **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. ## A car wash app for the counter and for the owner URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-app-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Suds is an app your cashier uses at the counter and you use from anywhere. It runs on the phone, tablet or computer you already have, keeps working when the internet goes off, and sends everything when it comes back. ### Runs on what you already have Android phones and tablets get the Suds app. iPhones, Windows laptops and any computer use the same app in the browser, and it can be added to the home screen. It runs well on low-end Android phones, so you do not need to buy new equipment. ### Two sides of one app At the counter, staff sign in with a PIN and check cars in by plate, add services, take cash and M-Pesa and print or send receipts. On your own phone you see the day as it happens: cars on the forecourt, takings, what each washer has earned, expenses and anything that needs a look. What each role can see and do is yours to set. A cashier can be kept away from reports and wages; a manager can be trusted with more. ### It works offline Every car and payment is saved on the device first. When the data bundle runs out or the power goes, the counter keeps working, and everything is sent when the connection is back. Nothing is typed twice. ### Updates without reinstalling New features reach the app on their own. Staff do not need to download anything or change how they work. See what the app does for the business in the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/) guide, or how to choose car wash software (https://suds.co.ke/best-car-wash-software-kenya/). ### Questions - **Is there an iPhone app?** iPhones use Suds in Safari and can add it to the home screen, where it opens like an app. Android has its own app. - **Does it need internet all the time?** No. It works offline and sends everything when the internet comes back. - **Can I use my old Android phone?** Yes. Suds runs well on low-end Android phones. - **Can several phones be used at once?** Yes. Every device sees the same cars and payments once it syncs. - **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. ## Car detailing and auto spa software for Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-detailing-software-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) A detailing job is rarely one service. It is a wash, a polish, an interior shampoo and a ceramic coat, each priced by the size of the car, sometimes quoted on the spot, and done by different people. Suds records all of it on one job, with photos of the car as it came in. ### Many services on one car Add as many services as the job needs, each priced from your list for that vehicle class. For work you quote case by case, mark a service as custom-priced and type the description and amount at the counter. Ordinary services cannot be sold at a typed price, so your price list holds. ### Photos at check-in Take photos of the car when it arrives: scratches, dents, a cracked mirror. They are kept on the job with the time they were taken, so a later claim that the damage happened in your bay can be answered with the picture. You can also note the fuel level, odometer and anything left in the car, and mark valuables that must be handed back. ### Pay each detailer for their part Each line on a job can name the person who did it, so the one who did the ceramic coat earns on the coat and the one who washed earns on the wash. Commission can be a percentage or a fixed amount, set the way you pay now. See commission and payroll (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-commission-payroll-kenya/). ### Clients who come back Suds knows every client by plate, shows their past visits at check-in, and can message them on WhatsApp when the car is ready. See customer loyalty and WhatsApp (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-loyalty-whatsapp-kenya/). ### Questions - **Can I give a quote that is not on my price list?** Yes, for services you mark as custom-priced. The cashier types the description and the amount. - **Can I prove a scratch was there before?** Yes. Photos taken at check-in are kept on the job with the time they were taken. - **Can two people share the pay on one car?** Yes. Split a car between people, or name who did each service on it. - **Does it handle different prices for SUVs and saloons?** Yes. Each service has a price per vehicle class. - **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. ## Parking management software for car washes and yards URL: https://suds.co.ke/parking-management-software-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Many car washes also let cars park. Suds treats a parked car like any other job: checked in by plate, with a clock that starts when it arrives. When it leaves, Suds works out what it owes from your hourly or daily rate. ### Charge by the hour or the day Set up parking as a service with a rate per hour or per day, and a minimum charge if you want one. At check-in the counter picks parking instead of a wash, and the car goes on the board as parked. When the car leaves, the counter taps it out and Suds works out the time and the charge, so nobody argues about how long a car stood there. ### Parking and washing together A parked car can have a wash added while it waits. Both go on one bill, paid with cash or M-Pesa, with one receipt. ### Every car in the yard, on your phone You see which cars are parked and since when. Every payment and every change is saved with who did it, the same as for washes. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/) and M-Pesa POS (https://suds.co.ke/mpesa-car-wash-pos/). ### Questions - **Can I charge parking per day instead of per hour?** Yes. Each parking service has its own rate and unit, hour or day. - **Can a parked car also get a wash?** Yes. Add the wash to the same job and the customer pays one bill. - **Who decides when the clock stops?** The counter taps the car out when it leaves, and the time is recorded with who did it. - **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. ## Mobile and home car wash software for Kenya URL: https://suds.co.ke/mobile-car-wash-software-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) A home or office car wash has no counter. Suds keeps the visit, the address, the washer and the payment in one place, so you know who went where, what they did and what was paid. ### Book the visit Record a home service with the time it is booked for and where the car is. Booked visits wait on the board until the day, so nobody forgets an appointment. Customers can also request a time from your booking page (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-booking-system-kenya/). ### Send the washer and get paid Assign the visit to a washer. Payment is cash or M-Pesa, and with M-Pesa switched on, Suds sends an STK Push prompt to the customer's phone and marks the job paid when Safaricom confirms. The washer earns their commission on the visit like any other car. ### Keep the customer The customer can get a WhatsApp or SMS message when the visit is booked and when the car is done. Suds remembers their car and their visits, so the next booking takes a moment. See loyalty and WhatsApp (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-loyalty-whatsapp-kenya/). ### Questions - **Can I record where the car is?** Yes. Each home service keeps the address or directions you type. - **Can the customer pay with M-Pesa at the door?** Yes. Once M-Pesa is set up for your business, Suds sends the payment prompt to their phone. - **Can I run a yard and home washes together?** Yes. Home visits and cars at the yard are in the same app and reports. - **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. ## A car wash loyalty program, with WhatsApp built in URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-loyalty-whatsapp-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Suds remembers every customer by plate and phone number. It rewards regulars, sends receipts and ready messages from your own WhatsApp number, and shows you who has stopped coming so you can ask them back. ### Rewards every Nth visit Choose the reward, for example KES 500 off every tenth wash. Suds counts each customer's visits itself, so the cashier never has to, and offers the reward when it is due. The count is kept on the server, so it is right on every tablet. ### WhatsApp from your own number Link your business WhatsApp and Suds sends messages from it: when the car is checked in, when it is ready, and a receipt as a picture. Customers who prefer SMS get SMS. Each customer chooses at their first visit, and anyone can stop the messages. ### Win back the ones who stopped coming See who has not been in for 30, 60 or 90 days and send them a message with their own name and car in it. Suds also tells you your regulars, your one-time visitors and who spends the most. ### Notes that follow the customer Write a note on a customer, like a complaint or a special request, and have it pop up the next time their car is checked in. See the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/). ### Questions - **Do messages come from my number?** Yes. You link your business WhatsApp, and messages go out from it. - **Can a customer stop the messages?** Yes. Anyone can opt out, and Suds stops messaging them. - **How does the reward work?** You choose the visit count and the reward. Suds counts visits and offers it when due. - **Can I message customers who stopped coming?** Yes. Pick them by how long since their last visit and send one message to all of them. - **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. ## Car wash inventory and expense tracking URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-inventory-expenses-kenya/ (updated 2026-11-14) Takings are not profit. Suds tracks the soap, wax and cloths you buy and use, the rent, fuel and repairs you pay, and the wages you owe, so you see what is left at the end of the month. ### Stock in, stock out Record each delivery of shampoo, wax, tyre shine, cloths and anything else you buy, and what each shift used. Suds keeps the count and warns you before something runs out. A count that differs from what Suds expects is shown with the difference, so a missing gallon is noticed. ### Expenses by category Rent, water, power, fuel, repairs, lunches: each expense goes in with its category and how it was paid, from the drawer, M-Pesa, the bank or the owner's pocket. Money taken from the drawer for an expense is counted at the end of the shift, so the cash still adds up. Suds also checks your Nairobi Water and Kenya Power balances for you. ### Profit after costs and wages See profit by day, week or month: takings, less expenses, less what washers earned. Everything exports to Excel. See the monthly performance report (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-monthly-performance-report/) and whether a car wash is profitable (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-business-profit-kenya/). ### Questions - **Does Suds warn me before stock runs out?** Yes. Set a low level for each item and Suds warns you when stock reaches it. - **Can I record an expense paid from the drawer?** Yes. It is taken off the cash expected at the end of the shift. - **Can I export my expenses?** Yes. Expenses, sales, payments and wages export to Excel or CSV. - **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. ## Multi-branch car wash software URL: https://suds.co.ke/multi-branch-car-wash-software/ (updated 2026-11-14) Each branch keeps its own counter, its own M-Pesa till or paybill and its own job numbers. You see every branch from your phone, side by side or added up. ### Each branch runs on its own Tablets are enrolled to a branch, so a cashier only sees their own forecourt and drawer. Each branch can have its own till or paybill, and job numbers carry the branch's prefix, so a receipt says where the car was washed. ### You see all of them On your phone, switch between branches or see the whole business. Takings, wages, expenses and stock are kept per branch, and every report and export says which branch. Gas businesses see stock for every outlet, or all added up. ### One customer, every branch A customer who washes at two branches is one customer, with one history and one loyalty count. Fleet accounts and their credit limits cover every branch. See fleet and corporate accounts (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-fleet-accounts-kenya/). ### Questions - **Can each branch have its own M-Pesa till?** Yes. Each branch can have its own till or paybill. - **Can a cashier see another branch?** No. A tablet is enrolled to one branch. - **Can I see all branches added up?** Yes, and each branch on its own. - **How do I add a branch?** Ask us; we set it up for your business. - **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. ## Car wash software with an API and webhooks URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-software-api-integration/ (updated 2026-11-14) Hotels, fleet companies and businesses with their own systems can connect them to Suds. Their software can add cars, record payments and read every job as it changes, and Suds tells it the moment something happens. ### Hotels on Oracle Opera A hotel car wash wants the wash on the guest's room bill, not a second payment at the gate. For hotels that run Oracle Opera, we set up the connection with the hotel's team, built on the Suds API. ### What the API does Read your branches, services, prices and staff, and every job as it is now. Create a job, add services, move it to ready, record a cash payment, or settle what a customer owes by bank transfer. The same rules apply as at the counter: prices come from your list, and a car cannot leave unpaid unless it is on an account. Every write has your own id on it, so sending the same request twice never makes two jobs. ### Webhooks for every change Add your system's address and choose what to hear about: jobs, shifts or expenses. Suds posts each change within a minute, signed with a secret only you and Suds know, and tries again if your system does not answer. ### Test keys for every business Every business can make test keys from Settings and build against a copy of its own menu. Nothing a test key does reaches the real jobs, money or customers, and no messages are sent. Live keys are switched on when the connection works. Keys can be removed at any time, and everything the API does is in the business's activity log. Full details are in the API docs (https://suds.co.ke/api/docs). ### Questions - **Does Suds work with Oracle Opera?** Yes, for hotels that use it: we set up the connection with the hotel's team, on the Suds API. - **Can I try the API before going live?** Yes. Every business can make test keys that work on a copy of its menu. - **How fast do webhooks arrive?** Within a minute of the change. A failed send is tried again over about five hours. - **Is the API secure?** Keys are kept as hashes, webhooks are signed, keys can be removed at any time, and every API change is logged. - **Where are the docs?** At suds.co.ke/api/docs. ## Car wash queue management on one board URL: https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-queue-management-system/ (updated 2026-11-14) Every car checked in goes onto the forecourt board: waiting, being washed, ready, paid, handed over. Anyone at the counter sees what is next and how long each car has waited, and the customer is told when theirs is ready. ### The queue, at a glance Each car on the board shows its plate, the customer, the services, who is washing it and how long it has been waiting. Cars move along as the work is done, and the counter cannot hand a car over unpaid unless a manager allows it or it is on an account. ### Fewer customers walking away When the queue grows, customers leave. Suds keeps the times of every step, so you can see your busy hours and how long cars wait, and add a washer where it counts. A real report from a business that uses Suds found customers leaving once the queue reached six to ten cars; see the monthly performance report (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-monthly-performance-report/). ### Tell the customer, not shout When a car is ready, the customer can get a WhatsApp or SMS message, so they can wait in the shade or come back. See loyalty and WhatsApp (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-loyalty-whatsapp-kenya/) and the car wash management system (https://suds.co.ke/car-wash-management-system-kenya/). ### Questions - **Can I see how long each car has waited?** Yes. The board shows the wait for each car, and every step is timed. - **Can the customer be told when the car is ready?** Yes, by WhatsApp or SMS. - **Can a car leave without paying?** Not unless a manager allows it or the car is on a fleet account. - **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.