Getting Started
Download, sign in, and create your first shop in under 3 minutes.
Download the App
Search for Pocket Shop Manager on the Google Play Store and tap Install. The app requires Android 6.0 or higher and works on any Android phone — no high-end device needed.
Sign In with Google
When the app opens, you will see a welcome screen after a short animation. Tap "Continue Free" to sign in with your Google account at no charge, or tap "Get Pro Access" to upgrade immediately.
A Google account sign-in screen will appear. Select your personal or business Gmail account. This is used only for identity and optional Google Drive backup — the app does not read your emails or other Google data.
Create Your First Shop
After signing in, the app takes you to the Shop Setup screen. Fill in the following:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Shop Name Required | Your business name, e.g. "Musa's Boutique" or "Grace Provisions" |
| Shop Type Required | Choose Head Office if this is your main shop, or Branch if it is a sub-location |
| Security Code Optional | A master password for locking your settings. If you skip this, the default code is 0000. Set this to protect your data from staff access. |
| Business Category Required | Select from the list: General Retail, Supermarket, Food & Drinks, Fashion, Electronics, Pharmacy, and more |
| Main Products Optional | Tick the items that best describe what you sell — e.g. "Provision Store", "Phone Seller". You can add more from inventory later. |
Tap "Create Shop" when done. Your shop is saved instantly to your phone — no internet needed.
You Are Now on the Dashboard
Your shop is live. The Dashboard shows today's sales total, today's profit, today's expenses, and any low-stock alerts. From here, every feature of the app is one or two taps away.
Managing Your Products & Inventory
Add, edit, restock, and organise every item your shop sells.
Adding a New Product
Tap the Products tab at the bottom, then tap the "+" button in the top-right corner, or use the floating "+" button → Add Product. The Add Product form has two levels of detail:
Basic fields (required for all products):
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Product Name Required | The full name of the item, e.g. "Indomie Chicken Flavour" or "iPhone 15 Case" |
| Category Optional | Select an existing category or create a new one. Helps organise your inventory when you have many products. |
| Cost Price Required | What you paid to buy/produce this item (₦). This is used to calculate your profit on every sale. |
| Selling Price Required | The price you sell this item to customers (₦) |
| Stock Quantity Required | How many units you currently have in stock. Not required if it is a service (see below). |
| Low Stock Alert Required | The minimum quantity before the app sends you an alert. Default is 5 units. Set this lower or higher based on how fast the item sells. |
| This is a Service Optional | Toggle ON if this item has no physical stock (e.g. repairs, haircut, delivery fee). Stock tracking is disabled for services. |
Advanced fields (scroll down to see them):
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| SKU / Barcode Optional | Your internal product code or barcode number for scanning |
| Expiry Date Optional | For perishable goods. The app will alert you 7 days before this date. |
| Brand Optional | The manufacturer's name, e.g. "Unilever", "Tecno" |
| Unit Optional | How the item is measured: pcs, kg, litre, bottle, etc. |
| Packaging Type Optional | Singular, Pack, Carton, Bag, or Other. Set units per pack for carton/pack pricing. |
To complete adding the product, scroll down and select the staff member who is adding the product and enter their 4-digit security code. Tap "Add Product".
Searching and Filtering Products
On the Products page, use the search bar at the top to find any item by name instantly. Use the category dropdown to filter by a specific category. Tap the "Low Stock" filter badge to see only items that are running low.
Editing a Product
Tap any product in the list to open it. Tap the edit icon (pencil) to modify the name, price, category, or any other detail. A staff member must enter their security code to save any edit. This prevents staff from changing prices without the owner's knowledge.
Restocking a Product (Add Stock)
When new goods arrive, you need to add stock to the existing product — do not create a new product for the same item. Two ways to do this:
Option A: On the Products page, tap the product → tap "Add Stock".
Option B: Tap the floating "+" button → Add Stock.
Enter the quantity received, select the staff member, and enter their security code. The new quantity is added to the existing stock total and a stock movement record is created automatically.
Deleting a Product
Tap the product → tap the delete icon (bin). A confirmation will appear. Note: deleting a product removes it from the inventory list but all past sales records for that product are preserved — your financial history is not affected.
Recording Sales
Every transaction — paid or owing — is captured in under 10 seconds.
Opening the Record Sale Form
Three ways to start a sale:
• Tap "Record Sale" on the Dashboard Quick Actions
• Tap the floating "+" button → Record Sale
• On the Products page, tap a product → tap "Sell This"
Filling in the Sale Details
| Field | What to do |
|---|---|
| Product Required | Select the item being sold from your product list. The app shows the current stock count and price. |
| Quantity Required | Enter how many units are being sold. If you enter more than the available stock, the app will warn you and prevent the sale. |
| Payment Status Required | Paid = customer is paying now. Owing = customer will pay later (creates a debt record). |
| Discount Optional | Enter a discount amount in ₦ if you are reducing the price for this sale. The app recalculates the total and VAT automatically after the discount. |
As you fill in the form, the app shows a live calculation panel below the fields: Subtotal, VAT (if your shop is VAT-registered), and the final Total Amount.
Owing Sales — Capturing Debt
If the customer is not paying now, select "Owing" as the Payment Status. A new section appears for customer details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Customer Name Required | Full name of the buyer |
| Phone Number Optional | Needed to send WhatsApp payment reminders later. Tip: Always try to collect this. |
| Due Date Optional | When you expect payment. If left blank, the app sets a default of 7 days from today. |
Staff Verification
At the bottom of the form, select the staff member making this sale from the dropdown. The staff member must then enter their personal 4-digit security code. This links the sale to that staff member for accountability.
Confirming the Sale
Tap "Confirm Sale". The app instantly:
• Records the sale with a unique invoice number (PSM-000001 format)
• Deducts the quantity from your stock
• Logs a stock movement record
• Creates a debt record if payment type was "Owing"
• Shows a success toast notification
After confirmation, the app automatically opens the Invoice Modal so you can immediately send or print a receipt (see Section 5).
Viewing Sales History
Tap the Sales tab at the bottom. You will see all transactions listed newest-first. Use the filter tabs at the top to view sales from Today, This Week, This Month, or set a Custom date range. The total revenue for the selected period appears at the top of the screen.
Invoicing & Printing Receipts
Send professional tax invoices via WhatsApp or print them on a thermal printer.
Opening the Invoice Screen
The Invoice screen opens automatically after every confirmed sale. You can also access it later by going to the Sales tab, tapping any sale, and then tapping "Issue Receipt / Invoice". From the floating "+" button, tap "Issue Receipt".
Adding Customer Information (Optional)
On the Invoice screen you will see fields for:
| Field | When to use it |
|---|---|
| Customer Name | Enter the buyer's name if they want a personalised invoice |
| Phone Number | Enter their WhatsApp number for digital delivery. The app will also save this customer for future debt reminders. |
| Include Buyer TIN | Toggle ON only when selling to a business customer who needs to claim Input VAT. Enter their Tax Identification Number. This makes the invoice fully FIRS-compliant for B2B transactions. |
Sending via WhatsApp
Tap the "Send via WhatsApp" button. The app generates a professional PDF invoice containing:
• Your shop name, address, and TIN
• "TAX INVOICE" label
• Sequential invoice number (PSM-000001)
• Full itemised list with quantities and prices
• Subtotal, discount (if any), VAT breakdown, and Grand Total
• Staff name and date/time
WhatsApp opens automatically with the invoice file attached, ready to send to the customer's number.
Printing on a Thermal Printer
If you have a thermal receipt printer connected (see Section 9 for setup), tap the "Print Receipt" button. The app sends a formatted 58mm receipt to the printer instantly — no cables, no delay.
Saving the Invoice as PDF
Tap the "Download PDF" button to save the invoice to your phone's Downloads folder. The file is named Invoice_PSM-000001.pdf and can be shared via any messaging app, email, or stored for your records.
Tracking Customer Debts
Every customer who owes you money is tracked, reminded, and closed out here.
How Debts Are Created
A debt record is created automatically whenever you record a sale with Payment Status: Owing. You can also add a debt manually (for example, if a customer took goods before you had the app) by going to the Debts tab and tapping the "+" button → Add Debt Manually.
Viewing Debts
The Debts page has three tabs:
- Pending — all unpaid debts, sorted with oldest first so overdue debts are easy to spot
- Paid — all debts that have been settled, showing when they were paid
- Customers — a searchable list of all customers who have ever owed you, with their total outstanding balance
Tap any customer's name in the Customers tab to see their full debt history — every transaction, paid and unpaid, with dates and amounts.
Sending a WhatsApp Payment Reminder
On the Pending tab, find the customer's debt and tap the WhatsApp icon (speech bubble). The app opens WhatsApp with a pre-written professional message that includes:
The customer's name, your shop name, the exact amount owed, and what was purchased. The message is ready to send — just tap the WhatsApp send button.
Marking a Debt as Paid
When a customer pays their debt, go to the Pending tab, find their record, and tap the "Mark as Paid" button (the green checkmark icon). A confirmation dialog will appear. Tap Confirm. The debt moves to the Paid tab and the payment timestamp is recorded automatically.
Recording a Manual Debt
For debts that did not start from a recorded sale (e.g. a customer who owed you before you started using the app), tap the "Add Debt" button on the Debts page. Fill in the customer's name, phone number, amount owed, due date, and a description of what was bought. A staff member must verify with their security code.
Recording Business Expenses
Track every cost — and recover Input VAT on qualifying purchases.
Adding an Expense
Tap the Expenses tab (₦) at the bottom, then tap the "+" button. Or use the floating "+" button → Record Expense. Fill in:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Expense Name Required | A clear description: e.g. "Shop Rent — May", "Generator Fuel", "Goods Restock — Dangote Flour" |
| Amount Required | The total amount paid in ₦ |
| Date Required | When the expense occurred. Defaults to today. Change it if recording a past expense. |
| Category Required | Operational (rent, utilities), Administrative, Personnel (wages), Capital (equipment), or Personal/Private |
| Tax Deductible Required | Toggle ON for legitimate business costs. Toggle OFF for personal/private expenses. Deductible expenses reduce your taxable profit. |
| VAT Paid (Input VAT) Optional | Toggle ON if you paid VAT to a supplier on this purchase. Enter the VAT amount paid. The Tax Engine will net this against your Output VAT, reducing what you owe FIRS. |
Select the staff member and enter their security code, then tap "Record Expense".
Filtering and Viewing Expenses
On the Expenses page, use the filter tabs to view expenses by Today, This Week, or This Month. Filter by category using the dropdown, or filter by staff member to see who recorded what expenses. A summary card at the top shows the total for your selected period.
Why Accurate Expenses Matter
Reports & The Tax Engine
Your complete financial picture and FIRS compliance tools — all in one place.
Opening Reports
Tap the Reports tab (📊) at the bottom of the screen. The Reports page has two tabs: Overview and Tax Engine. Use the month selector at the top to choose which month you are analysing.
Overview Tab
The Overview tab shows a complete financial summary for the selected month:
- Total Revenue — sum of all sales in the month
- Gross Profit — revenue minus cost of goods sold
- Total Expenses — all recorded business costs for the month
- Net Income — profit after expenses
- Total VAT Collected — Output VAT from all sales
- Outstanding Debts — total unpaid customer balances created in the month
- Daily Revenue Chart — bar chart showing revenue day by day
- Best Selling Products — your top 5 products by units sold
Exporting a Monthly PDF Report
At the top-right of the Overview tab, tap "Export PDF". The app generates a professionally formatted A4 PDF report for the selected month containing: financial summary, full sales list, expense breakdown, debt summary, and VAT totals. The file is saved to your Downloads folder.
Tax Engine Tab — Understanding Your Tax Position
Tap the Tax Engine tab to see your full tax compliance dashboard. This updates in real time as you record more sales and expenses.
- A progress bar showing your cumulative year-to-date (YTD) revenue against the ₦50 million threshold
- Below ₦50M: your Company Income Tax rate is 0% — you owe nothing
- ₦50M to ₦100M: CIT rate is 20% on assessable profit
- Above ₦100M: CIT rate is 30% on assessable profit
- The shield helps you plan growth without accidentally crossing into a higher tax bracket uninformed
- Output VAT — 7.5% collected from your customers on sales (money you hold for FIRS)
- Input VAT — 7.5% you paid to your suppliers on business purchases (you can reclaim this)
- Net VAT Payable — Output VAT minus Input VAT. This is the actual amount you send to FIRS. VAT is due by the 21st of every month.
- PAYE deadline — 10th of every month (for businesses with employees on payroll)
- VAT filing deadline — 21st of every month
- The app shows a countdown in days to each upcoming deadline so you are never caught off guard
Exporting for FIRS TaxPro Max
On the Tax Engine tab, tap "Export for FIRS TaxPro Max". The app generates a CSV file formatted to the exact column structure required by the FIRS TaxPro Max online portal at taxpromax.firs.gov.ng.
The file includes: Date, Transaction Type (Sales/Expense), Description, Amount, VAT, and Net Amount for every transaction in the selected month. Log in to TaxPro Max, navigate to the upload section, and upload this file directly — no manual re-entry needed.
Shop Settings
Protected by your master code — configure your shop, VAT, TIN, and printer here.
Entering the Master Code
Go to Settings from the profile icon or navigation. You will see a lock screen. Enter your Master Code (the shop password you set during setup, or 0000 if you never set one). Tap "Verify & Enter".
Editing Shop Information
Once inside Settings, tap the edit icon (pencil) in the top-right corner to enter edit mode. You can update:
- Shop Name — your trading name as it appears on all invoices and receipts
- Business Address — your shop address, printed on every receipt
- Business Phone — contact number for customers to reach you
- Business Type / Category — how your business is classified
- Business Form — Business Name or Limited Liability Company (Ltd). This determines whether CIT applies to your business.
- Registration Date — the date your business was registered or started, used for year-to-date turnover tracking
- Shop Password (Master Code) — change your master lock code here
- Personal Recovery Email — a private email address (invisible to staff) used to recover your master code if forgotten. This must be a personal email only you can access.
Tap "Save System Settings" when done.
Setting Up VAT Registration
In Settings (edit mode), scroll to the VAT Registration toggle. If your business is VAT-registered with FIRS:
1. Toggle ON "VAT Registration"
2. Enter your TIN (Tax Identification Number) — this prints on every invoice
3. Enter the VAT Percentage — enter 7.5 for the standard Nigerian rate
Once saved, every sale will automatically calculate and add VAT to the total, and every invoice will show the VAT breakdown and your TIN. This makes your receipts fully FIRS-compliant.
Uploading Your Shop Logo and Profile Photo
In Settings, scroll to the Identity & Branding section. Tap the camera icon on your profile image circle to upload an owner photo, or tap the "Change" overlay on the logo square to upload your shop logo. Select a photo from your phone's gallery. Your logo appears on all PDF invoices and reports.
Connecting a Receipt Printer
Scroll to Device & Systems and tap "Connect Printer". The Printer Configuration screen offers two connection methods:
- Bluetooth: Turn on Bluetooth on your phone. Tap "Scan for Printers." Compatible ESC/POS Bluetooth thermal printers will appear in the list. Tap your printer, then tap "Test Print" to confirm the connection works. Most budget thermal printers sold in Nigerian markets are compatible.
- Wi-Fi Network: Ensure your phone and printer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Tap "Scan Network Printers." Select your printer and test the connection.
Once connected, the printer configuration is saved. Every time you tap "Print Receipt" in the Invoice screen, it sends directly to this printer without any extra steps.
Managing Multiple Shops or Branches
If you are a Pro user, you can create additional shops by tapping "Add New Branch" or "New Business" at the top of the Settings page (available on screen if you have Pro). This takes you to the Shop Setup screen where you can configure a separate business entity. All shops are accessible via the Shop Switcher.
Staff Management
Control who can sell, restock, and record expenses — with full accountability.
Adding a Staff Member
Inside Settings (after entering master code), scroll to Staff Authority & Access. Tap "Add Team Member". Fill in:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Name Required | The staff member's real name as it will appear on all transaction records |
| Role Required | Sales Professional (can record sales only), Manager (can also manage stock and expenses), or Supervisor/Other |
| Profile Photo Optional | Tap the "+" on the photo circle to upload a photo. Makes it easier to identify staff on the list. |
| Ownership Access Optional | Toggle ON only if this person is a co-owner. This grants them the same level of settings access as you. Use with extreme caution. |
| Security Code | If you leave this blank, the app auto-generates a secure 4-digit code. The code is shown ONCE in a success notification when the staff member is created. Write it down immediately. It is hashed (scrambled) for security after that. |
Tap "Generate Access & Save". A notification shows the staff member's name and their 4-digit security code. Share this code with the staff member privately.
How Staff Use Their Code
When a staff member records a sale, adds stock, records an expense, or adds a product, they must:
1. Select their name from the "Staff Member" dropdown
2. Enter their personal 4-digit security code in the password field
If the code is wrong, the transaction is blocked. Every approved transaction is permanently linked to that staff member's name in the records.
Disabling a Staff Account
If a staff member resigns, is on leave, or you suspect misuse, you can disable their account without deleting it. Go to Settings → Staff Authority → find the staff member → toggle "Account Active" to OFF. Their account is immediately locked — they cannot process any transactions until re-enabled. All their past records remain intact.
Viewing Staff Performance
In the Sales tab, filter by staff member to see the total sales each person has recorded. In the Expenses tab, filter by staff member to see which costs each person logged. This gives you clear visibility into each team member's activity without needing to ask them directly.
Backup & Restore (Google Drive Sync)
Your data lives on your phone. Back it up so you never lose it.
Connecting Google Drive
Go to Settings → Device & Systems → Google Drive Sync. Tap "Connect Google Drive". A Google account selection screen appears. Choose the same Gmail you signed in with. Grant the permission when prompted — the app only requests access to its own backup folder. It cannot see your other Drive files.
Backing Up Your Data
Once connected, tap "Sync Now" to immediately upload a backup. The app also syncs automatically every 30 minutes when the app is open and you have an internet connection. The last sync time is displayed on the Settings card.
Restoring from a Backup
If you got a new phone or reinstalled the app, go to Settings → Device & Systems → Google Drive Sync → tap "Restore from Cloud".
A warning dialog will appear: "This will replace ALL local data with your cloud backup. Any unsynced local changes will be lost." Tap Proceed only if you understand this. The app downloads your backup and restores the complete database. The app then restarts automatically.
Data Privacy — We Never See Your Data
Your backup goes from your phone directly to your own personal Google Drive. Patrido Multimedia's servers are used only to transfer the file — they do not store, read, or analyse your business data. When the backup lands in your Drive, it is in your folder, under your Google account, and only you can access it. We use Google OAuth solely to identify which Drive folder belongs to you.
Upgrading to Pro
One payment. All features. No subscriptions. Forever.
What Pro Unlocks
- Full Tax Engine — ₦50M Shield, VAT Recovery, CIT calculation, Development Levy
- FIRS TaxPro Max CSV export for direct government portal upload
- Smart Invoicing — WhatsApp PDF delivery and thermal printer support
- Monthly PDF Reports formatted for bank loan applications
- Unlimited staff accounts (free version allows limited accounts)
- Google Drive encrypted cloud backup and restore
- Multi-shop / multi-branch management
- WhatsApp debt payment reminders
- All future updates — permanently
- Ad-free experience
How to Upgrade
Tap the "Upgrade" button on the Shop Profile page, or tap the Pro upgrade banner that appears on free-tier screens. The payment flow has three steps:
Step 1 — Confirm Email: Verify or enter the email address to attach the Pro license to.
Step 2 — Choose Payment Method: Google Play Billing (once active on the Play Store) or Beta Access Code if you received one from Patrido Multimedia.
Step 3 — Confirmation: After payment, your account is instantly upgraded. Pro status is linked to your Google account and works across devices.
14-Day Free Trial
Every new account receives a 14-day Pro trial starting from the day they first sign in. All Pro features are fully active during the trial. No payment is required to start. You will see the number of trial days remaining in the settings screen. Upgrade before the trial ends to keep uninterrupted access.
Pricing
The current early-bird price is ₦10,000 — one-time, lifetime payment. No monthly fees, no renewal, no hidden charges. Once paid, Pro status is permanent on your account regardless of how many times you reinstall the app, change phones, or restore from backup. The regular price after the early-bird period is ₦30,000.