How to create a kid business transaction

A business transaction is a record of money moving in or out of a kid-run business — for example, when a child sells mandazi at school, receives payment for a service, or buys supplies. Recording each transaction keeps the business accounts accurate and helps kids learn real money habits early.

Before you start, make sure the business already exists in KiddyCash. If you have not set one up yet, follow the steps in our guide on how to create a kid-run business. You can also view all kid-run businesses linked to your account at any time.

What you will need

  • A KiddyCash account with at least one active kiddy business
  • The transaction amount in your local currency (for example, KES 150 for a sale in Nairobi)
  • A short description of what the transaction is for
  • The transaction type — either income (money coming in) or expense (money going out)

Steps to create a business transaction

  1. Log in to your KiddyCash account. Open the app and enter your PIN or password on the login screen.

  2. Go to your business dashboard. From the home screen, tap Kiddy Business in the bottom navigation bar. This opens a list of all businesses connected to your account.

  3. Select the business. Tap the name of the business you want to record the transaction for. This takes you to that business’s overview page.

  4. Open the transaction screen. You can go directly to the create transaction page here: https://kiddy.cash/kiddy-business/transaction/create. Alternatively, tap the + New Transaction button on the business overview page.

  5. Choose the transaction type. Select Income if money is coming into the business — for example, a customer paid you via M-Pesa or in cash. Select Expense if money is going out — for example, you bought packaging materials or paid for a school stall fee.

  6. Enter the amount. Type the amount in the amount field. KiddyCash uses your account’s set currency. If your account is set to Kenyan Shillings, enter the amount as a number only — for example, 200 for KES 200.

  7. Add a description. Write a short note explaining what the transaction is for. Keep it clear — for example, “Sold 10 samosas at lunch” or “Bought paper bags from the market.” This description appears in your transaction history and helps you review your business activity later.

  8. Select a date. By default, KiddyCash uses today’s date. If you are recording a transaction that happened on a different day, tap the date field and pick the correct date from the calendar.

  9. Review and save. Check that the type, amount, description, and date are all correct. Tap Save Transaction to confirm. The transaction will now appear in your business’s transaction history.

What happens next

Once saved, the transaction updates your business balance automatically. If you marked it as income, your balance goes up. If you marked it as expense, your balance goes down. You can edit or delete a transaction from the transaction history screen if you made a mistake.

Tracking income and expenses is one of the first steps toward understanding how a real business works — and it connects to bigger ideas like profit, savings, and investment. If you want to explore those ideas further, these posts are a great place to start: why investing is a concept kids can learn younger than you think and how to explain investing to a child without the jargon.