How to keep track of rent paid by Vodafone Cash, InstaPay or cash
Updated 28 Oct 2026
Record every payment on the day it arrives: the amount, the date, how it was paid (which wallet, InstaPay, bank account or who collected the cash) and its transaction number or receipt number. Apply it to the oldest amount the tenant still owes, and keep the running balance in one place instead of scattered across SMS, screenshots and notebooks.
Why rent records get messy
One tenant sends Vodafone Cash, another uses InstaPay, a third hands cash to the building’s doorman or a relative. The proof ends up spread across SMS messages, WhatsApp screenshots and a notebook, and by the end of the year nobody is sure which month a payment was for.
What to write down for every payment
| Detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Amount | Partial payments are common; the exact amount decides what is still owed. |
| Date received | Decides whether the payment was on time or late. |
| Method | Which wallet, InstaPay account, bank account, or who collected the cash, so you can check it arrived. |
| Transaction or receipt number | Proof for both of you if there is ever a disagreement. |
| Who paid | Matters when flatmates share a lease and each pays a part. |
Where to find the transaction number
- Vodafone Cash and other mobile wallets: the confirmation SMS for a received transfer normally includes a transaction number. Copy it, not just the screenshot.
- InstaPay: open the transaction in the app; its details show a reference number.
- Bank transfer: the reference on your statement or the bank’s notification.
- Cash: give a numbered receipt and write that number down, with the name of whoever collected it.
Partial, late and early payments
Apply every payment to the oldest amount owed first. Say rent is 6,000 EGP a month and the tenant owes September and October. They send 4,000 on 2 October and 5,000 on 15 October. The first 6,000 settles September in full; the remaining 3,000 goes towards October, which still has 3,000 owed.
If a tenant pays two months at once, the extra is a credit that covers the next month’s rent when it falls due. Do not record it as two separate months by hand: you will lose track as soon as one of them is partial.
Doing it in Aqari
- Under Settings, save where you get paid once: a bank account, a mobile wallet such as Vodafone Cash, InstaPay, or cash collected by someone.
- When rent arrives, open the lease and record the payment: the amount, the date, the method and the transaction ID.
- Aqari settles the oldest charge first and updates what is paid, still owed and overdue.
If the tenant uses the tenant portal, they see the payment with its method name and transaction ID, but never your account numbers. Aqari does not receive or hold any money: the tenant pays you directly, and Aqari keeps the record.
Questions
Does Aqari collect rent from tenants?
No. Tenants pay you the way they do now, by wallet, InstaPay, bank or cash. Aqari is where you record it.
What if a tenant pays two months at once?
Record one payment for the full amount. It settles what is owed and the rest is kept as a credit that covers the next rent charge.
Should I accept rent in cash?
Many landlords do. Give a numbered receipt every time and record it the same day with the receipt number and who collected it, so cash is as traceable as a transfer.