Back to Home

Help Guide

Your complete guide to mastering Count-Ed. Learn how to track expenses, manage budgets, and gain valuable financial insightsโ€”all through simple WhatsApp messages.

Getting Started

Setting Up Your Account

Count-Ed works entirely through WhatsApp. No app downloads required!

  1. Step 1: Scan the QR code on our homepage or click the WhatsApp button
  2. Step 2: Ed will greet you and start the setup process
  3. Step 3: Provide your name
  4. Step 4: Choose your default currency (you can change this anytime)
  5. Step 5: Set your initial account balance
  6. Step 6: You're ready to start tracking!
Tip: The setup takes less than 2 minutes. Ed will guide you through each step with friendly prompts.

Understanding Message Limits

Free Tier:

  • 100 messages per month (resets on the 1st of each month)
  • Service stops working after limit is reached
  • Upgrade prompt when approaching limit

Pro Tier ($3.99/month):

  • Unlimited messages
  • No interruptions to your tracking

Tracking Expenses & Income

Logging Expenses

Ed understands natural language. Just describe your expense as you would to a friend.

Basic Examples:
You: Spent $45 on groceries
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $45.00, Category: Food, A practical entry.
You: Coffee $5
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $5.00, Category: Food
You: Paid $1200 for rent from bank account
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $1200.00, Category: Housing, Account: Bank
Payment Nature Tracking:

Ed automatically detects the type of payment:

You: Netflix subscription $15.99
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $15.99, Category: Entertainment, Type: Subscription
You: Car installment $320
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $320.00, Category: Transport, Type: Installment
You: Gym membership recurring $50
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $50.00, Category: Health, Type: Recurring
Tip: Payment types include: One-time, Recurring, Installment, and Subscription. Ed learns from your descriptions!

Transaction Tagging

Add custom tags to organize your expenses better. You can add up to 5 tags per transaction.

You: Fuel $45 #car #commute
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $45.00, Category: Transport, Tags: #car, #commute
Tip: Tags help you analyze spending patterns. For example, use #vacation for all vacation-related expenses.

Logging Income

Track your income sources to get a complete financial picture.

You: Salary $4,500 received in bank account
Ed: Splendid news! Income of $4,500 has been recorded. Your coffers grow.
You: Freelance payment $850 into PayPal
Ed: Income of $850 added to PayPal. Well received, sir.

Multi-Currency Support Pro

Free users: Can use one currency at a time (changeable anytime)

Pro users: Can log transactions in any currency with real-time conversion

You: Spent โ‚ฌ50 on dinner in Paris
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: โ‚ฌ50.00 (โ‰ˆ $54.25), Category: Food
Pro Tip: Ed automatically converts foreign currencies to your default currency for accurate tracking!

Budget Management

Setting Budgets

Create monthly budgets for different categories to stay on track.

You: Set my monthly budget to $2000
Ed: Your monthly budget of $2,000 is now active. I shall keep watch.
You: Create a food budget of $400
Ed: Food budget of $400 established with precision.
You: Set transport budget $200
Ed: Transport budget of $200 is now active.

Budget Alerts

Ed automatically alerts you when you're approaching or exceeding your budget limits.

Ed: โšก Budget Warning - Your Food spending is at 85% of your budget. Approaching your limit.
Ed: โš ๏ธ A word of caution - Your Transport budget has been exceeded this month.

Checking Budget Status

Ask Ed about your budget status anytime.

You: How am I doing with my budget?
Ed: You've spent $1,450 of your $2,000 monthly budget. Well managed.
You: What's my food budget status?
Ed: Food: $340 spent of $400 budget (85% used). Most prudent.

Account Management

Multiple Accounts

Track different accounts: Cash, Bank, Card, and Wallet (like PayPal, Venmo, etc.)

Creating Accounts:
You: Create a credit card account with $500 balance
Ed: Credit Card account created with $500.00 balance.
Specifying Accounts:
You: Spent $100 from credit card on shopping
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $100.00, Account: Credit Card, Category: Shopping

Account Transfers

Move money between your accounts easily.

You: Transfer $200 from bank to cash
Ed: Completed. Bank: โ€“$200, Cash: +$200. Balances updated.
You: Move $500 from PayPal to bank account
Ed: Transfer completed. PayPal: โ€“$500, Bank: +$500

Checking Balances

View your account balances anytime.

You: What's my cash balance?
Ed: Cash: $450.00
You: Show all balances
Ed: Cash: $450, Bank: $2,340, Card: $300, PayPal: $125. Total: $3,215
Note: Ed alerts you when accounts are running low or go into the red.

Net Worth Tracking Pro

Pro users can track their total net worth across all accounts with real-time currency conversion.

You: What's my net worth?
Ed: Your total net worth: $12,450.00 across 5 accounts. Most impressive.

Analytics & Insights

Basic Burn Rate (Free & Pro)

Understand your daily spending rate.

You: What is my burn rate?
Ed: Your burn rate stands at $61.20 per day. Most prudent.
You: How is my spending?
Ed: Daily average: $61.20. You're tracking well within budget.

Advanced Analytics Pro

Pro users get access to detailed analytics and insights.

Trend Analysis:
You: Show spending trends
Ed: I've noticed: โ†— Spending up 15% vs last month. Food category increased by $120. Perhaps some restraint?
Category Breakdown:
You: Show category breakdown
Ed: Food: 35% ($560), Transport: 25% ($400), Entertainment: 20% ($320), Other: 20% ($320)
Payment Nature Analytics:
You: Analyze payment types
Ed: Subscriptions: $145/month, Installments: $520/month, Recurring: $280/month, One-time: $640
Tag Analytics:
You: Show tag analysis
Ed: Top tags: #car ($350), #vacation ($280), #health ($150), #entertainment ($120)
Savings Rate:
You: What's my savings rate?
Ed: Savings rate: 22%. You saved $880 this month. Splendid discipline.
Projected Spend:
You: Project my monthly spending
Ed: ๐Ÿ”ฎ Projected: $1,890. You are on track to stay within your $2,000 budget.

Custom Date Ranges Pro

Free users can only view current month data. Pro users can access unlimited history.

You: Show Q1 expenses
Ed: Q1 Total: $5,670. Average monthly: $1,890
You: Analyze last 6 months
Ed: 6-month analysis: Total: $11,340. Trend: โ†— 8% increase over period

Debt & Loan Management Pro Only

Tracking Money Lent

Keep track of money you've lent to others.

You: Lent $500 to John
Ed: Debt recorded. John owes you $500.00. Status: Active
You: John paid back $200
Ed: Payment recorded. John's remaining debt: $300.00

Tracking Money Borrowed

Track money you've borrowed from others.

You: Borrowed $1000 from Sarah
Ed: Debt recorded. You owe Sarah $1,000.00. Status: Active
You: Paid Sarah $300
Ed: Payment recorded. Your remaining debt to Sarah: $700.00

Debt Summary

Get an overview of all your lending and borrowing.

You: Show debt summary
Ed: You're owed: $800 (John: $300, Mike: $500) | You owe: $700 (Sarah: $700) | Net position: +$100

Settlement Tracking

Mark debts as settled when fully paid.

You: John paid back remaining $300
Ed: Debt fully settled. John's debt marked as complete. A gentleman's agreement honored.

Web Dashboard

Accessing the Dashboard

While Ed serves you through WhatsApp, you can access your complete financial picture on the web.

  1. Ask Ed for a magic link: "Send me the dashboard link"
  2. Click the link sent to your WhatsApp
  3. You'll be securely logged in to view your data
Tip: The magic link is single-use and expires after 24 hours for security.

Free Dashboard Features

  • View all transactions with payment nature badges
  • Filter by category, account, or tags
  • See recurring expenses and installments
  • View current month budget status
  • Manage accounts and balances
  • Edit or delete transactions

Pro Dashboard Features Pro

  • Analytics Module: Interactive charts and trend visualizations
  • Reports Module: Generate custom date range reports
  • Debts Module: Complete debt management interface
  • Export Data: Download transactions as CSV or PDF
  • Unlimited History: Access all your historical data
  • Tag Analytics: Visual breakdown of spending by tags
  • Payment Nature Breakdown: Analyze subscriptions vs one-time purchases

Exporting Data Pro

Pro users can export their financial data for backup or analysis.

  • CSV Export: Open in Excel or Google Sheets for custom analysis
  • PDF Reports: Beautiful formatted reports perfect for sharing or archiving
  • Export by custom date ranges
  • Filter by category, account, or tags before exporting

Advanced Features

Conversation Context

Ed remembers your recent conversations for smoother interactions.

You: Spent $50 on groceries
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $50.00, Category: Food
You: Actually it was $55
Ed: Transaction updated to $55.00. Precision matters.
Tip: Ed can handle follow-up questions and corrections naturally!

Smart Categorization

Ed uses AI to automatically categorize your expenses. The more you use it, the smarter it gets.

You: Uber to airport $35
Ed: Logged neatly. Amount: $35.00, Category: Transport (auto-detected)

Categories include:

  • Food & Dining
  • Transport
  • Housing
  • Entertainment
  • Shopping
  • Health & Fitness
  • Utilities
  • Travel
  • Education
  • Other

Multi-Intent Processing

Ed can understand and process multiple actions in a single message.

You: Spent $45 on groceries and $12 on coffee
Ed: Both transactions logged. Groceries: $45 (Food), Coffee: $12 (Food)

Changing Default Currency

You can change your default currency anytime.

You: Change my currency to EUR
Ed: Default currency updated to EUR. Historical data preserved in original currencies.
Note: Free users can only use one currency at a time, but can change it. Pro users can use multiple currencies simultaneously.

Tips & Best Practices

๐Ÿ’ก Be Specific with Accounts

Always mention the account when logging transactions: "Spent $50 from credit card" helps you track account balances accurately.

๐Ÿท๏ธ Use Tags Consistently

Create a tagging system and stick to it. For example, always use #vacation for all vacation expenses to analyze trip costs later.

๐Ÿ“Š Check Your Burn Rate Weekly

Ask Ed "What's my burn rate?" weekly to stay aware of your spending patterns and adjust as needed.

๐Ÿ’ฐ Set Realistic Budgets

Start with budgets 10-15% higher than your usual spending, then gradually reduce them. This prevents frustration and builds discipline.

๐Ÿ“ Log Immediately

Log expenses right after they happen. The fresher the memory, the more accurate your tracking.

๐Ÿ”„ Review Subscriptions Monthly

Use the web dashboard to review all your subscriptions and recurring payments. Cancel unused ones.

๐Ÿ’ณ Track All Accounts

Add all your accounts (cash, cards, bank) for a complete financial picture. Don't forget digital wallets!

๐Ÿ“ˆ Use Pro Analytics

If you're serious about financial management, upgrade to Pro for detailed insights that help you make better decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How secure is my data?

Very secure. We use:

  • HMAC verification for all WhatsApp messages
  • Encrypted data storage
  • Secure magic link authentication for web access
  • No sharing of your financial data with third parties

What happens if I exceed my message limit on the free plan?

Ed will notify you when you're approaching your limit. Once you hit 100 messages in a month, the service will pause until the next month or until you upgrade to Pro.

Can I delete or edit transactions?

Yes! Use the web dashboard to edit or delete any transaction. Simply log in, find the transaction, and click edit or delete.

How does Ed categorize my expenses?

Ed uses natural language processing and AI to understand your expense descriptions and automatically assign categories. The system learns from your patterns over time.

Can I export my data?

Pro users can export data as CSV or PDF from the web dashboard. Free users can view and manage their data on the dashboard but cannot export it.

What's the difference between recurring, subscription, and installment?

  • Subscription: Services you pay for monthly (Netflix, Spotify)
  • Recurring: Regular payments that happen repeatedly (gym, rent)
  • Installment: Fixed payments towards a larger purchase (car, furniture)
  • One-time: Single purchases

Can I cancel my Pro subscription?

Yes, you can cancel anytime. Your Pro features will remain active until the end of your billing period. No refunds for partial months.

Does Count-Ed support cryptocurrency?

Yes! Pro users can track transactions in any currency, including major cryptocurrencies, with real-time conversion to your default currency.

What if Ed doesn't understand my message?

Ed will politely ask for clarification. Try rephrasing your message or being more specific. If issues persist, contact support.

Can I use Count-Ed for business expenses?

While Count-Ed is designed for personal finance, many freelancers and small business owners use it successfully. Pro features like tagging and exports are particularly useful for separating business and personal expenses.

How do I get support?

Simply message Ed on WhatsApp with your question or issue. For urgent matters, check our website for additional contact options.

Ready to Start?

Join Count-Ed today and take control of your finances with your distinguished AI butler.

Start Chatting with Ed