From the till to your box, step by step.
A complete walkthrough: what the till sends, how a receipt finds its owner, how it is sealed with the owner’s key, and what the owner can do with it afterwards. Shahidi Box is in pre-launch, so this describes how the product is designed to work when it opens.
Six steps from sale to safe keeping.
The shopper does nothing at the till. The shop adds one request to its sale. Everything else is automatic.
The till issues a signed eTIMS receipt
The shop’s POS creates the receipt exactly as it does today. It carries the KRA control unit details, the invoice number and the QR code. Nothing about how the shop sells, signs or reports to KRA changes, and the receipt the till issues remains the official record.
The POS sends a copy to Shahidi Box
Right after the sale, the POS makes one request to Shahidi Box with the signed receipt. The request is signed by the POS, so only that shop’s till can post for that shop. It also carries a unique key, so a retry after a poor connection can never create a duplicate.
The receipt finds its owner
The request names the buyer in one of four ways: a KRA PIN, a phone number, an email address or a Box code. If it names none of these, the receipt carries a short claim code. We match PINs, phone numbers and email addresses by one-way fingerprint, so the match works without us keeping what the till sent in the clear. A Box code is a random token and holds no personal detail.
It is sealed with the owner’s key
Before it is stored, the receipt is encrypted with a key that belongs to the owner. We store only the sealed copy. Receipters staff cannot read it, and a copy taken from our storage cannot be read without the owner’s key.
It appears in the owner’s box
The owner’s phone opens the sealed receipt with their key. It shows up in the box with the shop, date, amount and payment method, next to the original signature and QR code.
The owner stays in control
The owner can search, tag, annotate, download as a PDF, share one receipt with a link that expires, export everything, or delete one receipt or the whole box at any time.
One receipt, from the till to a PDF.
An invented example, using the sample receipt on the home page. The shop, the shopper and the numbers are made up.
Wanjiru pays at the till
She buys groceries at Mama Njeri Groceries in Westlands. The bill is KES 5,800, paid by M-Pesa. At the till she gives her phone number, as she often does. She does nothing else.
The till signs and sends
The shop’s POS, DukaPOS, issues receipt 1042 from terminal T-01, signed through eTIMS. It then sends one signed request to Shahidi Box with the receipt and her number.
We find her box
Shahidi Box makes a one-way fingerprint of the number and compares it with the verified numbers of its members. It matches Wanjiru’s box. The number itself is not kept in the clear.
It is sealed
The receipt is encrypted with Wanjiru’s key and given a Shahidi Box ID, SBX-26-1109-7F3K9Q. We keep only the sealed copy.
She finds it later
Two weeks on, she needs proof of purchase for an expense claim. She searches “groceries”, opens the receipt on her phone and downloads it as a PDF, with the original signature and QR code.
The buyer, the shop and Shahidi Box, side by side.
At every stage, most of the work is done by the system. The buyer’s share is small.
| Stage | The buyer | The shop and its POS | Shahidi Box |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sale | Pays as usual. | Issues the signed eTIMS receipt. | Nothing yet. |
| Send | Gives a phone number, email address or KRA PIN, or shows a Box code, if they want to. | Sends one signed request with the receipt. | Checks that the request is signed by that shop’s till and is not a repeat. |
| Match | Nothing, or types the claim code. | Nothing. | Matches by fingerprint, or holds the receipt for a claim code. |
| Seal | Sets up a key and a recovery key, once. | Nothing. | Encrypts the receipt with the owner’s key and stores the sealed copy. |
| Use | Searches, tags, downloads, shares, exports or deletes. | Nothing. | Keeps the box, and shows if the original is ever changed. |
The original, untouched, and what we add beside it.
Each receipt is kept exactly as the till issued it. Shahidi Box adds only an identifier and a fingerprint. Your own tags and notes sit beside the receipt and never change it.
| Item | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt number and invoice type | The number the till gave the sale, and whether it is a sale or a credit note. | Lets you and your accountant refer to one exact receipt. |
| Date and time | When the till issued the receipt. | Proves when the purchase happened. |
| Seller and KRA PIN | Who you bought from, and their tax number. | Shows the sale was made by a registered seller. |
| Branch, POS system and terminal | Which outlet, which software and which till in the shop. | Lets businesses filter by branch, POS and terminal. |
| Cashier | Who served you. | Helps resolve a question about a sale. |
| Payment method | Cash, M-Pesa or card. Card numbers are never stored in full. | Matches the receipt to your statement. |
| Items and amounts | What was bought and what was paid. | Makes receipts searchable by item and amount. |
| KRA control unit and QR code | The signing device and the QR code printed on the original. | Keeps the proof that the sale was signed through eTIMS. |
| Shahidi Box ID | One identifier per receipt, never reused. | A stable reference for support, sharing and exports. |
| Fingerprint | A one-way fingerprint of the original receipt. | Shows if the original ever changes. |
Five ways to match, and a safe place for the rest.
By KRA PIN
If the buyer gives the shop their KRA PIN, the POS sends it with the receipt. We compare its one-way fingerprint with the fingerprints of the PINs our members have registered. Businesses can match this way.
By phone number
If the buyer gives a phone number at the till, the POS sends it. We compare its one-way fingerprint with the verified numbers of our members. Shoppers can match this way.
By email address
If the buyer gives an email address at the till, the POS sends it. We compare its one-way fingerprint with the email addresses our members signed up with, each one already confirmed with a one-time code. Shoppers and businesses can match this way.
By Box code
A member can show a Box code in the app and the till scans it. The code is a random token that stands for the box, so it carries no phone number, email address or KRA PIN. The receipt goes straight to that box.
By claim code
If the shop has none of these, the receipt carries a short claim code. The buyer enters the code in the app and the receipt moves into their box.
If we cannot match a receipt
The receipt waits privately, held sealed, and is deleted after 90 days. During that time the owner can still claim it with the code. We never use unclaimed receipts for any other purpose, and we never sell or rent them.
You keep the key. We keep the box.
When you open your box, you set up a key that belongs to you, and a recovery key. Each receipt is encrypted with your key before it is stored, so what we store is the sealed copy and nothing else. Every connection to Shahidi Box uses TLS, and stored data is encrypted on disk as well, on top of your own key.
What Receipters can see: that a receipt arrived and when, and whether delivery worked, so that we can fix faults. For your account and the early-access list, we also see the name and the email address you give us, because we need them to reach you.
What only you can see: what you bought, where and for how much; the seller, branch, cashier and items; your tags, notes and searches; and your payment details.
If you lose your phone: your recovery key opens your receipts on a new one. Because we cannot read your receipts, we cannot restore them without it, so keep the recovery key somewhere safe. We will never ask you for it.
The full detail is in how we protect receipts and the privacy notice.
Find it, use it, share it, or delete it.
Search and filter
Search by shop, item or amount. Businesses can also filter by branch, POS system and terminal.
Tag and annotate
Add your own tags and notes, such as “warranty” or “office supplies”. They sit beside the receipt and never change it.
Download a PDF
Keep a copy, print it or attach it to a return, a warranty claim or an expense report.
Share one receipt
Send a link that expires. The person who receives it sees that one receipt and nothing else in your box.
Send it to your accountant
Export the receipts you choose as a clean record your accountant can use.
Export or delete
Export everything at any time. Delete a receipt or your whole box, and it is removed from our systems within 30 days, including backups.
| What | How long |
|---|---|
| A receipt in your box, with your tags and notes | Until you delete it, or close your box. |
| A receipt nobody has claimed | Held sealed for 90 days, then deleted. |
| A receipt you delete, or a box you close | Removed from our systems within 30 days, including backups. |
| Your place on the early-access list | Until you are invited and open a box, or until you ask us to remove you. |
What happens in the awkward cases.
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| A refund or credit note is issued | The credit note is attached to the sale it reverses, so both stay linked in the box. |
| The POS sends the same receipt twice | Every request carries a unique key, so a repeat never creates a duplicate. |
| The buyer gave no phone number, email address, Box code or PIN | The receipt carries a claim code that the buyer can enter in the app. |
| A receipt cannot be matched | It waits privately, held sealed, and is deleted after 90 days. |
| You change your phone | Your recovery key opens your receipts on the new phone. |
| You lose your recovery key as well | We cannot restore your receipts, because we cannot read them. This is the cost of the key being yours alone. |
| Someone changes a stored receipt | The fingerprint no longer matches the original, so the change shows. |
| Your shop’s POS is not connected yet | Ask the shop to write to receipters@receipters.com. We are starting with pilots on DukaPOS and ChomaPOS, and any POS can connect. |
How to begin, whoever you are.
A person
- Join the early-access list
- We invite you when your box is ready
- Set up your key and a recovery key
- Receipts arrive whenever a connected shop issues one
A business
- Join the list as a business
- Register your KRA PIN when your box opens, so receipts can find you
- Supplier receipts from connected tills arrive in your box
- Filter, tag and export them for your accountant
A shop or POS vendor
- Write to us about connecting your till
- We share the technical details with pilot partners
- Add one request after each sale
- Receipts reach their owners, and refunds stay linked to the sale
Straight answers.
Do I need to scan, photograph or type anything?
No. When a connected till issues a signed receipt, its POS sends a copy to Shahidi Box, and it arrives in the owner’s box by itself. The only thing you do, once, is set up your key and a recovery key when you open your box.
What does the shop have to do?
Add one request to its sale, sent right after the till issues the receipt. Nothing else changes: the shop sells, signs and reports to KRA exactly as it does today.
Do I have to give my phone number at the till?
No. If you give a phone number, an email address or, for a business, a KRA PIN, the receipt finds your box by itself. You can also show your Box code at the till. If you give none of these, the receipt carries a short claim code that you type into the app.
What if the shop’s till is not connected?
The shop still issues the official receipt as usual, but no copy reaches Shahidi Box. We are starting with pilots on DukaPOS and ChomaPOS, and any POS can connect. Ask the shop to write to us.
Can Receipters see what I bought?
No. Receipts are sealed with a key that belongs to you, so what you bought, where and for how much stays private. We can see that a receipt arrived, when, and whether delivery worked, so that we can fix faults.
What if I lose my phone?
Your recovery key opens your receipts on a new phone. If you lose the phone and the recovery key, we cannot restore your receipts, because we cannot read them. Keep the recovery key somewhere safe. We will never ask you for it.
Does this change the official receipt?
No. The receipt the till issues stays the official record, held by the seller and KRA. Shahidi Box keeps a faithful copy for you, with the original signature and QR code.
What happens with a refund?
The credit note is attached to the sale it reverses, so both stay linked in your box.
Is it free?
Joining the early-access list is free and never asks for payment details. Early-access members will try Shahidi Box free when their box opens. The length of the trial and the pricing will be published before Shahidi Box opens.
The terms used on this website.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| eTIMS | The Kenya Revenue Authority’s electronic tax invoice management system, which signs the receipts that tills issue. |
| KRA PIN | The Personal Identification Number that the Kenya Revenue Authority gives to a taxpayer. |
| Control unit | The signing device that appears on a signed receipt. |
| POS | Point of sale: the till software that a shop uses to make sales and issue receipts. |
| Box | A person’s or business’s private space in Shahidi Box, where their sealed receipts are kept. |
| Key | The secret that seals and opens your receipts. It belongs to you, and Receipters does not hold it. |
| Recovery key | A second secret that lets you open your receipts on a new phone. |
| Claim code | A short code printed on a receipt that lets its owner move it into their box. |
| Fingerprint | A one-way code made from a value such as a phone number, a KRA PIN or a receipt. It can be compared, but it cannot be turned back into the original. |
| Shahidi Box ID | The unique identifier of one receipt in Shahidi Box. It is never reused. |
The receipt finds you. You do nothing.
Join the early-access list. It is free, and early members are invited first.