How to Record and Collect a Deni (IOU) on Paysasa

Whether it is a customer who took goods on credit, a friend you lent money to or a staff member who received an advance, keeping track of who owes you is important — and following up can be awkward. Deni on Paysasa makes it simpler: record the debt, share a pay link and let reminders do the nudging.

This guide shows you how to create and collect a Deni step by step.

What you need

• A Paysasa account with a wallet to receive the money.
• The debtor's name and phone number or email. The debtor does not need a Paysasa account.

Step 1: Open Deni

Sign in at app.paysasa.com and open Deni from your dashboard (app.paysasa.com/dashboard/deni). If you do not see it, enable it under Module settings.

Step 2: Create a new Deni

1. Choose to create a new Deni.
2. Enter the amount owed and the currency.
3. Add a clear description, such as "Cement — 10 bags on credit" or "Loan for school fees".
4. Set a due date.
5. Enter the debtor's details: name and phone number and/or email.
6. Choose whether to allow partial payments. This is often helpful for larger amounts.
7. Optionally choose reminder channels — SMS, email or both.
8. Save the Deni.

Step 3: Share the public link

Each Deni gets its own public page. Share the link with the debtor through WhatsApp, SMS or email, with a friendly message:

"Hi Wanjiru, here's the record for the KES 5,000 we agreed, due on the 30th. You can pay from this link whenever you're ready. Thanks!"

From that page, the debtor can view the details, acknowledge the amount, dispute it if they disagree, or pay.

Step 4: Let the debtor acknowledge

Acknowledgement turns your record into a shared agreement. If the debtor acknowledges, both of you are on the same page. If they dispute, you can talk it through and correct the record if needed.

Step 5: Send reminders

If you selected reminder channels, you can send reminders from the Deni's detail actions. Reminders are sent by SMS or email, and any reminder fees are charged to the creditor's wallet; the app shows the cost before you send.

Tips for reminders:

• Send the first reminder a few days before the due date.
• Keep the tone warm and factual.
• Avoid sending too many reminders in a short period.

Step 6: Receive payment

The debtor can pay:

• By M-Pesa checkout from the public page, without logging in.
• From their Paysasa wallet, if they are a registered user, authorised with their PIN.

When a payment is made, the Deni status updates automatically. If partial payments are allowed, each payment reduces the remaining balance. You can see payments in Transactions as well.

Step 7: Adjust or close the Deni

Circumstances change. You can adjust the remaining balance — for example, if you agree a discount or accept goods in place of some of the cash — and the debtor is notified. Once the balance reaches zero, the Deni is settled.

Tracking all your Deni records

Your Deni page shows all your records, so you can see at a glance:

• Who owes you, and how much
• Which balances are due soon or overdue
• Which ones are acknowledged, disputed or settled

You can also see Deni records where you are the debtor, which is useful for keeping track of your own obligations.

Good practice

• Record debts on the day they are created.
• Be specific in descriptions so there is no confusion later.
• Allow partial payments when it helps the debtor repay.
• Review weekly and follow up on overdue records.
• Stay respectful. Deni is a tool for clarity, not pressure.

For developers

Deni is available through the Paysasa API, including creating records, sending reminders, public pay and acknowledgement endpoints, and Deni webhook events such as created, acknowledged, payment, settled and overdue. See the Paysasa API docs.

Fees

Deni wallet payments use Paysasa's P2P fee tiers, and reminder fees are set in platform settings. See the pricing page.

Conclusion

Deni takes the awkwardness out of collecting what you are owed. Record the debt, share the link, let reminders do the nudging and watch the balance update as payments arrive.

Ready to record your first Deni? Learn more about Deni or sign in to Paysasa to get started.