The short answer
Yes. Growth Informer Business is a cloud POS that records Mobile Money as a payment method at the till. A customer who pays with MTN MoMo or Airtel Money is recorded in the same sale screen as cash and card. One sale can also be split, for example part cash and part MoMo. At the end of the day, your report shows cash and MoMo separately, so you can see what should be in the drawer and what should be on your mobile money line.
Be clear on one thing. The system records the payment. It does not send a payment prompt to the customer's phone. Your cashier confirms that the money has arrived, then records it. If you want to compare POS options first, read our guide to the best POS system in Uganda. If you want to understand how mobile money connects to business software in general, start with the mobile money integration guide.
How a MoMo sale works at the till
The flow matches what your staff already do when a customer says "I will pay by MoMo".
- The cashier adds the items to the sale, by scanning a barcode or picking the product.
- The customer pays to your mobile money number on their own phone.
- The cashier checks that the money has really arrived on your line.
- In the Multiple Pay window, the cashier chooses Mobile Money and enters the amount.
- The sale is saved, the stock goes down, and the payment is on record as MoMo, not cash.
The Payments (MoMo) tray is the place for payments you have already confirmed. It gives you one list of MoMo money received, so the owner or manager does not have to scroll through a phone inbox to find it.
The key step is the third one. Because the system does not ask the network for approval, a cashier who records a payment that never arrived creates a wrong entry. That is a training and permissions matter, and we cover it below.
Splitting a sale between cash and MoMo
Why split payments matter
Customers often pay in two ways. A customer with a large bill may hand over most of it in cash and pay the rest on MoMo, because that is all they have on the phone. In the Multiple Pay window you enter each part against its own method, so the cash part and the MoMo part are never mixed into one number.
What you see at the end of the day
Your daily reports show cash and MoMo separately. When the cashier closes the register, you compare the cash figure with the money in the drawer, and the MoMo figure with your mobile money line. Mobile Money is recorded as one method, so if you hold both an MTN line and an Airtel line, add the two lines together before you compare. If the totals do not agree, you know which side to investigate. You are no longer checking one mixed total.
This helps most where payments are fast and mixed. A busy counter at closing time is a good example, and so is a round of drinks at a bar. See our page on a bar POS system in Uganda for that setup.
Growth Informer Business or a notebook and phone messages
Many shops in Uganda still track MoMo with a notebook and the messages on the owner's phone. It can work for a very small business. Here is how the two ways compare.
| What you care about | Growth Informer Business | Notebook and phone messages |
|---|---|---|
| Recording a MoMo sale | Chosen as a payment method in the sale, next to cash and card | Written by hand, or left in a message on one phone |
| Part cash, part MoMo | Split in the Multiple Pay window, each part against its method | Easy to lose or write twice |
| End of day totals | Cash and MoMo shown separately in the daily report | Added up by hand after closing |
| Stock | Falls with every sale, so MoMo sales and stock agree | Separate from the money, checked rarely |
| Control over staff | Users and roles with permissions, so each cashier signs in as themselves | Depends on trust and memory |
| Payment prompt to the customer | Not sent by the system; the customer pays you and the cashier records it | Not sent either |
Who it suits, and when it does not
Growth Informer Business is built for owners and managers of shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, wholesalers and guest houses. It also handles multiple branches, stock per location, suppliers, customers on credit and expenses, so MoMo is one part of a full picture of the business.
When it is not the right tool
- You want the customer's phone to receive a payment prompt automatically after the cashier presses a button. This system does not do that. That is a payment integration project, and you can read about it under mobile money integration services. It needs its own scope and its own set-up with the payment provider.
- You sell a handful of items a day from a single stall. A notebook may be enough for now.
- You are not willing to train staff to confirm the money before they record it. No software can fix that for you, though permissions and reports help you spot it.
If your business is not on this list, tell us what you sell. We will say honestly whether the system fits.
How to start without disrupting your trading
Do not switch off your old method on day one. Run both for a few days, then compare. A sensible order is below.
- Add your products with their units and prices. Use variations for size or colour where you need them.
- Set up each cashier as a user with a role, so every sale is tied to a person and you control what each role can do.
- Open the register in the morning with the opening cash.
- Record every MoMo payment through Multiple Pay, only after the money is confirmed.
- Close the register at night and check cash and MoMo against what you actually hold.
The system runs in the cloud with Android and iOS apps, so the owner can look at the numbers from a phone while someone else runs the till. It is used by 6,500+ businesses. The team behind it is Growth Informer Software Services, a US-based company with remote teams around the world, including a team in Kampala, so you can talk to people in your own time zone.
If your business is VAT-registered, you can switch EFRIS e-receipts on or off in the system. Check the current rules on the URA website, or ask your tax adviser, before you decide.
Frequently asked questions
Does the POS send a payment request to my customer's phone?
No. Growth Informer Business records Mobile Money as a payment method. The customer pays your mobile money number, your cashier confirms the money has arrived, and then the payment is recorded in the sale or in the Payments (MoMo) tray.
Can one sale be part cash and part MoMo?
Yes. In the Multiple Pay window you enter each part against its own method, for example cash and Mobile Money, so the cash and MoMo parts are kept apart in your reports.
Can I see my MoMo and cash totals separately?
Yes. The daily reports show cash and MoMo separately. You can compare the cash figure with your drawer and the MoMo figure with your mobile money line when you close the register.
What does a mobile money POS cost?
It depends on your business: the number of branches, tills and users, and how much setup you need. We do not quote a figure on this page. Message us on WhatsApp on +256 702 946 946 or use the form, and we will arrange a demo and give you a clear answer.
Does it work for bars, restaurants and pharmacies as well as shops?
Yes. The same payment method works across shops, bars, restaurants, cafes, pharmacies, wholesalers and guest houses. Restaurants also get tables, kitchen order tickets and modifiers, and guest houses can use the hotel module for rooms and bookings.
Customers pay my personal MoMo number. How do I know what belongs to the business?
Growth Informer Business records Mobile Money at the till as its own payment method, so you can total it separately from cash and see what the business took. Money that lands on a personal number is hard to tell apart from your own, so over time move customers to a separate business number, and record every payment in the system as soon as it arrives.