Questions
Getting started
How do I get set up?
Today shows a five-step checklist: your address and phone, your trade, your working hours, payouts and your booking link. Do one and the next appears.
How long does payout setup take?
Stripe checks your ID in about 5 minutes. Until payouts are set up, invoices have no card link.
Is my trade covered?
Sixteen trades have their own setup, with quote templates, a checklist and emergency words. Other trades use a general one. See them.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Krendal is built for phones, and you can add it to your home screen.
Is there a contract?
No minimum term. Leave any time.
Booking and texts
How do customers book?
From your booking page, a link you share on Google, Facebook or your van. They pick a free time inside your hours.
What if a customer texts instead?
When you are closed, Krendal replies for you. It asks for the name, address, the job and a date, offers free times and books it when they reply YES. In opening hours it points them to your phone and booking link.
How are urgent texts spotted?
By words, set for each trade, like “burst pipe”, “no heating” or “locked out”. Words like “emergency” and “asap” work for every trade. A flagged job is marked as an emergency.
Do customers get reminders?
Yes. They get a confirmation, then reminders 24 hours and 2 hours before, by text or email. You can edit the wording in Settings.
Does it work with WhatsApp?
Not for your customers yet. WhatsApp is being tested on Twilio’s sandbox. Lead capture and reminders go by text and email.
Quotes and invoices
How do quotes work?
Make a quote with line items and send it by text or email. The customer accepts from the link, or replies YES.
Can I ask for a deposit?
Yes, when you turn a job into an invoice. For big jobs you can also turn on progress invoices and bill in stages.
Does it handle VAT?
VAT is added to quotes and invoices if your VAT number is in Settings.
What if a customer pays cash?
Mark the invoice paid yourself. Cash and bank transfers carry no fee.
Certificates
Which certificates?
EICR, EIC, minor works, CP12 and job completion. You stay the certifier.
Can I issue an incomplete certificate?
An EICR cannot be issued while a required item is missing. Each certificate gets its own number and downloads as a PDF with your details.
Can my team issue certificates?
Only if you allow it. A team member who may not issue certificates sends the finished one to you to issue.
Card payments and fees
How does pricing work?
5% of what you book through Krendal, capped at £50 a month. £50 is the cap for one person. For teams the cap is £100 for 2 to 4 people, £200 for 5 to 9 and £400 for 10 or more. There is a £10 minimum each month.
How do I get paid?
By card or Direct Debit, through Stripe or GoCardless.
Whose account does the money go to?
Card payments go through Stripe into your own Stripe account.
What if a customer disputes a payment?
A charged-back payment comes off the invoice and reopens it. Correct it in your accounting software too.
Accounting
Which accounting software?
Xero, QuickBooks and Sage get your invoices and payments. Nothing comes back into Krendal.
What goes across?
Only the customer’s name and email, plus the address for Sage. New invoices go across by themselves.
Team and permissions
Can my team use it?
Yes. Invite people from Team and set what each can do. Pay, rates and permissions always stay with you.
Can subcontractors see prices?
No. Subcontractors never see prices, and their hours are kept apart in Timesheets.
Do customers need a password?
No. They sign in to the customer portal with a one-time code to their email.
Your data
Can I take my data?
Yes. Export everything from Settings.
Where is my data stored?
On Railway’s servers in the United States (US East). Encrypted backups are in Backblaze’s EU Central region. The privacy policy has the detail.
What happens if I delete my account?
It is removed from the live database and file storage straight away. Backups made before then are deleted in turn.