Frequently asked questions.
Short answers about the closed beta, the waitlist, and how Ingest works with WhatsApp and mobile money. Can't find yours? Email support@ingest.africa.
When can I start using Ingest?
Ingest is opening to teams in batches. Join the waitlist and we’ll email your invite when the next batch opens — then you build the workspace yourself, starting from your own records. There is nothing to pay to join.
Does Ingest support M-Pesa and mobile money?
Yes. Ingest connects with mobile money — M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash (formerly Vodafone Cash), and AirtelTigo — so payments you already collect are logged, reconciled, and receipted automatically, with no change to how your customers pay.
Does Ingest work with WhatsApp?
Yes. Ingest works with the WhatsApp Business API: customer chats become bookings, orders, and records, and reminders, receipts, and confirmations are sent back through the same WhatsApp thread.
What happens to our existing spreadsheets and records?
Bring them. Ingest imports your existing customer records so your team starts from one shared workspace, not from zero — messy spreadsheets included.
Do my customers need to install a new app?
No. Your customers keep paying over mobile money and messaging on WhatsApp exactly as they do today. Ingest runs in the background on your side.
Is Ingest only for specific industries?
No. Ingest is built for African teams that manage customers over WhatsApp — clinics, pharmacies, SACCOs and chamas, schools, salons, shops, landlords, garages, laundries, gyms and restaurants. Your process, the way you work.
How do I track my chama’s contributions without a notebook?
Put each member and their due date into Ingest once. Every contribution gets an automatic WhatsApp reminder before it is due, an instant mobile money receipt when it lands, and a running balance the whole committee can see — so the treasurer never has to chase anyone personally.
How do I remind laundry customers that their clothes are ready?
In Ingest, each order becomes a record with a status. The moment you mark it ready, the customer gets a WhatsApp message naming the items and asking when they will collect. Uncollected bags get a second nudge after a few days, so your rack clears itself instead of filling up.
How do garages collect repair approvals on WhatsApp?
Ingest sends the estimate on WhatsApp with the price and parts listed, records the customer’s yes or no against the job, and asks for a parts deposit before work starts. Nothing is ordered until the approval is in the record, so “I never agreed to that” stops being a conversation.
How do landlords send rent reminders without being rude?
Ingest sends a friendly reminder a few days before rent is due, with a mobile money payment link, then a second message only if it stays unpaid. Tenants get a receipt automatically, and the record shows who was reminded and when — so rent day runs on a routine, not on your mood.
What is the best way to collect gym membership fees in Kenya?
Give every member a renewal date and a payment link. Ingest sends the renewal reminder over WhatsApp a week before, receipts the M-Pesa payment automatically, and flags members who stopped coming so you can win them back — instead of discovering the lapse at the door.