Step by step
Pay a salary advance
Someone asks for an advance on their pay, you approve it and pay it out, and Kila takes it back from their pay or records it paid back.
An advance is part of someone’s pay given before payday. Kila keeps each one with a number, posts the money to the books as owed by staff, and takes it back from their pay in the instalments agreed, so nobody has to remember it at month end.
The person asks on their phone
In My time, they tap Ask for an advance. Kila tells them “An advance can be up to 50% of a month’s pay; more is a staff loan.” They choose the Kind, Advance on pay or Staff loan, type the Amount, choose how many instalments it is Paid back in, such as 1 instalment, and give a Reason. The First instalment due is the “Next pay day if left blank”. They tap Ask, and Kila says ADV-… goes to Approvals.
Open the Advances tab and tap Decide
Go to Customers and services › Staff and open the Advances tab. It shows what Staff owe, what is Due to recover now, what is Approved, to pay out and what is Waiting for approval. Tap Decide on the request.
Approve it
Approvals opens at the Salary advance. Tap Approve, add a note if you like, and tap Approve again. Kila says Approved, and the advance is now To pay out.
Tap Pay out and choose how it was paid
When the money goes, tap Pay out on the advance. Kila asks you to Pay out ADV-…. In Paid from, choose M-Pesa, Cash or Bank, and type the Reference, such as the M-Pesa code.
Steps 4 and 5 on one form. Tap Save
Kila says ADV-… paid out. Brian Kipkemboi owes it back., with the person’s name. The advance is Being recovered.
Check when it comes back
Next instalment shows how much is taken back and when, such as KES 5,000.00 on 28 Nov 2026. Payroll deducts it from that month’s pay, and the advance is Recovered once it is all back.
They pay it back themselves
Link to this section: They pay it back themselvesTap Recover on the advance. Kila asks you to Recover ADV-… and shows the Next instalment KES 5,000.00. Choose How: Deducted from pay, M-Pesa, Cash or Bank. Leave the Amount empty for “The next instalment if left blank”, or type what they paid. Kila says KES 5,000.00 recovered; ADV-… is cleared. once nothing is owed.
It is more than the business allows
Link to this section: It is more than the business allowsKila refuses an advance above the business’s cap, such as half a month’s pay. For more, record a Staff loan instead: the cap is for advances on pay only.
You record it yourself
Link to this section: You record it yourselfWhen someone asks you in person, tap Record an advance on the Advances tab and choose Who. Within your own expense limit it needs no approval, and you can pay it out at once. A person’s own request always goes to Approvals.
Needs a manager
Advances are approved by the owner or by someone whose role manages advances, up to their expense limit. Nobody decides an advance for themselves. The owner sets the cap and the most instalments on the Settings tab of Staff, under Advances and pay.
- Run payroll: where advances are taken back from pay.
- Clock in and out: My time, where people ask.
- Set approval limits for a role: each role’s expense limit.
Next: take it back from pay in Run payroll.