KhataDesk
Digital bahi khata — the register, minus the things that go wrong with a register
Last updated: 20 July 2026
The paper bahi khata is a good design. One page per person, entries in order, a balance at the bottom. Its problems are physical: it can be lost, it can be soaked, it is at the shop when you are not, and nobody else can read it while you are holding it.
The same shape, kept
One khata per customer, entries in the order they happened, a running balance that keeps itself. Nothing is reorganised into a structure that would need explaining to somebody who has kept a register for twenty years.
The physical problems, gone
It backs up to your own Google account, so a lost, stolen or drowned phone is an inconvenience rather than the end of the year's records. Sign in on the new phone and the khata is there.
It is with you wherever you are, so a customer's question on the phone does not have to wait until you are back at the counter.
And the arguments get shorter
Each entry carries the date and time you set, and a note if you added one. A statement can be sent on WhatsApp from your own number, so the customer has the same list you do. Most udhaar disputes end the moment both sides are looking at the same dated entries.
It stays a khata
No GST, no invoices, no stock, no balance sheet - adding those would make it the thing it exists as an alternative to. And it never moves money: no lending, no collection, no payments.
Questions people ask
Is it hard to switch from a paper register?
Most shops enter each customer's current balance as an opening entry and carry on from there. That takes a few minutes and there is no need to re-enter history.
What if I lose my phone?
Sign in on the new phone with the same Google account and the khata comes back. That is the main reason to keep it digitally at all.
Can someone else read my khata if they pick up my phone?
Not if you turn on the app lock, which uses your phone's own fingerprint or screen lock.
Does it need internet all the time?
No. Entries save offline and sync when a connection is available.
Getting KhataDesk
KhataDesk is not on Google Play yet. Write to [email protected] and we will tell you the day it goes live — that is the whole email, and there is no list to be added to beyond it.
Related
- KhataBook alternative — A KhataBook alternative that stays a khata: udhaar and jama, contacts, WhatsApp reminders and Google backup. No ads, no lending offers, no payments - it records a debt, it never moves money.
- Udhaar khata app — Record udhaar and jama for every customer, send the balance on WhatsApp, and keep it backed up to your own Google account. Free, offline, no ads.
- Daily hisab kitab — Keep the day's hisab on your phone: who took udhaar, who paid, what the balance is. A calculator inside the amount field, WhatsApp statements, Google backup. Free, no ads.
More about KhataDesk
The full description is on the KhataDesk page. Common questions are answered on the support page, and how your data is handled is set out in the KhataDesk Privacy Policy.
If you file GST returns and need invoices, stock and a balance sheet, the product for that is Zembook. They are separate apps with separate accounts.
Questions about this policy?
Write to [email protected] and our team will respond within a reasonable business timeframe.