Add Customer

Learn how to add customers to your Digit Tally database for faster invoicing and better customer management.

Why Add Customers?

Building a customer database provides several benefits:

• ✅ Faster invoice creation (auto-fill customer details)
• ✅ Track customer purchase history
• ✅ Monitor outstanding balances
• ✅ Analyze top customers
• ✅ Send targeted communications
• ✅ Generate customer reports
• ✅ Set customer-specific payment terms

[SCREENSHOT: Customer database benefits illustrated]

Accessing Customer Management

From Sales App

1. Navigate to https://sales.digit-tally.io
2. Click Customers in the sidebar
3. Click + Add New Customer or Add Customer button

[SCREENSHOT: Customers section with Add button]

Quick Add During Invoicing

1. While creating an invoice
2. Click + Add New Customer in customer dropdown
3. Quick add form opens
4. Enter essential details
5. Save and continue with invoice

[SCREENSHOT: Quick add customer during invoice creation]

Customer Information Form

Complete the customer form with all relevant details.

[SCREENSHOT: Complete customer form]

Step 1: Basic Information

Essential customer details required for all customers.

Required Fields

Field	Description	Example	Required
Customer Name	Full name or business name	XYZ Corporation Ltd	Yes
Email Address	Primary email contact	accounts@xyzcorp.com	Yes
Phone Number	Contact phone number	+234 801 234 5678	Yes
Customer Type	Individual or Business	Business	Yes

[SCREENSHOT: Basic information section]

Customer Name

For Businesses:

• Use full registered business name
• Include "Ltd", "Plc", "Nig. Ltd" as appropriate
• Example: "ABC Trading Company Limited"

For Individuals:

• Use full name
• Format: "First Name Last Name"
• Example: "John Adeyemi"

Customer Type

Select customer type:

Business:

• Registered companies
• Partnerships
• Organizations
• NGOs
• Government entities

Individual:

• Personal customers
• Freelancers
• Sole proprietors (personal capacity)
• Walk-in customers

[SCREENSHOT: Customer type selection]

Business vs Individual

Choose "Business" if customer requires invoices with company letterhead and TIN. Choose "Individual" for personal customers or cash sales.

Step 2: Contact Information

Additional contact details for communication.

Contact Fields

Field	Description	Required
Contact Person	Primary contact name	Optional
Position/Title	Contact's job role	Optional
Alternative Phone	Secondary phone number	Optional
Alternative Email	Secondary email address	Optional
Website	Company website	Optional

[SCREENSHOT: Contact information section]

Contact Person

For Business Customers:

• Name of accounts payable person
• Purchasing manager
• Business owner
• Example: "Mrs. Funmi Okafor - Accounts Manager"

Use Cases:

• Multiple contacts for same company
• Direct line to decision maker
• Specific person for invoicing

Step 3: Address Information

Physical and billing address details.

Address Fields

Field	Description	Required
Address Line 1	Street address	No
Address Line 2	Additional address info	No
City	City or town	No
State	Nigerian state	No
Postal Code	Postal/ZIP code	No
Country	Country	No (defaults to Nigeria)

[SCREENSHOT: Address information section]

Address Examples

Lagos Business:

Address Line 1: 45 Adeola Odeku Street
Address Line 2: Victoria Island
City: Lagos
State: Lagos State
Postal Code: 101241
Country: Nigeria

Abuja Business:

Address Line 1: Plot 123 Cadastral Zone
Address Line 2: Central Business District
City: Abuja
State: FCT
Postal Code: 900001
Country: Nigeria

[SCREENSHOT: Filled address example]

Step 4: Business Details (For Business Customers)

Additional information for registered businesses.

Business Fields

Field	Description	Example	Required
Tax ID (TIN)	FIRS Tax Identification Number	12345678-0001	No
RC Number	CAC Registration Number	RC 123456	No
Industry	Business sector	Retail & E-commerce	No
Business Size	Company size category	SME, Large Enterprise	No

[SCREENSHOT: Business details section]

Tax Identification Number (TIN)

• Format: 12345678-0001 (10 digits)
• Issued by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS)
• Required for:
  • WHT calculations
  • VAT documentation
  • Tax compliance
• Optional but recommended for B2B customers

RC Number

• CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) registration number
• Format: RC 123456
• Confirms legitimate business registration
• Optional but adds credibility

[SCREENSHOT: TIN and RC number fields]

Step 5: Payment Settings

Configure customer-specific payment preferences.

Payment Fields

Field	Description	Options	Default
Payment Terms	Default payment period	Net 7, 14, 30, 45, 60 days	Net 30
Credit Limit	Maximum outstanding balance	Amount in Naira	Unlimited
Payment Method	Preferred payment method	Bank Transfer, Cash, etc.	Bank Transfer
Discount	Standard discount percentage	0-100%	0%

[SCREENSHOT: Payment settings section]

Payment Terms

Set default terms for this customer:

Terms	Description	When to Use
Due on Receipt	Pay immediately	Cash customers, new customers
Net 7	Pay within 7 days	Quick turnaround businesses
Net 14	Pay within 14 days	Standard retail customers
Net 30	Pay within 30 days	Most common B2B
Net 45	Pay within 45 days	Large enterprises
Net 60	Pay within 60 days	Government, large corporations

Auto-Fill Benefit: When creating invoices for this customer, payment terms auto-fill with this default.

[SCREENSHOT: Payment terms dropdown]

Credit Limit

Set maximum amount customer can owe:

Example:

Credit Limit: NGN 5,000,000

Current Outstanding: NGN 3,000,000
Available Credit: NGN 2,000,000

What Happens:

• Warning shown when creating invoices that would exceed limit
• Cannot create invoice if it exceeds credit limit
• Helps manage credit risk

Setting Credit Limits:

• New customers: Start with lower limit (NGN 500k-NGN 1M)
• Established customers: Higher limit based on history
• High-risk customers: Strict limits or "Due on Receipt"
• VIP customers: Unlimited or very high limit

[SCREENSHOT: Credit limit warning]

Credit Management

Monitor credit limits regularly. Customers approaching their limit should be contacted for payment before extending more credit.

Preferred Payment Method

Note customer's preferred way to pay:

• Bank Transfer
• Cash
• Cheque
• Card
• Mobile Money
• Online Payment

Benefit: Helps you include correct payment instructions on invoices

Standard Discount

Set automatic discount for this customer:

Example:

Standard Discount: 5%

Invoice Amount: NGN 100,000
Auto Discount: -NGN 5,000
Total: NGN 95,000

Use Cases:

• VIP customers
• Volume purchasers
• Loyalty rewards
• Trade/wholesale customers

[SCREENSHOT: Discount field]

Step 6: Additional Information

Optional details for better customer management.

Additional Fields

Field	Description	Use Case
Customer Since	When customer started	Track relationship length
Sales Representative	Assigned team member	Territory management
Customer Category	Custom grouping	VIP, Wholesale, Retail
Tags	Custom labels	Quick filtering and searching
Notes	Internal notes	Special requirements, preferences

[SCREENSHOT: Additional information section]

Customer Categories

Create custom categories:

• VIP
• Wholesale
• Retail
• Government
• Corporate
• SME
• Individual

Benefits:

• Filter customers by category
• Generate category-based reports
• Apply category-specific pricing

Tags

Add multiple tags for flexible organization:

• "high-value"
• "quick-payer"
• "needs-reminders"
• "lagos-branch"
• "tech-sector"

[SCREENSHOT: Tags input field]

Internal Notes

Add notes visible only to your team:

Example Notes:

"Prefers invoices via WhatsApp. Contact Mrs. Okafor directly for urgent matters."

"Always requests 30-day payment terms. History of late payments - follow up required."

"VIP customer since 2020. Annual spend NGN 50M+. Approved for 10% discount."

"Requires purchase order number on all invoices. Finance contact: john@customer.com"

[SCREENSHOT: Notes text area]

Step 7: Save Customer

Save the customer to your database.

Save Options

Save and Close:

1. Click Save Customer
2. Customer added to database
3. Return to customer list

Save and Add Another:

1. Click Save and Add Another
2. Customer saved
3. Form clears for next customer
4. Useful for bulk entry

Save and Create Invoice:

1. Click Save and Create Invoice
2. Customer saved
3. Invoice creation opens with customer selected
4. Quick workflow

[SCREENSHOT: Save button options]

Importing Customers

Add multiple customers at once using import.

Import Process

1. Go to Customers > Import
2. Download Customer Import Template (Excel/CSV)
3. Fill template with customer data
4. Upload completed file
5. Review import preview
6. Confirm import

[SCREENSHOT: Import customers interface]

Import Template

Template includes columns:

Column	Required	Example
Customer Name	Yes	XYZ Corporation
Email	Yes	info@xyz.com
Phone	Yes	+2348012345678
Customer Type	Yes	Business
Address	No	45 Adeola Street
City	No	Lagos
TIN	No	12345678-0001
Payment Terms	No	Net 30
Credit Limit	No	5000000

Import Tips:

• Remove sample rows before uploading
• Ensure email format is valid
• Phone numbers include country code
• Use consistent formatting
• Check for duplicates before importing

[SCREENSHOT: Import template Excel file]

Import Validation

System checks for:

• ✅ Required fields present
• ✅ Valid email formats
• ✅ Valid phone numbers
• ✅ No duplicate email addresses
• ✅ Correct data types

Errors are flagged:

• Row 5: Invalid email format
• Row 12: Missing customer name
• Row 23: Duplicate email address

Fix errors and re-upload.

[SCREENSHOT: Import validation errors]

Customer Verification

Verify customer information after adding.

Verification Checklist

• ✅ Customer name spelled correctly
• ✅ Email address valid (no typos)
• ✅ Phone number correct (includes +234)
• ✅ Address complete and accurate
• ✅ TIN verified (if provided)
• ✅ Payment terms appropriate
• ✅ Credit limit set correctly

Sending Welcome Email

After adding customer:

1. Click Send Welcome Email
2. Customize welcome message
3. Introduce your business
4. Explain payment terms
5. Provide contact information

[SCREENSHOT: Welcome email template]

Customer Database Management

Organize and maintain your customer list.

Viewing Customers

Customer list displays:

• Customer name
• Email and phone
• Outstanding balance
• Last invoice date
• Total invoices
• Payment status

[SCREENSHOT: Customer list view]

Sorting Customers

Sort by:

• Name (A-Z, Z-A)
• Outstanding balance (High to Low)
• Total revenue (High to Low)
• Last invoice date (Recent first)
• Number of invoices

Filtering Customers

Filter by:

• Customer type (Business, Individual)
• Category (VIP, Wholesale, etc.)
• Payment status (Paid, Outstanding, Overdue)
• Tags
• Date added
• Sales representative

[SCREENSHOT: Filter options]

Searching Customers

Use search box to find customers by:

• Customer name
• Email address
• Phone number
• TIN or RC number
• Tag
• Notes content

Best Practices

Customer Entry Tips

1. Complete Information - Fill all relevant fields for better management
2. Verify Before Saving - Double-check email and phone numbers
3. Consistent Naming - Use consistent format for business names
4. Add Notes - Document special requirements immediately
5. Set Credit Limits - Don't leave unlimited for new customers
6. Categorize - Use categories and tags from the start
7. Regular Updates - Keep customer information current

Data Quality

Maintain Clean Data:

• Remove duplicate entries
• Update changed contact details
• Archive inactive customers
• Merge duplicate records
• Validate TIN periodically

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: Duplicate Customer Email Error

• Solution: Each customer needs unique email. Use customer+1@email.com format for multiple contacts, or add to existing customer record.

Issue: Invalid TIN Format

• Solution: TIN should be 10 digits (12345678-0001). Remove spaces and verify format with FIRS certificate.

Issue: Can't Find Customer After Adding

• Solution: Use search function. Check if customer was filtered out. Ensure save completed successfully.

Issue: Import File Rejected

• Solution: Download fresh template. Ensure all required columns present. Check for special characters in data.

What's Next**

Learn more about customer management:

• Manage Customers - Edit and organize customer records
• Create Invoice - Use customer database for invoicing
• Customer Reports - Analyze customer data

Start Small

Begin by adding your top 10-20 customers first. You can add others gradually as you create invoices for them. The quick-add feature during invoicing makes this easy.