- 1. Help file/User Manual
- 2. How does BuddyCalc work? - the basics
- 3. Settings & Contact forms - how to?
- 4. BuddyCalc PRO functionality - how to?
- 5. General terms and conditions for use - details
- 6. Export Event: how does this work?
- 7. Versions: iPhone, iPad, iOS,...
- 8. BuddyCalc: availability on Android/Apple platform/...
- 9. Troubleshooting
1. Help file/User Manual
Q.
Is there a Help-file/User Manual available? Where can I find it?
Note: this same file is also available in both apps (BuddyCalc FREE and BuddyCalc PRO) when clicking the 'HELP'-button (available under 'More', in the menu at the bottom of the screen).
2. How does BuddyCalc work? - the basics
The basic steps you take for all Events is:
- Create Event: provide a unique name and select an event currency
- Add Friends: the minimum is one (1), let’s say you want to keep track of expenses during a business trip or a holiday with friends
- Add Expenses: enter the nature of the expense (category; for example: drink/petrol/..), the description (optional), the amount and the friend who paid for it.
- Close Event: When the event is finished simply close the event so that the final calculation can be started
- Calculate: Calculate who owes how much to whom in the event currency; intermediate calculations (before closure) are also possible (PRO)
- Delete Event: Delete old events to free up memory
In this FAQ-overview each of these steps will be explained. Furthermore some additional functionality and user settings will be elaborated. And finally you are invited to take a closer look at some functions only available in the PRO version of BuddyCalc.
Upon first time use of the application, click on the PLUS sign (+) in the upper right corner of your start-up screen to create a new event. If all events are deleted (PRO) you will have to start the same way. In the FREE version you can only keep one event at the time, so the event has to be closed & deleted before starting a new one.
You will be asked for the Event name, the Start date (default = today) and the End Date. If no End Date is provided the Event will End when closed by the user.
You will also be asked for the Event Currency. This is the main currency you want to use for this event. If you are using multiple currencies in one event (PRO), the expenses and calculations will all be converted to this Event Currency.
In the PRO version you will therefore be asked if you want the application to update Exchange Rates from the Internet (automatically) or if you want to enter them yourself (manually). This function is not available in the FREE version.
You will be asked for a name, an Entry Date and an Exit Date. In the FREE version these dates correspond with the Event Start and End dates, but in the PRO version friends can join and exit events at different times.
In the Event Friends overview screen friends can be deleted by a simple swap delete. Slide your finger over the blue arrow (no tapping) next to a friends name to change it into a delete button. Friends with expenses linked to them cannot be deleted for obvious reasons!
Q.
How to add/delete expenses?
You will be asked to select the name of the person who made the expense (paid for it) – you can only select friends who have joined the application! See previous point ‘Add Friends’.
Next, select the date of the expense within the time frame of the event and of the person who paid for the expense! Then, select a category – the best fit for the nature of this expense. This will allow you, see Calculate, to evaluate the expenses by category for this event.
Enter the amount of the expense. In the FREE version all expenses have to be provided in the Event Currency and all expenses are shared equally among all participants (friends).
In the PRO version, after entering the amount, the user can select the currency of this specific amount! The expense currency can be different from the Event Currency and will eventually be converted to the Event Currency when (final) calculations are made (see Exchange Rates).
In the PRO version there is an additional option to ALLOCATE an expense to one or several specific individuals so that not the entire group is charged for it.
Example: someone offers a bottle of wine to the others during dinner.
Finally the user can enter a description of the expense. This text field can be used to provide more details on the nature of the expense, if it is something to be memorized and recorded.
Expenses can be deleted (swap delete) by sliding your finger over the blue arrow beside the expense in Expense Details screen or edited by tapping on the blue arrow beside the expense in Expense Details screen.
- Cancel the operation (keep the event open)
- Close the event and exit the event, meaning you want to consult the results at a later point in time. When you chose this option be aware that, in the case of using multiple currencies (PRO only) the exchange rates will be fixed at this time! If you consult the calculations results some time later the exchange rates will probably have changed, but this is not reflected in the calculations as they are ‘frozen’ for the closed event.
- Close the event and immediately consult the results. This will bring you to the Calculation screen. See next question.
After updating the exchange rates (PRO) you will be able to calculate the expenses by category or for each participant in the event.
The expense calculation by category will give you detailed insight in the way the expenses are distributed. The expense calculation for each friend will show who needs to pay or receive which amount. For the PRO version this calculation will take into account the way some expenses are allocated to specific participants, the current exchange rates and the Entry and Exit dates of participants.
An Event can be deleted once it is no longer useful. In the FREE version the Event has to be closed first. In the Closed Event Details screen the Events can be deleted using the delete button in the top right corner of the screen.
In the PRO version an event has to be closed first before it can be deleted. In the Events screen an Event can be deleted by a swap delete – slide your finger over the blue arrow beside the Event.
3. Settings & Contact forms - how to?
Q.
What can I do in the Settings-Menu?
The settings menu will allow you to set your preferred currency and the application language in the FREE version.
The preferred currency can be selected from a list of 15 currencies. If your currency is not mentioned, you can select the custom currency CU1. Since the FREE version is single currency this choice has not consequences apart from the proper notation e.g. EUR or USD.
The language choice will provide a choice to run your application in English, German, French, Dutch or Spanish.
In the PRO version the same choices are available in the settings menu but an extra customer currency CU2 is available and there are some other options. See Settings PRO.
We very much appreciate your feedback! We encourage you therefore to use the ‘My testimonial’ form in the ‘More’ section of the application menu.
Once you issue a testimonial we will always evaluate your feedback. Selected testimonials will be posted on our website www.BuddyCalc.com but we will never disclose your full name and e-mail address. Most likely we will only use your first name. We reserve the right to edit testimonials to make them fit for publication without changing the essence of the message.
Q.
How can I contact BuddyCalc?
4. BuddyCalc PRO functionality - how to?
Q.
Can I migrate my event from BuddyCalc FREE to BuddyCalc PRO?
Therefore, you are advised, once you are familiar with BuddyCalc FREE, to install BuddyCalc PRO: in this way your events can reap all available benefits!
Q.
How can I define different currencies and exchange rates?
The user can choose to have the exchange rates downloaded from the Internet or input them manually. In specific cases, when no Internet is available, the user will be asked to enter the exchange rate manually or to wait for Internet access before calculations can be done. A third option is, if older exchange rates are available in memory from a previous update, to use these exchange rates. Again, if not all rates are available the user will be asked to complete the required rates manually.
Note: If a desired currency is not available in the short list with 15 pre-defined currencies and the user decides to use the customer currencies CU1 and/or CU2 and the project is not a single currency project, the exchange rates for these currencies always have to be input manually!
Example of the use of CU1 / CU2:
A BuddyCalc user lives in Dubai and wants to use AUE Dirhams and Saudi Riyals in his Event but the final calculation (the Event Currency) is in US Dollar.
This user can choose CU1 to represent expenses in Dirham and CU2 for expenses in Riyal. When creating the Event the user selects USD as Event Currency. Before the user can make any calculations he has to manually provide the exchange rates for Dirham/USD and Riyal/USD.
This option is selected when the expense is entered in the application. The default value is an equally ‘shared’ expense.
Q.
How can I define categories?
In the PRO version the categories can be accessed via a separate main menu item (bottom of screen), but also via the Event Details screen. This depends on the action the user wants to take. The user can add custom cost categories to one Event or to all Events, as long as the name is unique to the Event(s).
In the PRO version a user can also delete a cost category for a specific Events or for all Events. This is only possible if there are no expenses linked yet to this cost category!
Q.
How can I synchronize Event data with my PC/MAC?
In the Event Details screen the user can synchronize one single Event. In ‘More/Sync All Events’ the user can synchronize multiple events at once.
Once the Event is synchronized (i.e. uploaded to the server), the user can access his account on the website and download the Event data in Excel (xls) or cvs (text) format. This is especially useful for users who want to use the data for further analysis or manipulation and /or wish to create and archive of past events.
Q.
Settings: how to use this screen?
The PRO user also has an option to set (reduce) the number of Events that will be kept in memory (default = maximum = 99) in order to save memory space.
Q.
Where do I find my PRO-USER-ID (needed for registration on www.buddycalc.com)?
5. General terms and conditions for use - details
To read the Terms and Conditions: please click here.
6. Export Event: how does this work?
Q.
In what App's does Export Events work?
Q.
How can I make my event appear on the website?
After logon, please click on 'Export Event' in the menu at the left side. Then you can see all the events, for which you did a Sync-operation in your PRO app.
Q.
How can I download Event data to my PC?
For CSV, you should tick ';' as separator character, and make sure that ',' is not ticked as separator. This choice is made in order to distinguish between a decimal comma and a column separator (hence ';' as colum separator).
Q.
How can I best export my event as flat text file (CSV)?
If you select to download as CSV file, this will result in 4 different CSV files (grouped in one zip-file), each containing specific information related to your event. The name of each file will be related to its content.
If you prefer to import these files into for example excel afterwards, please make sure you enable and use as delimiter the semicolon (;) and disable any other delimiter such as comma or tab! This is important to display the data correctly!
If you import each of the 4 CSV files into a separate tab in your excel file you will end up with a complete overview of your event.
7. Versions: iPhone, iPad, iOS,...
Q.
Does BuddyCalc work correctly with iPhone iOS6?
Q.
Does BuddyCalc work correctly with iPhone5?
Q.
Does BuddyCalc work correctly with the different iPad's: iPad 2, Pad3, iPad4 (Retina), iPad mini?
- BuddyCalc FREE V1.4 or later
- BuddyCalc PRO V1.5 or later
8. BuddyCalc: availability on Android/Apple platform/...
Q.
1. Where can I find BuddyCalc for the mobile Apple environment iOS(iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)?
Q.
2. Is there a BuddyCalc App for Android or other mobile OS than Apple iOS?
9. Troubleshooting
Q.
I have problems synchronizing my event, and all settings seem correct. What's wrong?