Wow perfect app now
Response from developer
Chris, thank you for the update! Honestly your original feedback is what pushed those features up the queue — the payee/memo split and the per-row running balance both shipped because reviewers like you flagged them. Glad they made a difference. Keep the ideas coming.
Great idea
Response from developer
Hi — sincerely sorry for the iCloud sync issues. There's a CloudKit schema mismatch on our end that I'm actively deploying a fix for; once it's out, sync between your Apple devices should behave correctly. If your data isn't where you expect after updating, please send me an email — I'll personally make sure it gets recovered. We read every email.
Wow perfect app now
Response from developer
Chris, thank you for the update! Honestly your original feedback is what pushed those features up the queue — the payee/memo split and the per-row running balance both shipped because reviewers like you flagged them. Glad they made a difference. Keep the ideas coming.
Good App that doesn’t glitch (Updated for clarification)
Response from developer
Thanks for the feedback. On the memo line, it does exist already (look for the "Description" field below the Amount section when you add or edit a transaction). That said, I hear what you're saying. The way it's labeled and presented isn't as clear as it could be, and I want to clean it up so it's obvious what it's for. Running balance below each transaction is also a great idea I want to add. I'm planning to ship an update with both of these in the next week or two. If you have other ideas, feel free to email me through the App Store developer link. Thanks again for taking the time. Chad
It works great! - A detailed review
I decided to write a thorough review because this is a fresh, new app with only a few reviews - a hidden gem in the rubble of the App Store. I have used or tried several checkbook register apps over the last couple years. This is the best functioning / best looking/ most intuitive / easiest/ I’ve found. It deserves to be recognized. The app is updated often, which indicates the developer is very active, responsive to users, and that this is a new app, less than a year old. That’s a good sign. The developer has other apps too.
I tested/played with the free version for a few hours, including a trial run using six weeks of my actual checkbook transactions, followed by a successful reconciliation to my actual bank balance. I happily paid for the app. Since then, I have been it using as my goto checkbook register and reconcile app. Like most people, my checkbook register is fairly complex, including ACH Debits and Deposits, Electronic payments, Transfers, and some paper checks. Many are recurring transactions that it handles perfectly.
Here is how it works:
The Transactions screen:
The app opens to the ‘Transactions’ screen. It looks like a checkbook register. It a very nice design, and shows recent transactions, with all transaction history just a scroll up, or scroll down. The transaction stack can also be sorted by newest, oldest, $ amount. The information on the transactions screen is everything that’s needed for a register, including a checkmark if the transaction has cleared. You clear/unclear a transaction in its sub-screen (a page that appears by transaction touch). The sub-screen holds all of the transaction’s details and can be easily edited. Note that on the transaction’s screen, recurring transactions appear automatically & reliably according to your specification. Setting up recurring transactions and editing them is easy. That’s not usually the case in other apps I’ve used. Buttons make it easy to switch to a weekly, monthly or yearly view of transactions.
At the top of the transaction register is a header. It’s a status summary box which includes the current account balance, cleared and uncleared totals and the reconcile button. And, for paid apps, access to additional accounts is located there.
Adding transactions:
New transactions are easily added by touching the app’s “+” button. (Widget link too). You fill out new transaction details in a drop down box, and if it’s recurring (by week, month, etc,) that’s where you indicate that. There’s a switch for ‘cleared’ or ‘uncleared’. When you ‘clear’ a transaction, it auto creates a check mark on the register screen. You can select a pre-loaded category such as “Grocery” or you can create your own categories which is what I do. An example of a transaction in a created category might be: “Haircut Joe”, appearing in a category called “Payments By Paper Check”. That information, $ amount, cleared status, and highlighting icons, will appear on the transaction page along with your other transactions. Each transaction (when touched) opens up to its own page showing all of its details. That’s also where you can change any transaction’s status to recurring if needed, or edit the $ amount, date, etc. Transactions can be deleted on the register screen with a finger swipe left.
Recurring transactions:
Works great. Very easy to set up. Editing is easy (and that’s a big deal). It’s absolutely the best rendition of recurring transactions I’ve tried or used.
Categories:
The app comes with some categories (such as ‘Entertainment’) or you can create your own. They’re easy to edit/manage. The management of categories, and category editing is easier with this app than others. And… a big plus - it’s easy to pull up all of the transactions in any one category, by using a button on the transactions page. That can be really helpful.
Reconcile to Bank Statement:
The reconcile button is in the account’s status box at the top of the transaction register screen. The cleared and uncleared totals are there too in app version 3.02. To reconcile, touch “Reconcile”, A drop down box appears. You enter your end of month bank statement balance and the app calculates if your transaction register matches your bank statement. It also shows all the info available to help you figure out why it does or does not balance. That’s a critical feature done very well in this app that I’ve had trouble with In other apps.
Insights screen:
It is a smartly designed graphics screen, a button touch away from the transactions screen. Your expenses and income are summed up by category using bar charts. Inflow and outflow is shown graphically too. It can be set to show yearly, monthly, weekly, or even “all transactions”. It’s especially useful if you set up your transaction categories thoughtfully - and it’s pretty.
Monthly Budget:
You can set a budget value for each category and follow your progress graphically on the ‘Insights’ page. It’s easy to set up and use. It’s another indication of how thoughtfully this app is designed to focus on checkbook finances and bank statement reconciliation.
Other good things:
Attachments - The app assists you in adding a receipt image to a transaction’s details page
A useful widget
Advanced features including CSV export functions (pro version for some of the advanced features)
Siri access to transaction addition
Various helpful automations within the app
A one time purchase - Yay
Response from developer
Wow — I've read this review three times. Thank you. Honestly. Reviews like this don't happen often, especially for a small app, and I know you put real time into writing it. The fact that you tested with six weeks of your own register and a real bank reconcile before paying says a lot about how you approach apps, and I'm glad Pocket Register held up. A few of the things you called out (recurring transactions being easy, the reconcile flow, category management) were the hardest pieces to get right and the ones I cared most about. Hearing they actually work the way I hoped means a lot. And thank you for the bug reports along the way — they made the app meaningfully better for everyone who uses it. Please keep them coming. I'll keep listening.
Pocket Register
Response from developer
Appreciate the feedback. Quick thing though, the app doesn’t actually have pop up ads. Just a banner at the bottom and a few inline ones spaced out in the list. If something’s actually popping up over your screen, that’s a bug and I’d love to know more so I can fix it.
super helpful
Response from developer
Thanks! Really glad it’s helping you keep up with the receipts.
Awesome
Response from developer
Thanks Joe! Glad it’s making it easy to stay on top of your spending.
