How Deposits Work
Member makes a contribution
The member hands over cash, initiates a bank transfer, or sends a mobile money payment to the organization.
Treasurer records the deposit
You open Agatabo, select the member, enter the amount, choose the receiving bank account, and confirm the date.
Agatabo creates a journal entry
The system automatically debits the cash account and credits the member’s savings ledger account — no manual bookkeeping required.
Member balance updates immediately
The member’s savings balance reflects the new deposit the moment you save the record.
Key Concepts
The Savings Ledger Account
Every member automatically receives a savings ledger account the moment they are assigned a member role. This account tracks their entire savings history with the organization.| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Account type | LIABILITY — the organization owes this money back to the member |
| Created | Automatically on member role assignment |
| Increases with | Savings deposits, dividend distributions |
| Decreases with | Loan payments deducted from savings, disbursement fees, loan default recoveries |
Total Savings
Total Savings is the sum of every member’s individual savings balance. It appears prominently on your dashboard and changes in real time as deposits are recorded or withdrawals occur.Journal Entry Example
When you record a deposit of RWF 10,000 for Jane Uwase, Agatabo creates the following double-entry automatically:Common Operations
Recording Deposits
Step-by-step guide to recording a member’s savings contribution in Agatabo.
Deposit History
Browse, filter, and verify all deposits by date, member, or amount.
Editing Deposits
Correct deposit errors — amounts, dates, or bank accounts — before the accounting period closes.
Savings Analytics
Explore trends, identify top savers, and monitor contribution health across the organization.
Deposit Analytics Summary
Agatabo gives you rich, real-time insight into savings activity without needing a separate spreadsheet.Balance Metrics
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Opening Balance | Total savings at the start of the selected period |
| Closing Balance | Total savings at the end of the selected period |
| Net Change | Growth or decline in the savings pool |
Flow Metrics
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Gross Inflow | All deposits and credits (including dividends) during the period |
| Withdrawals | All debits (loan payments, fees, default recoveries) during the period |
| Net Inflow | Gross Inflow minus Withdrawals |
| Total Records | Number of savings transactions in the period |
Top Savers
The Top Savers table ranks the ten members with the highest current savings balance. For each member you see their name, email, account number, total deposits, and any contribution shortfall. Use this view to recognize consistent contributors and monitor wealth distribution.Contribution Health
If your organization has a monthly savings requirement configured, Agatabo calculates:- Total Missing — the aggregate shortfall across all members
- Top Missing — the individual members with the largest contribution gaps
Editing and Corrections
Editing a Deposit
You can correct a deposit’s amount, date, bank account, or attached documents as long as the transaction date falls within an open accounting period. Agatabo handles corrections using a reverse-and-repost strategy: it voids the original journal entry and creates a new one with the corrected values, preserving a complete audit trail. You cannot change which member a deposit is credited to. If a deposit was posted to the wrong member, reverse the original deposit and record a new one for the correct member.Deposits in Closed Periods
Once an accounting period is closed, you cannot edit or delete transactions within it. Instead, record a manual adjusting entry in the current open period and attach a note explaining the correction. Consult your accountant before making adjustments to closed periods.The same
savings:write permission is required for recording, editing, and deleting deposits. Contact your administrator if you cannot access these actions.Integration with Other Features
Loans — Member savings balances determine loan eligibility. A common rule is “maximum loan = 3× savings balance.” Disbursement fees and loan payments may also be deducted directly from a member’s savings. Dividends — Dividend distributions are credited to savings accounts. A member with a higher balance receives a proportionally larger dividend, which in turn increases their balance for future loan calculations. Reports — Deposits appear on the Balance Sheet (Member Savings liability), the Cash Flow statement (cash inflows), and savings summary reports.Best Practices
Daily discipline makes a difference:
- Record deposits on the same day they are received to keep cash flow accurate.
- Always select the correct bank account so your reconciliation is clean.
- Attach a receipt photo or bank slip to every deposit for a solid audit trail.
- Reconcile your recorded deposits against bank statements at least once a week.
- Review Contribution Health monthly and follow up with members who are falling behind.
- Close accounting periods regularly to prevent backdated changes that are hard to audit.