Spreadsheet, notebook or software
Spreadsheets or a notebook vs ticketing software: what not switching costs you
A notebook and a spreadsheet hold up while you sell on your own. Once more than one person sells, every departure depends on someone's memory. Here we compare them task by task.
What it costs you today
What the notebook doesn't tell you
With a notebook, a spreadsheet or a desktop program, the cost never shows up on a bill: it shows up at the boarding bay, in the cash-up and when you settle up with the driver.
The same seat, sold twice
The sheet says free and WhatsApp says reserved. Two passengers show up with seat 14, and you refund one of them in front of everyone.
Cash-ups that don't add up
You count the bills and come up short. Was it wrong change, an expense nobody wrote down or a ticket nobody recorded?
The driver's money
You give him cash for diesel and tolls, and he comes back with loose receipts or none at all. You settle up on his word.
Not knowing what you sold
To know how today went, someone has to add up the notebook. Meanwhile, you set fares and departures by gut feeling.
Task by task
Spreadsheets vs ticketing software, day to day
What your line does every day, done both ways. The right-hand column is what Boleti, a cloud ticketing system, already does.
| Task | With a notebook or spreadsheet | With ticketing software |
|---|---|---|
| Selling a seat | You write it down and hope nobody sold it by phone or WhatsApp. | Live seat map: box office, website and WhatsApp see it taken right away. See the box office |
| Knowing today's sales | Someone adds up the notebook at the end of the day. | You see it on your phone: what came in, what's left to deposit and who owes it. |
| Balancing the cash-up | You count the cash against what you're told. | Boleti works out how much should be there, and the cashier uploads a photo of the deposit slip. See cash control |
| Settling up with the driver | You go through loose receipts when he's back. | He logs expenses with a photo from his phone and you settle against the trip allowance. From Línea. |
| Handing over the ticket | A ticket book or a handwritten slip. | Printed on your thermal printer, or sent by WhatsApp and email with a QR code. |
| Changes and cancellations | You cross out, rewrite and trust your memory. | Change the date, seat or passenger without canceling, and Boleti works out the difference. |
| Selling online | You can't: you hold seats by hand over messages. | Your own sales website with your brand. From Línea. |
| Taking cards or OXXO | You charge on your terminal and note it down separately. | Your terminal, logging the approval number; on your website, cards and OXXO from Línea. |
| Invoicing | You type the details somewhere else and match them up by hand. | CFDI 4.0 on every plan, linked to each ticket. |
| Several box offices | Each one has its own sheet; nobody knows what the other sold. | They all sell from the same seat map and each cashier has their own cash-up. |
| Backups | If the notebook gets lost or the computer fails, everything goes with it. | In the cloud, with automatic backups; you log in from any device. |
| Who did what | It comes down to each person's handwriting. | Every sale and every payment is recorded under the person who made it. |
Straight talk
When does it make sense to stay as you are?
Keep your notebook if…
- You have a single bus that runs now and then, and you sell the seats yourself.
- You don't have a fixed box office or anyone else collecting for you.
- You sell few seats per trip and your numbers always add up.
It's time for software if…
- More than one person sells or collects: box office, WhatsApp or the driver on board.
- You've already had a double-booked seat or a cash-up that didn't add up.
- Your passengers ask for their ticket on WhatsApp, to pay by card or for an invoice.
- You want to know what each bus earns you without waiting for the end of the month.
How to switch
How to leave the notebook behind, painlessly
You don't have to stop selling. If yours is a small line, see how Boleti works for small bus lines.
Step 1
Try it for 30 days, no card
Create your account and set up your box office with your routes, schedules and fares. Nothing to install.
Step 2
We go through your data with you
You start with what you already know by heart, and we help you load it at your own pace.
Step 3
One week side by side
You sell in Boleti and, when you close each day, compare its cash-up with your usual tally.
Frequently asked questions
Questions before you leave the notebook
Can I keep using spreadsheets for my accounts?
Yes. You export sales, cash-ups and reports to Excel or CSV whenever you want, and CFDI 4.0 invoices come with their XML and PDF for your accountant. The only change is that you no longer type anything in by hand.
What happens to everything I've already written down?
You start with what you need to sell: routes, schedules and fares. We help you load them when you start, and from your first sale the seat map and the cash register keep count. If your operation is large, we do the migration for you at no cost.
A notebook doesn't need internet. Does Boleti?
Yes, Boleti needs internet to sell: that's how your box offices, your website and WhatsApp all see the same seat map at once. A computer or tablet with a browser is enough, and we recommend a backup 4G modem at each box office.
How much does it cost to leave the notebook behind?
The Ruta plan starts at $29 USD a month: up to 3 buses, 1 box office and 5 users. You try it free for 30 days with no card, and there's no contract: cancel whenever you like and you have 90 days to export your data.
Will my cashiers be able to use it?
If they already use WhatsApp on their phone, they can handle this. They pick the departure, tap a free seat and take the payment; the ticket is printed or sent on WhatsApp. And if they get stuck, a real person answers on WhatsApp Monday to Friday, 9 am to 7 pm, Mexico City time.
Start today
Trade the notebook for your first sale in Boleti
Try Boleti free for 30 days, with no card and no lock-in. We help you load your routes and fares.
If you're leaving the notebook behind, make it for the best: Boleti is the best bus ticketing system in Mexico.
No card and no lock-in