Shop software for shops in Guyana
Shopkeepa is simple software for mini-marts, hardware stores, beauty supply shops and small groceries in Guyana. Sell, track stock and see how the shop is doing in GYD, with 14% VAT handled, on the phone or tablet you already own.
Running a shop in Guyana, at a glance
- Currency
- Guyana dollar (GYD).
- Sales tax
- Value Added Tax (VAT), standard rate 14%. Zero-rated supplies are charged at 0%.
- VAT registration
- Required once taxable activity reaches G$15 million in 12 months, or is expected to. Voluntary registration is possible below that.
- Electronic invoicing
- No national e-invoicing mandate announced. VAT-registered sellers must issue a proper tax invoice under the VAT Act.
- How customers pay
- Cash first, then bank cards, bank transfer, FAST PAY real-time transfers (live since 2 June 2026) and GTT Mobile Money Guyana (MMG).
- Retail landscape
- About 4,800 retail outlets for 800,000 people, with modern trade at only about 12%, the most traditional retail in the English-speaking Caribbean.
The most traditional shop market in the region
Guyana has about 4,800 retail outlets for roughly 800,000 people. Hope Research Group puts modern trade at just 12% of the market, below Jamaica's 18% and far below Barbados at 38% or the Bahamas at 42%. In practice that means most everyday buying still happens in independent shops: the mini-mart, the small grocery, the hardware store, the beauty supply.
That also means the owner is usually the system. Prices, stock and the cash drawer live in one person's head and a notebook, and a shop that does well cannot easily be left in someone else's hands. Shopkeepa gives those shops a simple record of every sale and every stock movement, on a phone or tablet, without a till or printer to buy.
VAT at 14%, tax invoices and your records
Guyana's VAT rate is 14%. You must register with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) when taxable activity reaches G$15,000,000 in a 12-month period, passes it sooner, or is expected to pass it in the next 12 months. You cannot charge VAT before you are registered, and once registered you file a return within 21 working days after the end of each period, even if no tax is payable.
Registered shops also have invoice rules. The GRA says every VAT-registered business must issue a tax invoice for taxable sales at 14% or 0%, showing the words Tax Invoice, the seller's VAT number, a description, the tax charged and the total. A simpler sales invoice is allowed only for cash sales of G$10,000 or less. A worked example: a G$5,000 item at 14% carries G$700 of VAT, so the customer pays G$5,700. If a price already includes VAT, the VAT inside it is 7/57 of the total, the fraction the GRA publishes for the 14% rate.
In Shopkeepa, tax is a shop setting: switch VAT on or off and mark each product as taxable or not. Prices and reports stay in GYD, and your sales history makes returns and accountant visits easier. Shopkeepa keeps the records; it does not file returns or replace a tax invoice format you must follow.
FAST PAY, MMG and a payment system being rebuilt
Cash is still how most customers pay, but Guyana's payment options changed in 2026. FAST PAY, launched on 2 June 2026, lets customers at participating banks send money in seconds from a banking app, any day and time. GTT's Mobile Money Guyana wallet has run since 2013 and needs no terminal, which suits stalls and small shops. A national digital wallet was expected to be live around September 2026, and an Indian-style instant payment link is still being rolled out, so details are moving.
Shopkeepa records how each sale was paid (cash, card, bank transfer, wallet or other) so you can cash up and see which payments came in. It does not process payments or confirm them with the bank: you check the transfer in your banking app or MMG wallet, then record the sale.
Connections and power outside Georgetown
Outside Georgetown and the larger towns, network coverage and bank branches become the limit. Mobile Money works on GTT's network, so hinterland performance varies by tower, and Berbice, Essequibo and Linden shops often depend on a branch some distance away. Local POS vendors treat offline selling as a basic feature for a reason.
Shopkeepa is built with unreliable connections in mind, so a short outage should not stop you selling. Keep the phone or tablet charged, and count the drawer against the day's sales once the connection is back.
Common questions
Does Shopkeepa work in Guyana dollars?
Yes. Prices, sales and reports are in GYD. Currency is a shop setting rather than something fixed in the app.
Can Shopkeepa handle VAT at 14%?
VAT can be switched on for the shop, and each product can be marked taxable or not, so zero-rated items stay at 0%. Shopkeepa keeps the sales records; it does not file returns with the GRA.
Do I need a POS terminal or printer?
No. Shopkeepa runs on a phone, tablet or computer, and receipts can be shown on screen, printed or shared as a link. A receipt printer or barcode scanner can be added later.
Can customers pay with FAST PAY or mobile money?
Customers pay through FAST PAY, MMG or their bank as they do today, and you record the sale in Shopkeepa with the payment type. Shopkeepa records the payment; it does not process or verify it.
Is Shopkeepa available in Guyana now?
Not yet. Shopkeepa is in development, and Guyanese shops can join the early access waitlist to try it first and help shape it.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked on 6 October 2026. Rules, rates and products change, so confirm anything important with the source.
- Guyana Directory: When should a Guyana business register for VAT? (14%, G$15 million, returns, penalties)
- Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA): VAT and invoices (tax invoice rules)
- e-invoicing.org: E-invoicing in Guyana (mandate status)
- Guyana Directory: How Guyanese businesses can accept digital payments in 2026
- Hope Research Group: Caribbean Retail Distribution 2025
- Computing Core: GRA VAT receipt requirements for POS systems
Related
Stock and sales for small grocers, without the clipboard
Inventory and sales software for small grocery stores. Fast checkout, stock that updates with every sale, best sellers and a restock list for the weekly order.
Shop typeKeep a hardware store's thousand small parts in order
Inventory software for hardware stores. Bulk import a long parts list, scan to find items, add deliveries fast and see what to reorder before a bin runs empty.
GuideVAT for small shops in Guyana: 14%, the G$15 million line and zero-rated goods
A plain guide to VAT for Guyanese shop owners: the 14% rate, the G$15M registration threshold, which foods and household goods are zero-rated, GRA filing and records.
GuidePower cuts at the till: how to keep selling and keep your records straight
What to do when the lights go out in your shop: a paper backup for sales, charging and lighting, cash safety, and how to reconcile everything once power returns.
FeatureA simple point of sale for busy counters
A fast, simple till for small shops. Find a product, record how the customer paid, share a receipt and keep your stock up to date, on a phone, tablet or computer.
CountryShop software for shops in Trinidad and Tobago
Selling, stock and low-stock reminders for parlours, mini-marts and hardware stores in Trinidad and Tobago, in TTD with VAT built in. No POS hardware needed.
CountryShop software for shops in Barbados
Selling, stock and low-stock reminders for Barbadian shops, in BBD with 17.5% VAT built in. Runs on the phone you already have, no POS hardware needed.
CountryShop software for Jamaican shops
Selling, stock and low-stock reminders for Jamaican shops, priced in JMD with GCT built in. Runs on the phone you already have, no POS hardware needed.