TipBud Support

TipBud logs a shift in about ten seconds and shows what you really took home — wages + tips − tip-outs. One purchase, no subscription, and a history that survives anything.

Logging shifts

How do I log a shift?

Home tab → Log tonight. Pick the job, enter hours (or start & end times), cash tips, card tips, and sales — tip-outs are computed from your rules automatically. TipBud learns your patterns: it pre-fills your usual Saturday, and you just fix the numbers.

How is my hourly rate calculated?

(Hourly wage × hours + tips − tip-outs) ÷ hours. It's your true rate — after tip-outs, including wages.

How do I set up tip-out rules?

Settings → Jobs & Wages → your job → Add Tip-Out Rule (for example: Busser, 2% of sales). Every new shift computes tip-outs from your rules, and you can always override a single shift. You can also open the rules right from the shift entry sheet.

Where do I see my month?

The Shifts tab shows your month on a calendar, night by night — tap any day for the breakdown, or switch to a week view. The Insights tab has your week trend, day-of-week averages, and cash vs card split.

Widget & notifications

How do I add the widget?

Press and hold your Home Screen → Edit → Add Widget → search TipBud. It shows your last shift and your trailing week. If it reads "No shifts yet" right after installing, open the app once so the widget can see your data.

What are the notifications?

Two, both off by default: a Weekly recap of what your closed pay week paid (set your week start in Settings → Your week), and a Best-day heads-up for the weekday that pays you best. Turn them on in Settings → Notifications. They're computed on your phone from your own history — nothing is sent anywhere.

Sharing & privacy

How do I share a night?

Open a shift → Share. You get a clean card for the group chat, with a $ hidden toggle that shows the shape of the night without the dollars. Save Image asks for add-only access to your photo library — TipBud can add that one image and nothing else.

Can I lock the app?

Settings → Privacy → App Lock. TipBud then requires Face ID or your passcode to open. Your income stays your business.

Name and appearance

Settings → Personal — add an optional first name for the Home greeting (it stays on your phone) and choose light, dark, or system appearance.

Your data

Is my data backed up?

Two ways, both included: private iCloud sync (Settings → Backup & sync — no account needed, invisible to us) and manual backup files (Settings → Back Up to File…), which you can restore on any device with Restore from Backup….

How do I move my history from another app?

Export a CSV from your old app, save it to Files, then in TipBud: Settings → Import CSV. Columns are matched automatically and you can adjust the mapping before importing. Imported shifts never use up your free-shift trial.

Does TipBud help with the U.S. tip deduction?

TipBud keeps the daily tip log the IRS expects for the U.S. federal tip deduction (2025–2028), and Settings → Export CSV… gives you a spreadsheet of every shift, any time. TipBud isn't tax advice — bring the export to your tax preparer. Full details: our guide to the U.S. tip deduction.

The currency symbol is wrong.

Settings → Currency — pick yours. It changes how amounts are shown; your numbers are never converted.

Purchase

What's free and what's paid?

Your first 30 hand-logged shifts include every feature, nothing held back. After that, a single $19.99 purchase unlocks unlimited shifts forever — no subscription, no ads. Your history stays viewable and exportable even if you never buy.

I bought it on my old phone — how do I unlock my new one?

Settings → Restore Purchases (same Apple Account). Free, always. Refunds are handled by Apple at reportaproblem.apple.com.