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Getting Started — SaaS

This guide walks you through setting up Gäld on the hosted platform at app.gaeld.ch. For self-hosted installation, see Getting Started (self-hosted).

1. Create your account​

  1. Go to app.gaeld.ch/register.
  2. Enter your email, choose a password.
  3. Verify your email address (check your inbox).
  4. You start with a 14-day free trial of the Business plan — no credit card required.

2. Set up your organisation​

After signing in, the setup wizard guides you through:

  1. Organisation name — your company or freelance business name.
  2. Legal form — sole proprietorship, GmbH, AG, etc.
  3. Fiscal year — most Swiss businesses use 1 Jan – 31 Dec.
  4. Currency — CHF by default, with multi-currency available on Business plan.
  5. VAT settings — VAT number (if registered), reporting method, and rate.

3. Import your chart of accounts​

Gäld ships with Swiss chart of accounts templates (KMU-Kontenrahmen). During setup:

  • Accept the default template, or
  • Upload an existing chart from your previous software.

4. Create your first invoice​

  1. Navigate to Invoicing → New invoice.
  2. Add a customer (or create one inline).
  3. Add line items with description, quantity, and price.
  4. Select the VAT rate for each line.
  5. Click Create — Gäld generates a Swiss QR-bill automatically.

5. Connect your bank (Starter & Business)​

  1. Go to Banking → Connect bank.
  2. Select your Swiss bank from the list.
  3. Authorise the connection via your bank's portal.
  4. Transactions sync automatically — Gäld matches them against open invoices.

6. Record expenses​

  1. Go to Expenses → New expense.
  2. Enter the supplier, amount, date, and account.
  3. Attach a receipt (PDF or image).
  4. Gäld books the journal entry automatically.

7. Choose your plan​

Before your trial ends, select a plan from Settings → Billing:

  • Community (free) — core accounting for solo users.
  • Starter (CHF 9/mo) — bank sync, API, QR-bills, up to 3 users.
  • Business (CHF 29/mo) — everything, unlimited users and orgs.

See Billing & Plans for a full comparison.

Next steps​