FAQ's

Accountants whose clients use any of our Cashbook programs for their accounts management are entitled to a copy of the program, technical support and software upgrades, at no cost.

Contact Practical Systems on 1800 624 688 so we can help set you up.

Cashbook is designed for use within the Windows operating system, except for Windows RT. 

We know that some clients have successfully run our software on a Mac computer using Windows emulation software. However, we cannot guarantee performance or provide technical support for our software in such a configuration.

To find the version of the program that is operating on your device, open the program, go to the Menu bar at the top of the screen, select the Help menu and select ‘About’ from the drop down options.

This will show the version of the program running on your device.

Your Client ID is either a five digit number starting with a zero OR a string of five letters.

To find your Client ID, open the program, go to the Menu bar at the top of the screen, select the File menu and select ‘Registration’ from the drop down options.

This will show the Client ID against which this version of the program is registered.  

Cashbook is provided on an annual subscription basis. Included in your subscription is:

• The software program to which you have subscribed – of course, functions and features differ from program to program.
• Support via telephone or email from our Customer Service & Support Team during regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:30 pm)
• Regular, usually twice per year, program updates to maintain the latest functionality
• Access to the secure PS Data Warehouse for off-site data storage
• Access to the online help system PS Knowledge Base

All of the current versions of Cashbook are compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Versions of software released before 2010 will not work on Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 operating systems.

The PS Data Warehouse offers a secure location away from your site to store your data to protect you from losing your data. The PS Data Warehouse is included in your Practical Systems software subscription. To access the PS Data Warehouse, you must have internet access.

No matter how careful you may be, you might suffer data loss through technical malfunction, theft or physical damage. Sometimes data problems may only be discovered later when the data is needed immediately.

The Practical Systems Data Warehouse provides a controlled-access, web-based, off-site storage option for data backups. The Data Warehouse is provided as an additional storage location option when undertaking a routine backup of data.

For more information on PS Data Warehouse, contact us at 1800 624 688 or [email protected].

The PS automated Bank Feed allows you to import transactions directly from your bank(s) into PS Cashbook, thereby eliminating manual entry of transactions and the possibility of transcription errors. The PS automated Bank Feed is included in your Practical Systems software subscription. To access the PS automated Bank Feed, you must have internet access.

You can initiate an automated Bank Feed by opening your Cashbook program, going to the Menu bar at the top of the screen, clicking on the Setup tab and then selecting ‘Bank Feed’ from the drop-down menu options. This allows you to select from the list of banks for which Bank Feed is available and for as many transactional accounts as you wish.

The benefits offered by an automated Bank feed include the following:

• Save time by reducing the manual entry of transactions
• Increase the accuracy of data entered
• Up-to-date cash flow status

For more information on PS automated Bank Feed, contact us at 1800 624 688 or [email protected].

Customers who have chosen to allow their Practical Cover support package to lapse can pay for technical assistance on an as-needed basis.

Each support inquiry is charged at $165 per hour or part thereof.

Practical Systems has previously sold software on an outright purchase basis, known as Practical Cover. However, technological change to hardware and operating system updates can mean older versions of software become unstable.

Practical Systems cannot support old versions of software that have not been updated.

A Practical Cover support package provides you all the benefits of subscription at a discounted price. This includes:

• Regular, usually twice per year, program upgrades
• Phone and email access to our Service & Support team during business hours
• Access to our secure off-site data storage, the PS Data Warehouse.
• Access to our online support tool, the PS Knowledge Base.

If you require assistance and you have allowed your Practical Cover to lapse, you have two options:

1. You have the option to pay for technical assistance from our Service & Support team on as-needed basis. This is billed at $165 per hour or part thereof.
2. Subscribe to an updated version of your program. For more information on current pricing of your program, contact us on 1800 624 688 or [email protected].

The setup of a new computer includes several steps to ensure all your programs and devices continue to operate as expected.

There are several defined steps to ensure that your Practical Systems program continues to provide you with the benefits you are used to. These steps differ slightly depending on the program you are using.

To obtain instructions on setting up a new computer with your Practical Systems program, please follow these links:

• Cashbook Standard or Cashbook Connect
• Cashbook Platinum

Cashbook is designed for use within a Microsoft Windows operating system, except for Windows RT. 

We know that some clients have successfully run our software on a Mac computer using Windows emulation software, for example -Bootcamp or Parallels. 

Practical Systems cannot guarantee the performance of our software in this configuration. We may also be limited in the support we can provide you if it concerns the configuration setup you have chosen to adopt. 

When considering what type of laptop or PC to buy, the below will guide you to what requirements you may need.