Finance Lend documentation

Everything you need to install, set up and run your lending business: loans and repayments, approvals, collections, the customer portal, your own website, the Android and iPhone apps, and the AI tools.

LaravelMulti-lender SaaSCustomer appsAI tools

Install in minutes Explore the features

Getting started

Overview

Finance Lend is a complete loan management system. You can run it for your own lending business, or as a SaaS: lenders sign up, pick a plan and manage everything in one place, with their data kept completely separate.

InstallRequirements, database, upload and the six-step installer.

Set up lendingBranches, loan types, documents, approvals and notifications.

CustomersThe portal customers use after login, and online sign-up.

WebsiteA website for every lender, with sign-up and loan products.

Mobile appsAndroid and iPhone apps with a QR code on your website.

AI toolsAssistants, loan briefs, message drafts and a slip reader.

How the pieces fit together

Part	What it is	Who uses it
Admin panel	The back office: customers, loans, approvals, collections, accounts, reports and settings.	Super admin, lender (owner) and staff
Customer portal	The same login, with a customer's own view: loans, payments, documents, requests and statements.	Customers
Lender website	A public website for each lender with loan products, a calculator, enquiries, online sign-up and the Get our app page.	Visitors and customers
Mobile apps	Flutter apps for Android and iPhone, one app serving every lender; customers find their lender by search, code or QR.	Customers
API	A read-only REST API for lenders' own tools, and a customer API that powers the apps.	Developers

Quick-start checklist

InstallCheck the requirements, create the database, upload the files and run the installer.
Log in and secure the accountsUse the default logins once, then change every password.
Switch on the background workAdd the cron line so reminders, collections and the queue run.
Email and company detailsIn Settings fill in the company and email (SMTP) tabs. See Settings.
Describe what you lendAdd branches, loan types, document types and, if you want, approval rules.
Add customers and loansOr switch on online sign-up on the website.

Getting started

Server requirements

Finance Lend is built with Laravel. Make sure your hosting meets the following before you start.

PHP: 8.1 or newer (8.2 or 8.3 is fine)
Database: MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+
Web server: Apache (with mod_rewrite) or Nginx
HTTPS: Strongly recommended. Required for the mobile apps, online payments and push notifications.
Cron: One cron line, see Background work

Required PHP extensions

BCMathCtypecURLDOMFileinfoFilterHashJSONMbstringOpenSSLPCREPDO (MySQL)SessionTokenizerXML

Note

The installer checks all of this for you in step 2 and shows a green tick next to everything that is fine.

Folders that must be writable

storage, bootstrap/cache and the upload folders under public. The installer checks these too. For a live server, lock everything else down.

Getting started

Create the database

The steps below use cPanel. Other hosting panels offer the same options under similar names.

Open the database toolIn your hosting panel go to Databases and click MySQL® Databases. This tool creates databases and database users.
Create the databaseType a name and click Create Database. Your host adds a prefix to the name; write the full name down.
Create a database userIn Add New User enter a user name and a strong password (use the generator) and click Create User.
Add the user to the databaseIn Add User To Database choose the user and the database, then click Add.
Give all privilegesTick ALL PRIVILEGES and click Make Changes.

Keep these

Note the database host (usually localhost), database name, user name and password. The installer asks for them in step 5.

Getting started

Upload the files

Upload the contents of the main_file folder from your download to your web root.

Open the File ManagerLog in to cPanel and open File Manager under Files.
Go to the right folderFor your main domain this is public_html. For a sub-domain or sub-folder, open that folder instead.
Upload and extractClick Upload, choose the zip file, wait for 100%, then right-click it and choose Extract. Make sure the files from main_file (including the hidden .htaccess) end up directly in the folder.
CheckYou should see app, bootstrap, config, public, storage, artisan and the other Laravel folders.

Important

Do not upload the documentation or mobile_app folders to the web root. They are for you, not for visitors.

Getting started

Run the installer

A web installer sets up the application in a few minutes.

StartOpen https://yourdomain.com/install in your browser. This starts the App Installation Process.
Check the serverClick Click to Check Your Server Requirements. Everything should be ticked.
Check permissionsThe installer checks the folder permissions. When all are fine, click Click to Configure Your App Environment.
Choose the setup typeSelect Using Form Wizard Setup.
Enter the app and database detailsFill in the database host, name, user and password from the previous step, plus an application name and the application URL. Click Click to Install.
FinishWhen you see Application has been successfully installed, click Click here to exit.

Tip

Before you install, add DEFAULT_USER_PASSWORD=a-long-secret to the .env file if it already exists. The installer then gives the default accounts that password instead of 123456. See Default logins.

Getting started

After installation

A few minutes of setup now saves problems later.

Log inOpen your site and sign in with a default account.
Change the passwordsOpen Settings → Password for each default account. Passwords need at least 8 characters with a letter and a number.
Add the cron lineSee Background work. Without it reminders and queued messages do not go out.
Set up emailSettings → Email SMTP, then send a test message. Customer invitations, sign-in codes and reminders all use it.
Fill in the company detailsName, logo, address, currency and date format under the General and Company tabs.
Turn debug offIn .env set APP_ENV=production and APP_DEBUG=false. See Going live.

Getting started

Background work (cron job)

Finance Lend does some work on its own: payment reminders, assigning collectors to overdue instalments, mobile reminders and queued messages. A single cron line makes it all run.

Option 1: the scheduler (recommended)

In cPanel open Cron Jobs and add this line to run every minute. Replace the path with the folder that contains artisan.

* * * * * cd /home/youraccount/public_html && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

Task	When	What it does
Repayment schedules	Every minute check	Sends due and overdue reminders to customers and assigns collectors to late instalments.
Mobile reminders	Daily at 08:00	Sends app push and inbox reminders for upcoming and late instalments.
Queue worker	Continuously, when `QUEUE_CONNECTION` is not `sync`	Sends emails and other queued jobs in the background.

Option 2: a web cron

If your host cannot run schedule:run, use a URL cron instead. As super admin open Settings → Cronjob, generate the key, and add a cron that opens the URL shown there:

https://yourdomain.com/cronjob?key=YOUR_KEY

This runs the reminders and collector assignment. The last run time is shown on the same page.

Reminder timing

Reminders go out at REMINDER_SEND_HOUR on the days set by REMINDER_BEFORE_DAYS (default 7, 1, 0) and REMINDER_AFTER_DAYS (default 1, 3, 7, 14, 30). See Environment variables.

Getting started

Default logins

The installer creates three accounts so you can look around straight away.

Role	Email	Password
Super admin	superadmin@gmail.com	123456
Owner (lender)	owner@gmail.com	123456
Manager (staff)	manager@gmail.com	123456

Change these

These are public. Change every password before you put real data in, or set DEFAULT_USER_PASSWORD in .env before installing.

Lending features

Roles and how it fits together

There are four kinds of people in the system, and everyone sees only what belongs to them.

Role	What they can do
Super admin	Runs the platform: lenders, plans, coupons, payments and the platform website. Cannot see a lender's customers' loans.
Owner	The lender. Has the full admin panel for their own business and their own data only.
Staff	Managers, collectors and others the owner creates. Permissions come from the role the owner gives them.
Customer	The borrower. Uses the portal, the lender's website or the app.

Group	Contains
Dashboard	Portfolio figures, charts and the AI brief. Staff Management (users, roles) sits right below it.
Lending	Customer, Loan, Approvals, Collections, Requests, Loan Payment
Money	Finance (accounts and transactions), Expense, Report
Communication	Contact Diary, Notice Board, Website
AI & Apps	AI Assistant, AI Usage, Mobile Apps, API Tokens, N8N
System Configuration	Branch, Loan Type, Document Type, Account Type, Expense Type, Approval Rules, Email Notification, Accounting Export, Audit Log
System Settings	Settings (the super admin also sees CMS, Pricing and Coupons)

The owner dashboard: portfolio, collections and what needs attention.

Data separation

Each lender's data is kept apart in the same database. A staff member or customer can only reach the records of their own lender.

Lending features

Setting up your business

Describe what you lend and how, once, under System Configuration. Everything else builds on this.

Feature	What it does
Branch	Offices or regions. Customers and loans belong to a branch, and you can filter and report by it.
Loan Type	Your products: minimum and maximum amount, interest rate, term, interest method, penalty and grace rules.
Document Type	The documents customers must supply (ID, address proof, income proof). Used for KYC and as loan requirements.
Account Type	Kinds of bank or cash accounts your business keeps.
Expense Type	Categories for your business expenses.
Email Notification	Switch on or off, and edit, the emails the system sends. See Messages.
Approval Rules	Who must approve a loan before it is paid out. See Approvals.

Where: System Configuration in the left menu.

Loan types: each product has its own limits, rate and term.

Interest methods

Each loan type uses one method. The instalment schedule is built from it automatically.

Method	How the interest is worked out
Fixed rate	A fixed percentage of the original principal is charged in every instalment.
Flat rate	The total interest is worked out once and spread evenly across the instalments.
Reducing amount	Equal principal each instalment, with interest charged on the balance that remains.
Mortgage amortization	Equal instalments (EMI) that mix principal and interest, with interest falling over time.
One-time payment	Principal and interest are repaid together in a single payment at the end.

Lending features

Customers and staff

Keep a record of every borrower, with their documents, and give your team the access they need and no more.

Feature	What it does
Customer list	Search, filter by branch, create, edit and open any customer.
Customer page	Profile, loans, repayments, documents and notes in one place.
Invitation	A customer created by staff gets an email invitation to choose their own password. If you type a password for them they must change it at first sign-in.
KYC documents	Customers upload documents (PDF, JPG, PNG up to 5 MB). Staff approve or reject each one with a note, and the customer is told.
Contact Diary	Log calls, visits and promises to pay against a customer.
Staff Management	Create users and roles, and choose exactly which permissions each role has.

Where: Lending → Customer, Communication → Contact Diary, Staff Management.

One email, several lenders

The same email address can be a customer of different lenders. In the app and on the website a customer signs in to one lender at a time and can switch.

Lending features

Loans and schedules

Create a loan, and the system builds the repayment schedule, tracks every payment and works out what is late.

Feature	What it does
Create a loan	Choose the customer and loan type, enter amount, term and start date. The schedule is generated for you.
Statuses	Draft, submitted, approved, disbursed, rejected, closed. Only approved and disbursed loans count as owed and payable.
Repayment schedule	Every instalment with its date, principal, interest, penalty and paid status.
Penalties and grace	Late fees start after the grace days you set on the loan type.
Partial payments	Record any amount. It is applied to the oldest unpaid instalment first.
Early closure	Settle a loan before the end of its term from the loan page.
Restructure and top-up	Change the terms of a running loan, or add more money to it. These can have their own approval rules.
Loan page	Summary, schedule, payments, receipts, documents, collateral, agreement and the AI brief.

Where: Lending → Loan.

A loan page: schedule, payments and the credit profile.

Draft loans stay private

Customers never see a loan that is still a draft, and it is not counted in what they owe.

Lending features

Approvals and credit profile

Decide who must say yes before money moves, and see a customer's track record before you decide.

Feature	What it does
Approval rules	Require one or more approvers, depending on the loan amount. Applies to new loans, restructures and top-ups.
Approvals queue	Each approver sees the loans waiting for them and approves or rejects, with a comment.
Credit profile	On the loan page: past loans, on-time record, current arrears and documents, so you can decide quickly.
Notifications	The customer is told when their loan is approved or rejected.

Where: Lending → Approvals and System Configuration → Approval Rules.

Lending features

Payments and receipts

Take money in by hand or online, and give the customer a receipt every time.

Feature	What it does
Loan Payment	Record a payment against a loan: amount, date, method and account. The schedule updates at once.
Receipts	Printable receipts for every payment, available to staff and to the customer.
Online payment	Customers pay from the portal, a reminder link or the app using the gateways you have switched on in Settings.
Pay links	Reminder emails and messages carry a secure link that opens the payment page directly.
Requests	Customers' loan requests and payment requests arrive here for review.

Where: Lending → Loan Payment and Lending → Requests.

Lending features

Collections and reminders

Know who is late, who is chasing them and what was promised.

Feature	What it does
Collections board	Every late instalment, grouped by how overdue it is, with the collector assigned.
Auto-assign	The scheduler gives late instalments to collectors automatically.
Follow-up notes	Record calls, visits and promises to pay, with the next follow-up date.
Reminders	Emails (and app notifications) before and after the due date, with a pay link.
Portfolio at risk	A report of how much of the portfolio is overdue by 1, 30, 60 and 90 days.

Where: Lending → Collections, Money → Report.

Lending features

Collateral and agreements

Record what backs a loan and keep the signed paperwork with it.

Feature	What it does
Security tab	On the loan page: collateral items and guarantors with description and value.
Agreement	A printable loan agreement filled in with the loan's details.
Documents	Attach files to the loan and to the customer.

Lending features

Accounts and expenses

Keep the business money side next to the loans.

Feature	What it does
Accounts	Bank and cash accounts with their balance.
Transactions	Deposits and withdrawals per account. Loan payments and disbursements post here.
Expenses	Record business costs by expense type, with date and notes.

Where: Money → Finance and Money → Expense.

Lending features

Reports and accounting export

Answer questions from your accountant, your bank or yourself.

Report	What it shows
Loan	All loans with status, amount and balance.
Loan payment	Payments received in a period.
Collections	Collected against expected.
Disbursements	Money lent out in a period.
Overdue	Late instalments and how much is owed.
Portfolio at risk	Overdue share of the portfolio by age.
Account and Transaction	Balances and money movements.
Expense	Costs by type.

Reports can be downloaded as PDF, Excel or CSV. The Accounting Export page produces files for accounting software (including QuickBooks and Tally formats).

Where: Money → Report and System Configuration → Accounting Export.

Lending features

Audit log

A record of who changed what and when, so nothing important happens unseen.

Changes to loans, payments, approvals, customers and settings are recorded with the person, the time and the before and after values.

Where: System Configuration → Audit Log.

Customers

Customer portal

After signing in, a customer gets their own view: what they owe, what is late, and how to pay.

Feature	What it does
Dashboard	Summary tiles (outstanding, next payment, overdue), an overdue alert listing each late loan with a Pay oldest button, and the lender's notices.
My loans	One card per loan with filters. Open a loan for its summary, schedule, payments and receipts.
Apply for a loan	Choose a loan type, amount and term and send the request to the lender.
Documents (KYC)	Upload identity and address documents and see whether each is pending, approved or rejected.
Notices	Announcements the lender chose to show to customers (set in Notice Board).
Profile and security	Change the password and see where the account was signed in.

Customer dashboard — The customer dashboard.

Customer loans — My loans: a card for each loan.

Customer documents — Documents and their review status.

Customers

Online sign-up and login

Customers can register themselves on your website and sign in on a page that carries your branding.

Feature	What it does
Self sign-up	A customer registers on your site, confirms their email and carries on to documents and a loan application.
Branded login	Your logo and colours on the sign-in page of your website.
Password rule	One rule everywhere: at least 8 characters, with a letter and a number.
Remember me	Keeps the customer signed in on their device.
Security emails	The customer is emailed when the password changes or a new device signs in. Every sign-in is recorded.
Resend confirmation	One click to send the confirmation email again.

Branded login — A lender-branded login page.

Location lookup

The sign-in history can show a rough location. This is off by default; set LOGIN_GEO_LOOKUP=true to turn it on.

Website & mobile

Lender website

Every lender can publish a website with their loan products, a calculator and a sign-up, without any design work.

Feature	What it does
Website builder	Pages, texts, images, colours and contact details.
Addresses	A free address on the platform, plus the lender's own domain if you connect one.
My website menu	A world icon in the top bar of the admin shows the live addresses with copy and open buttons, and whether the site is live.
Loan products and calculator	Visitors see your loan types and can work out repayments.
Enquiries	The contact form sends messages to you.
Get our app	A page at `/site/{code}/app` with a QR code, store buttons and the company code.

Where: Communication → Website.

A lender website — A lender's public website.

Website & mobile

Mobile apps

One Android app and one iPhone app serve every lender. The customer finds their lender, signs in and sees their own loans.

Finding the lender

Way in	How it works
Company code	The customer types the lender's short code.
Search	The customer searches by company name.
QR code	Scan the QR on the lender's website. The app opens on that lender, ready to sign in.
Link	A link opens the app straight on the lender.

The Get our app page — The *Get our app* page on the lender's website.

In the app

Feature	What it does
Home	What is owed, what is late and the next payment.
Loans	Every loan with schedule, payments and receipts.
Pay	Opens the lender's secure payment page.
Apply	Send a loan request.
Documents	Upload KYC documents from the camera or files.
Inbox and push	Reminders and updates, in the app and as push notifications.
Assistant	Ask questions about loans, if the lender has switched on AI.
Switch company	Customers of several lenders move between them without signing in again.
Biometric lock	Fingerprint or face unlock for the app.

App screens — Company, sign-in, home and loan detail.

More app screens — Documents, inbox, more and switch company.

Sign in with email and password, or with a one-time emailed code (needs SMTP).
Changing the password signs the app out everywhere. Sign out of all devices is in the app.
An app that is not used for MOBILE_TOKEN_IDLE_DAYS days (default 90) is signed out.
A customer created by staff with a typed password must change it at first sign-in.

Where (owner): AI & Apps → Mobile Apps shows the QR, the company code and lets you add the store links.

Website & mobile

Build and publish the apps

The two apps are in mobile_app/android_app and mobile_app/iphone_app. They are built with Flutter and are separate projects.

Install FlutterInstall the Flutter SDK, plus Android Studio for Android, or Xcode on a Mac for iPhone.
Point the app at your serverPass your server address when you build: --dart-define=API_BASE_URL=https://yourdomain.com. Optionally add --dart-define=COMPANY=your-code to lock the app to one lender.
Run itIn the project folder run flutter pub get and then flutter run --dart-define=API_BASE_URL=https://yourdomain.com.
Build for the storeAndroid: flutter build appbundle --dart-define=API_BASE_URL=.... iPhone: flutter build ipa --dart-define=API_BASE_URL=....
PublishUpload to Google Play and the App Store, then paste both links into Mobile Apps so the website shows the store buttons.

Push notifications (optional)

Create a Firebase project, add the Android and iPhone apps, and download a service-account key. Put the path in .env as FCM_CREDENTIALS. Without it, reminders still arrive in the app inbox.

Before you publish

Replace the app icons, name and bundle id with your own, and read the README inside each app folder.

Controls

Setting	Meaning
`MOBILE_MIN_APP_VERSION`	Apps older than this are asked to update.
`MOBILE_MAINTENANCE`	Put the apps into maintenance mode.
`MOBILE_REMINDER_DAYS`	Days before and after the due date to send app reminders.
`MOBILE_TOKEN_IDLE_DAYS`	Idle days before an app is signed out.

AI & automation

AI tools

Finance Lend uses Anthropic's Claude to save time. Every tool is optional and each lender can use their own key.

Tool	What it does
AI Assistant	Ask about your portfolio in plain words: who is late, what was collected, loan details.
Dashboard brief	A short written summary of the portfolio at the top of the dashboard.
Loan brief	On the loan page, a plain summary of the loan and the customer's record.
Writer	Drafts collection reminders, notices and messages in the tone you choose.
Slip reader	Reads a payment slip photo and fills in the payment details.
Document review	Optional pre-check of uploaded customer documents.
Customer assistant	Lets customers ask about their own loans in the portal and app.
AI Settings	Your own key, the optional switches, and how much each tool has used against your monthly limit.

Where: AI & Apps → AI Assistant and AI Settings (key, switches and usage).

Plans and each lender's own settings

By plan: when you sell plans, the plan form has an Include AI tools switch. A lender on a plan without it sees an upgrade notice on AI Settings and the AI tools stay hidden. Existing plans keep AI when you upgrade; a lender with no plan assigned is not restricted.
By lender: on AI Settings each lender can add their own Anthropic key (billed to them, no platform allowance) and switch the Customer assistant and Document review on or off for their own business.

Keys and limits

Setting in `.env`	Meaning
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	The platform key used when a lender has not added their own.
`ANTHROPIC_DOCUMENT_REVIEW`	Switch the document pre-check on or off.
`ANTHROPIC_CUSTOMER_ASSISTANT`	Switch the customer assistant on or off.
`ANTHROPIC_MONTHLY_TOKEN_LIMIT`	Monthly usage cap per lender.

Privacy

Keys are stored encrypted. AI only sees the data of the lender asking, and nothing is sent unless a tool is used.

AI & automation

Messages and automation

Decide what the system tells customers and staff, and connect it to your other tools.

Email templates

Edit the wording and switch each on or off under Email Notification.

Template	Sent when
User created	A staff user is added.
Customer created	A customer is added (the invitation).
Loan created	A loan is created.
Loan status update	A loan is approved, rejected or changes status.
Repayment created	A payment is recorded.
Account created	An account is added.
Transaction created	A transaction is posted.
Payment reminder	An instalment is coming up or late.

N8N and webhooks

Send events to n8n (or any webhook) to start your own workflows. Events: create customer, create user, new loan, loan status update, new account, new repayment and payment reminder. Set the webhook under AI & Apps → N8N. Passwords are never sent.

Notice Board

Post announcements for staff, and choose which ones customers can also see.

Administration

Settings and integrations

Everything that is set once and rarely touched lives in Settings.

Tab	What it does
User Profile	Your name, email and picture.
Password	Change your password.
General	Logo, favicon, title, footer, date and currency format, language.
Company	Company name, address and contact details used on documents.
Email SMTP	The mail server for all emails, with a test button.
Payment	The payment gateways customers pay with.
Site SEO	Title, description and keywords for search engines.
Google reCAPTCHA	Protects sign-up and login forms from bots.
2FA	Two-factor sign-in with an authenticator app.
Cloud Storage	Keep uploads locally, or on S3 or Wasabi.
Twilio	SMS messages.
Cronjob	The web cron key and last run (super admin).

Email first

Set up and test SMTP before anything else. Invitations, confirmation emails, emailed app codes and reminders all depend on it.

Administration

Languages and themes

Twelve languages are included: Arabic, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Each user picks a language from the language icon in the top bar.
Translation files are in resources/lang as JSON. Edit a file, or copy one to add a new language.
Owners and the super admin can change layout, sidebar and colours from the settings icon in the top bar.

On upgrade

Language files are replaced by the new ones, so keep a copy of any changes you made.

Administration

API

Two APIs are included.

API	For	Notes
Owner REST API (v1)	Your own tools and reports	Read-only. Create a token under AI & Apps → API Tokens and send it as a bearer token.
Customer mobile API	The Android and iPhone apps	Under `/api/mobile/v1`, for customers only, with rate limits.

The mobile endpoints are described in main_file/MOBILE_API.md.

Administration

SaaS administration

For the platform owner (super admin): sell the system to many lenders.

Feature	What it does
Lenders (owners)	Create, edit and disable lenders, and sign in as one to help them.
Plans (Pricing)	Limits on users, customers and loans, and the price.
Coupons	Discount codes for sign-ups.
Payments	Subscription payments from lenders.
CMS	The platform's own website pages.
Settings	Email, payment gateways, storage and the cron key for the whole platform.

Operations

Upgrading

Always back up first.

Back upDownload your .env file, .htaccess and the storage folder, and export the database.
Replace the filesDelete the old files and upload the new main_file contents.
RestorePut your .env, .htaccess and storage back.
Allow the updaterSet INSTALLER_UPDATER_ENABLED=true in .env and open /update to run the update wizard, or run php artisan migrate on the command line.
Clear cachesRun php artisan optimize:clear (or delete the files in bootstrap/cache and storage/framework/views).
Lock the updater againSet INSTALLER_UPDATER_ENABLED=false.

Language files

Upgrading overwrites the language files. Keep your own changes.

Operations

Going live checklist

APP_ENV=production and APP_DEBUG=false, and the correct APP_URL (with https).
Change all default passwords.
Use QUEUE_CONNECTION=database and the cron line so emails are sent in the background.
Set up SMTP and send a test email.
Lock down file permissions with deploy/harden-permissions.sh (run with --dry-run first to see what it will do).
Run the web server and the cron job as the same user, so cached views are shared.
Run php artisan migrate and php artisan optimize:clear after every update.
Take regular database and storage backups.

Operations

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Problem	Try this
A blank page or 500 error	Check `storage/logs/laravel.log`. Make sure `storage` and `bootstrap/cache` are writable, then run `php artisan optimize:clear`.
Emails are not arriving	Test SMTP in Settings. Check the cron line is running and, if you use a queue, that the worker is running.
Reminders are not sent	Check the cron line, the email template is switched on, and the send hour.
Page looks old after an update	Run `php artisan optimize:clear` and hard-refresh the browser.
Cannot write to cache after an update	Make sure the web server and CLI run as the same user, or reset ownership of `storage`.
The app cannot find my company	Check the company code, that the website is published, and that your server uses https.
The QR code does not open the app	The app must be installed first. Check the store links are saved in Mobile Apps.
AI says it is not available	Add an API key and check the monthly limit in AI Usage.

Operations

Environment variables

Set in the .env file. Run php artisan optimize:clear after changing it.

Key	Default	Purpose
`APP_ENV` / `APP_DEBUG` / `APP_URL`	-	Environment, debug output and the public address.
`QUEUE_CONNECTION`	sync	Use `database` in production.
`DEFAULT_USER_PASSWORD`	123456	Password given to the default accounts at install.
`INSTALLER_UPDATER_ENABLED`	false	Turn on only while upgrading.
`REMINDER_SEND_HOUR`	-	Hour of day reminders go out.
`REMINDER_BEFORE_DAYS`	7,1,0	Days before the due date.
`REMINDER_AFTER_DAYS`	1,3,7,14,30	Days after the due date.
`REMINDER_PAY_LINK_DAYS`	30	How long a pay link stays valid.
`ANTHROPIC_*`	-	See AI tools.
`FCM_CREDENTIALS`	-	Firebase key for push.
`MOBILE_*`	-	See Mobile apps.
`LOGIN_GEO_LOOKUP`	off	Show a rough location in the sign-in history.

Operations

Change log

Version 2.0 – 17 October 2026

Customer mobile apps for Android and iPhone, with company code, search, QR and links, push and an inbox.
AI tools: assistant, dashboard and loan briefs, writer, slip reader and usage limits.
Customer portal redesign, branded customer login and stronger sign-in security.
Lender websites with a Get our app page and a My website menu.
Regrouped menu with Staff Management under the dashboard.
Approval rules, collections board, portfolio at risk, accounting export and audit log.

Operations

Support

Stuck? We are happy to help.

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Finance Lend documentation

Overview

How the pieces fit together

Quick-start checklist

Server requirements

Required PHP extensions

Folders that must be writable

Create the database

Upload the files

Run the installer

After installation

Background work (cron job)

Option 1: the scheduler (recommended)

Option 2: a web cron

Default logins

Roles and how it fits together

The owner's menu

Setting up your business

Interest methods

Customers and staff

Loans and schedules

Approvals and credit profile

Payments and receipts

Collections and reminders

Collateral and agreements

Accounts and expenses

Reports and accounting export

Audit log

Customer portal

Online sign-up and login

Lender website

Mobile apps

Finding the lender

In the app

Signing in and security

Build and publish the apps

Push notifications (optional)

Controls

AI tools

Plans and each lender's own settings

Keys and limits

Messages and automation

Email templates

N8N and webhooks

Notice Board

Settings and integrations

Languages and themes

API

SaaS administration

Upgrading

Going live checklist

Troubleshooting and FAQ

Environment variables

Change log

Version 2.0 – 17 October 2026

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