Kesef is a free iPhone and Android app to track your spending in El Salvador in dollars: you dictate the pupusas, add the internet bill once as recurring and log the aguinaldo when it arrives, by December 20. And if you pay with Apple Pay on your iPhone, Kesef Pro records it without you lifting a finger.
This page explains how Kesef works in El Salvador: how it handles the US dollar, what logs itself and what's worth logging on the spot.
The US dollar in Kesef
People in El Salvador pay in dollars. In Spanish, Kesef writes the dollar as US$ (US$ 1,250.50) so nobody mistakes it for a peso; in English you see it as $. When you start, Kesef asks for your main currency: pick the US dollar, which is on the list, and change it later from your Profile if you need to.
If you buy in another currency, on a trip or online, that expense stays in its currency and Kesef adds it to your dollar totals at the day's international rate.
Apple Pay in El Salvador: payments that log themselves
Apple lists El Salvador among the countries with Apple Pay, so with Kesef Pro, on an iPhone running iOS 17 or later, every Apple Pay payment logs itself with its amount and merchant. You turn it on once from the Shortcuts app. Mercado Pago isn't offered in El Salvador: whatever you pay by transfer or in cash, dictate it or log it with a receipt photo.
The aguinaldo, by December 20 at the latest
In El Salvador the Labor Code sets December 20 as the deadline to pay the aguinaldo, and the amount depends on how many years you've been with the company. An employer can pay it earlier, but not later.
Log it as income on the day it arrives. It comes in the most expensive month of the year, so check your upcoming movements first for the installments and fixed bills due in January, and set that part aside in a savings goal.
Examples in El Salvador, in dollars
- ExampleSaturday pupusasSaying "pupusas, 12" is enough: the account is already in dollars, so the expense is $12.
- ExampleThe home internet billYou add it once as a $35 monthly recurring expense, and it shows up in your upcoming movements before the bill arrives.
- ExampleA fridge in 10 installmentsA $650 fridge in ten card installments: you log the total and the next ten months show $65 each.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kesef work in El Salvador?
Yes. Kesef is a free download in El Salvador on the App Store and Google Play and tracks your spending in dollars. How many people use it from El Salvador is at the top of the page, with the day's count.
Can I track my expenses in dollars?
Yes, and they look like this: $1,250.50. When you start, pick the US dollar as your main currency.
Do my Apple Pay payments log themselves in El Salvador?
Yes, with Kesef Pro on an iPhone running iOS 17 or later. There's no Apple Pay on Android.
Does Kesef have Mercado Pago in El Salvador?
No. Mercado Pago is offered in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. What logs itself, on iPhone, is Apple Pay.
Can Kesef help me keep the aguinaldo from vanishing in December?
It helps you see it before you spend it. Log it as income, check your upcoming movements for what's due in January and set that part aside in a savings goal. Kesef doesn't move your money: the goal is a record of what you set aside.
Sources and review date
Data checked on November 6, 2026. Bank promotions, deadlines and terms change: if you're deciding based on this, confirm on their site.