Revbank

Service: Revbank
Operational Status	Working
Location	Aula associazioni
Super Users	Dr-marco
Owner	MuHack
Last Update	2026-01-13
URIs

Overview

Revbank is a Payment System for Hackerspaces. It allows members to keep track of how much money they gave to MuHack and deduct how much they paid in drinks and stuff.

RevBank is a lightweight payment and accounting system used by MuHack and other RevSpace locations to track member contributions, purchases, and refunds. Members scan product barcodes at the terminal located in Aula associazioni, then enter their account name or use commands such as `pay`, `withdraw`, `give`, or `split` to manage balances. The system has been operational since 2011 but is still actively maintained and tweaked.

Source and Reference

More info about revbank system are available on the github repository and on the revspace wiki post:

• https://github.com/revspace/revbank
• https://revspace.nl/RevBank (in dutch)

RevBank Implementation at MuHack

RevBank is currently working on the muhacktotem near the main cabinet. Use barcode scanner to scan the product IDs that you are buying.

Getting started

First of all, if you want to use the RevBank system you need to create an account with the open terminal on the muhacktotem pc. To do that, use the "adduser" command. Every time you want to deposit same cash into your RevBank account, reach out the treasurer or a member of the MuHack board and use the "deposit" command.

FAQ

Is RevBank stable?

In the sense of "works reliably": yes, RevSpace has been using it since 2011. In the sense of "doesn't change": no, it's still being tinkered with occasionally. Efforts are made to keep the command structure consistent, as many users use the system without thinking about it.

Is RevBank secure?

No, RevBank is entirely based on trust. The revbank terminal is generally near supplies and an open cash box, so it's only suitable if you can trust your visitors. You can pay in someone else's name ("Can you get me a cola?"), take money from other users, and mess up the data files. Admins are advised to make lots of backups.

How...

How do I get a list of all commands?

With the "help" or "help2" commands.

How do I create a new account?

With the "adduser" command.

How do I pay for something?

First scan the products, then type/scan your account name.

How do I pay on someone else's account?

By typing/scanning their name instead of your own.

How do I pay for multiple of the same item?

By typing "2x" or "2*" before the product, or "x2" or "*2" after the product.

How do I check my account balance?

Type/scan your account name without scanning products first. You'll see your recent transactions and balance.

How do I check my recent transactions?

Type/scan your account name without scanning products first. You'll see your recent transactions and balance.

How do I look further back than the above allows?

With the "log" command.

How do I withdraw money from my account?

With the "withdraw" command.

How do I give money to another user?

With the "give" command.

How do I split the cost of a pizza?

After scanning the pizza, type the "split" command.

How do I fix a mistake if I haven't checked out yet?

With the "abort" command, you start over with a clean slate. This command works everywhere in RevBank, regardless of the prompt.

How do I fix a mistake after I've checked out?

With the "undo" command, you can reverse a recent transaction. This restores the balances of the involved accounts with a correction entry.

How do I offer a product for sale in the "market"?

Come up with a product ID and check it's not already used in RevBank. Stick a barcode with that ID on all products. With the "market" command, you enter the editor. There you can add a line to the text file. Note: the price of a market product is the sum of the amount going to the seller and the amount going to the space. Both components must be greater than 0.

How do I close RevBank?

RevBank intentionally has no command for this, because the primary payment terminal must always work. If you started an extra revbank process, you can safely kill it; if you're working via a shell, you can return to your shell by stopping RevBank with ctrl+Z; this gives a job id you can finish with, e.g., `kill %1`.