Suishouji, a bookkeeping application, is now energizing a charity project. It is being used at 30 schools to consolidate "Free Lunch for Children", which was launched in September 2011 by Deng Fei, a reporter with the Phoenix Weekly.

The project has since notched up more than 150 million yuan ($24 million). The donations have been used at 465 schools in poverty-stricken areas of China. Around 500 journalists have joined the cause so far. The project is now operated by the China Social Welfare Foundation, with the Suishouji app set to play a key role in its evolution.

The "transparent app" was pioneered by Suishou Technology, an Internet-based financial company in Shenzhen. According to research firm Analysys International, the app accounts for more than 60 percent market share in China's individual online bookkeeping.