Another firkin for the Swan
The Swan orders two firkins and a keg every week. They have not paid for the last month. The owner knows, vaguely, but the order came in by text to the drayman, who loaded it without thinking because the Swan is a good account. At the end of the quarter the balance is large, the landlord is apologetic, and then the pub changes hands.
Small breweries are bad at chasing because they are friendly with their customers, and awkward conversations about money get put off until the balance is big enough to be really awkward.
Why debts build quietly
The ledger is in Xero, QuickBooks or Sage, looked at by whoever does the books once a week. Orders are taken by the owner, the drayman or the taproom manager, none of whom look at Xero. Reminders are sent when someone has time. And there is no agreed rule for when an account goes on stop, so every case is a judgement made under pressure.
- The people taking orders cannot see the account balance.
- Payment terms differ by account and nobody remembers which.
- Reminders are manual and irregular.
- There is no written rule for putting an account on stop.
- The drayman is the last person who could say no, and is not asked.
What the late payers cost
Cash tied up in beer already drunk, in a business where hops, malt and duty go out before the money comes in. Bad debts when a pub closes or changes tenant. Owner time on awkward calls. And unfairness: your prompt payers are effectively funding the slow ones.
How strict to be is your business decision. Our part is making sure the decision is made with the numbers in front of you.
Joining the ledger to the order
- We connect to Xero, QuickBooks or Sage through their APIs and read balances, overdue amounts and payment terms per trade account.
- Each account in your ordering process shows a simple status: fine, overdue, or on stop, using rules you set.
- When an order arrives for an overdue account, it is flagged in the order queue and sent to whoever decides, with the balance shown.
- On-stop accounts cannot be loaded onto the dray without an override that records who approved it.
- Reminders go out automatically at the points you choose, polite at first, with a statement and a payment link.
- A weekly list for the owner shows who owes what, how long for and how often they have been late.
| Account status | What happens to a new order | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Up to date | Processed as normal | Nobody needs to |
| Overdue | Flagged with balance | Owner or office |
| On stop | Held from the dray | Owner, with a recorded override |
| New account | Terms shown | Office sets terms |
Invoices stay in your accounts package; we do not replace it or change how your bookkeeper works.
A clear line, applied the same way
Overdue accounts are spotted when they order, not at quarter end. The drayman never has to be the debt collector. Reminders go out on time without anyone remembering to send them. The owner decides about exceptions with the balance in view, and those decisions are recorded, so you can see later which accounts you carried and why.
Most landlords pay once they are reminded promptly. The ones who do not are identified early, while the balance is still small.
Is this your debtor list?
- You have delivered to accounts that were already well overdue.
- Reminders go out only when someone has time.
- There is no agreed rule for putting a pub on stop.
- People taking orders cannot see balances.
- You have lost money when a pub changed hands.