Bent Water Distributing Uses paylink to Reduce Outstanding AR by 50%

Bent Water Distributing quickly reduces outstanding AR and improves employee efficiency through the use of Encompass' digital payment solution, paylink.

January 11, 2023

INDUSTRY: Distributor/Brewery   PRIMARY BEVERAGE: Beer & Seltzer   

Bent Water Distributing, the distribution arm of Bent Water Brewing, services nearly 1,500 retail accounts across Massachusetts. Their name is built on the concept of blending art and science to bend the clean, crisp water in Lynn, MA into unique beer and seltzer. In addition to delivering their products to the local market, they also work with distribution partners to reach New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida.

Bent Water Sought Faster Retail Payment Collection Time

Bent Water used to spend a significant amount of time collecting payments from their retailers. Outstanding payments, manual reconciliations, and chasing check and cash payments became frustrating tasks for their accounting team, sales reps, and drivers. Bent Water needed a more effective and efficient way to collect retailer payments. 

If you look at the time frame of a retailer writing a check, mailing a check, picking up the check, opening the check, applying it in Encompass, And then driving to a bank to deposit it… you're talking about 10 to 12 days spent on one payment.

Kim Schillinger

Accounts Receivable Manager, Bent Water Brewing

10-12 days was just the average time spent processing a payment. Some of Bent Water’s accounts were taking nearly 200 days to pay outstanding invoices. Bent Water knew they needed a solution that could enable fast and secure digital payments while simplifying the payment collection process in order to refocus time on growing the business.

Bent Water Sees Immediate Benefits After paylink Implementation

Requests from sales reps and retailers inspired Bent Water to begin searching for a digital payment solution. When they discovered paylink was fast, flexible, and integrated with their Encompass RAS for distribution, they decided to implement the solution. PayLink quickly delivered significant benefits for Bent Water.

paylink is secure, fast, and efficient! We have been able to attach links to all of our invoices and statements. Our customers just click a link and it brings them right to a payment screen. It’s just that easy! It has really helped to make an impact on collecting payments. Bent Water wants to offer easy solutions for our customers to pay online.

Kim Schillinger

Accounts Receivable Manager, Bent Water Brewing

Bent Water saw a steady increase in the adoption of digital payments since implementation. In 2022, paylink represented: 

Bent-Water-PayLink-Impact-Graphic

The steady adoption of paylink is attributed to ease of use and the one-time payment option which enables retailers to pay as a guest without having to register, converting more customers to online payments with speed.

About 50% of our paylink customers are one-time payers, which is helping to clear up past due invoices with the one-time payment option through our customers' bank or credit card. The one-time payment is easy to use so much less cumbersome.

Kim Schillinger

Acounts Receivable Manager, Bent Water Brewing

The ongoing results of Bent Water’s use of paylink have streamlined their customer relationships and eliminated manual processes. The results showed improved efficiency in their AR department and shortened payment collection time. Bent Water has also expedited adoption by including easy access to the payment page with links in email invoices and QR codes on digital and print invoices.

Bent Water Leans on paylink to Cut Outstanding AR and Reduce Average Days to Pay

Bent Water cut its outstanding AR in half within the first six months using paylink.

paylink is my new AR Super Hero! It really is the Venmo of the beer industry! We cleaned up a ton of old AR and I was able to take accounts off hold. The ‘click-and-pay’ option is fast and easy!

Kim Schillinger

Acounts Receivable Manager, Bent Water Brewing

They’ve simplified their accounting processes to save time which has since been refocused on more important, revenue-driving actions like boosting sales and opening online ordering channels for their retailers. 

It takes 24 hours for a retailer’s payment online to hit our bank account from when they schedule it. paylink transaction data flows right into our RAS system. It’s a huge time saver.

Kim Schillinger

Acounts Receivable Manager, Bent Water Brewing

Bent Water's Vision of the Future

Bent Water’s distribution arm leveraged paylink to expedite payments, reduce outstanding AR, and simplify transactions. This has positively impacted relationships between Bent Water and their customers in addition to positively impacting employee efficiency for accounting and sales by eliminating the need to chase checks. It also allows them to get funds into their bank account faster. Bent Water has an aggressive growth plan for 2023 and they plan to lean on Paylink to help them reach their goals.

Looking forward, Bent Water will be rolling out dsdlink, an online ordering platform connecting retailers to distributors. paylink is fully integrated with dsdlink, streamlining the overall ordering and payment experience for retailers, all from a single platform. This move will further strengthen their relationship with retailers through technology that makes it easy to order online at their convenience. dsdlink and paylink will be essential solutions to support their aggressive growth plans. 


Interested in taking advantage of paylink digital payments for your business? Speak with our team today. 

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