Collecting customer debt without a fight

Handing goods over on credit is easy; getting the money back is hard. Most debtors are not acting in bad faith: they forgot, ran short or dispute the amount. Below is a way to get paid without a row — when and how to remind, what to write, what to avoid and when to stop giving credit. This is not legal advice.

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The short answer

A debt comes back in three stages. First, before you give credit: write down the amount, the due date and what was taken, and put a limit on customers you are unsure of. Second, when the date comes: a short, polite and precise reminder, sent to the debtor alone. Third, if they are late: offer instalments and stop new credit until the debt is settled. Threats, insults and naming the debtor in public will not bring the money back — you lose the customer and your good name.

Why they are not paying: four different cases

Each case needs a different approach. Work out which one you are facing first — then talk.

Forgot

The most common case. A short message the day before the due date often settles it on the spot.

Short of money

Offer instalments: even a small weekly amount reduces the debt and keeps you in touch. Record each payment straight away.

Disputes the amount

Do not argue — look at the record together: what was taken, for how much and how much is already paid. If the customer is linked to Telegram, the credit-sale receipt is already on their phone.

Avoiding you

Stop new credit, stay polite but firm, and tie any agreement to a specific date. If the sum is large, talk to a lawyer about the next step.

Prevention: keep debts from growing

The easiest debt to collect is one written down properly from the start. Everything below exists in BuySale, but the same rule works in a paper book.

Always set a due date. A credit sale at the till does not ask for one, and a till debt cannot be given a date later — a debt with no date is never marked overdue and never enters the reminder list. If you need a date, record the debt not at the till but on the “Add debt” screen or with the “add a debt for this customer” button in the customer card, date included — though then the item does not leave stock by itself.
Note what was taken — one line such as “flour, oil, 2 sacks” settles the argument later. A recorded debt cannot be edited by hand afterwards, so check it before saving.
Give an unreliable customer a credit limit (0 means no limit) or switch on the credit stop: a new debt over the limit is not recorded at the till or by hand.
Before giving credit, look at the coloured dot. It comes from the customer’s real history: someone who is now 14 or more days late, or who closed more than half of at least two past debts late, shows red, and writing a debt for them brings up a warning.
Got part of it? Record it at once: at the till you enter the amount received in the “how much the customer paid now” field, and the rest goes to the debt by itself.
Every morning open the two lists on the home screen: overdue debts and debts due today. The customer list is sorted by debt, so the biggest debtors are always on top.
Link the customer to Telegram through the shop’s link: after a credit sale the receipt reaches them automatically, and they see the balance under the “Qarzim” (My debt) button. More on the customer credit page.

Reminding: when and how

There are three moments — before the due date, on the day and after. The tone differs a little each time.

The day before

A gentle reminder: the amount and the date, nothing else. Many debts close right here — the customer simply forgot.

On the due date

Say the debt is due today and ask when suits them. If today is impossible, get an exact day: not “later” but “Thursday”.

Once overdue

Once every three days, by phone if you can. Offer instalments, pin the promise to a date and record each payment at once.

In BuySale this schedule lives in the Reminders section. You pick a mode per customer: Soft — one reminder the day before the due date; Medium — on the due date and every 3 days once overdue; Call — medium plus, once overdue, a prompt to phone and a message text with your shop’s card (if it is in your profile). One mode can also be set for the whole shop at once. The system checks hourly and shows a “needs reminding” entry in the log with a ready text: the Call button dials the number and Copy takes the text. You send the message yourself — the app sends no SMS and no Telegram reminders. The whole path from writing a debt to collecting it is in the credit management guide.

Ready-to-send reminder texts

Replace what is in brackets with your own details and send it from your own phone, by SMS or Telegram. One message, one topic: the amount, the date and the next step. In Uzbekistan these usually go out in Uzbek or Russian — the Uzbek and Russian versions of this page have them ready to copy.

A day before the due date

“Hello, [name]! This is [shop name]. Your debt of [amount] UZS is due tomorrow. Drop in whenever suits you — paying part of it is fine too. Thank you!”

On the due date

“Hello, [name]! Your debt of [amount] UZS is due today. If today does not work, just tell us which day you can come and we will note it down.”

A few days late

“Hello, [name]. Your debt of [amount] UZS was due on [date]. If the full amount is hard right now, pay part of it and we will agree a new date for the rest. We look forward to hearing from you.”

Long overdue

“Hello, [name]. Your debt is [amount] UZS and it was due on [date]. Until it is settled we cannot sell to you on credit — the rule is the same for every customer. Let us agree a schedule: how much can you pay each week?”

Talking without a row: seven rules

Write to or call the debtor alone — not through neighbours, relatives or their workplace.
Give the exact amount and date: not “you owe us” but “350 thousand, from 15 September”.
Keep the tone respectful: proper forms of address, “please” and “thank you”. No accusations, and never in front of other customers.
One message, one request: when and how much. Leave out long explanations and old grievances.
Turn a promise into a date: not “later” but “200 thousand on Thursday”. Put the date in the note.
Never refuse a part payment and record it at once — the balance drops, and a customer linked to Telegram sees the new balance under the “Qarzim” button.
After a payment, say thank you and state the exact balance left — the next conversation will be easier.

Do not: these methods do not get the money back

All of these inflame the conflict, damage the shop’s reputation and can lead to trouble with the law. What is and is not allowed in your situation is for a lawyer to say, not this page.

Threats, shouting and insults.
Posting their name, photo or debt on the door, in a Telegram group or on social media.
Calling relatives, neighbours or the employer to shame them.
Holding on to their passport, phone or other belongings as security.
Calling at night or ten times a day.
Raising the debt in front of other customers.

When to stop giving credit

Stopping credit is not a punishment; it stops the debt from growing. If any of these signs appear, give no new credit until the old debt is settled:

the due date has slipped more than twice and the promised days pass in silence;
new credit is asked for before the old debt is paid;
the customer’s coloured dot is red;
the debt is going past the ceiling you set for one customer.

In BuySale you do not have to remember this: in the customer card you set a credit limit or switch on the credit stop. After that no new debt is recorded at the till or by hand — and your seller cannot let it slide with “fine, they will pay later”. Who gets the right to sell on credit is covered in the staff permissions guide.

If you agree on instalments, make them specific: how much a week and on which day. Each payment is recorded against the debt and the balance goes down; more than the balance is refused, and payments taken during the day attach to the open shift — the cash that should be in the drawer.

If no agreement works

If the customer stays silent for a long time and the sum is large, this is no longer shop work but a legal matter. This page gives no legal advice: talk to a lawyer about the next step in your situation. Keep what they will need in order: in BuySale the customer card shows each debt’s amount, note, due date, status and paid part, and a recorded debt can be neither edited by hand nor deleted. If the customer is linked to Telegram, they hold the credit-sale receipts too.

What BuySale does not do when collecting

Sends the debtor no SMS, call or Telegram reminder by itself — it gives you the list and a ready text, and you get in touch.
Does not ask for a due date on a credit sale at the till, and a till debt cannot be given one later — a debt with a date is recorded on the “Add debt” screen or in the customer card (then the item does not leave stock by itself).
A recorded debt can be neither edited by hand nor deleted — you can only add a payment or deduct returned goods.
Does not charge interest or late fees.
The debtor cannot pay through the app: there is no link to Click, Payme or a bank, so a transfer to your card is recorded as a payment by you.
Gives no legal advice and does not enforce debts.

Questions about collecting debts

What if the debtor does not answer the phone?

Do not call over and over in one day. Leave a short written message — the amount, the date and when you will call again — and try again in two or three days. When the customer comes into the shop, talk face to face where others cannot hear. Pause new credit until the debt is settled.

How should a reminder message be worded?

Keep it short: a greeting, the shop name, the amount, the date and the next step (“when can you come in?”). No accusations and no mention of other people. There are four ready texts above — fill in the name, amount and date.

Does BuySale text the debtor by itself?

No. Neither an SMS service nor telephony is connected, and debt reminders do not go out over Telegram either. The app works out who to remind and when and shows it in the Reminders section with a ready text: the Call button dials the number and Copy takes the text. A customer linked to Telegram only receives the credit-sale receipt automatically.

What if the customer says “I never took that much”?

Do not argue — look at the record together. The customer card holds each debt’s amount, note, due date and paid part: if the note says what was taken, the conversation ends there. If the customer is linked to Telegram, they have the credit-sale receipt too. For next time, add a note to every debt.

If I take a part payment, where does the balance show?

The payment is recorded against the debt and the balance drops at once; once fully paid, the debt is marked paid. More than the balance is refused and you are told what is left. Payments taken during the day attach to the open shift. A customer linked to Telegram sees the new balance under the “Qarzim” button.

When should I stop giving credit altogether?

If the due date has slipped more than twice, new credit is asked for before the old debt is paid, or the customer’s dot is red, stop until the old debt is settled. In BuySale you do it with the credit stop in the customer card: no new debt is recorded at the till or by hand.

Is this page legal advice?

No. This is general advice from everyday shop practice: how to record a debt, how to remind and how to avoid a conflict. Legal steps and their conditions depend on your situation — talk to a lawyer about them.

Prepared by: the BuySale team · Checked: 04.10.2026 · Spotted a mistake? Tell us on Telegram

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Collecting customer debt without a fight

The short answer

Why they are not paying: four different cases

Forgot

Short of money

Disputes the amount

Avoiding you

Prevention: keep debts from growing

Reminding: when and how

The day before

On the due date

Once overdue

Ready-to-send reminder texts

A day before the due date

On the due date

A few days late

Long overdue

Talking without a row: seven rules

Do not: these methods do not get the money back

When to stop giving credit

If no agreement works

What BuySale does not do when collecting

Questions about collecting debts

Related pages

Debt book apps

Seller control

Reports

FAQ

Keep your credit book with due dates and limits