How to maintain a digital bahi khata (khata book) for your shop

The paper bahi khata loses money to forgotten udhaar and missed follow-ups. A digital khata keeps a running balance per customer so you always know who owes you and how much.

Step 1: Create a party for each customer and supplier

Add each regular customer and supplier once, with their phone number. Every future sale, credit and payment attaches to that party so their balance is always current.

Step 2: Record every sale as a bill

When you sell, record the amount against the customer. Cash sales settle immediately; credit sales (udhaar) leave a balance the customer owes you.

Step 3: Record every payment received

When a customer pays, record it against their account. The running balance drops automatically so you never double-chase a paid bill.

Step 4: Watch the outstanding and overdue columns

A good khata shows each party's outstanding balance, with overdue amounts flagged. Chase the biggest and oldest balances first.

Step 5: Send reminders on WhatsApp

Instead of awkward calls, send a polite payment reminder on WhatsApp with the exact balance and a link. Digital reminders get paid faster and keep the relationship intact.

Frequently asked questions