Wholesale & distribution

Onboard a new reseller in a day without carrying their first order as a loss

In distribution the first order is usually the largest one, and margin is measured in single-digit points. A write-off does not cost you one order — it costs the gross profit on twenty more. Meanwhile sales wants the account opened this afternoon.

Typical terms
Net 30, some 2/10 net 30
Margin sensitivity
Every write-off costs 15-20x in revenue
Decision window
Same day, or the order goes elsewhere

Where the money actually goes missing

  • At a 6% margin, a $30,000 write-off requires half a million dollars of clean revenue to recover.
  • Sales pressure and credit discipline point in opposite directions on every new account.
  • Faxed reference forms come back days later, or never, and nobody chases them.
  • Repeat orders scale up quietly until the exposure is far past the limit that was originally approved.

The workflow, in the order it runs

Step 1

One credit application, on your letterhead

Replace the PDF your sales reps email around. Addresses, business numbers, banks and branches autofill, so the form comes back complete the first time.

Step 2

Automatic trade reference requests

The moment the application is signed, reference requests go to the suppliers they named — with reminders, so your credit team is not chasing them by phone.

Step 3

Bank confirmation on the accounts that carry real exposure

Run one only where the limit justifies it. Everything sits on the same signed customer authorisation.

Step 4

Set a limit and a review date

Approve with a limit, and the account comes back for review on a date you choose rather than whenever something goes wrong.

What ends up in the file

  • Highest credit extended by existing suppliers
  • Average days beyond terms
  • Whether any supplier has placed them on hold or in collections
  • Bank account standing and NSF history
  • PPSA registrations against the business assets
  • Corporate registry status and directors

CreditConfirm is not a bank, lender or credit bureau, and does not make your credit decision. It collects and verifies the information you decide on.

Other industries