How to maintain an udhar khata (credit ledger) for a kirana store
Udhar builds loyalty — the family that buys on credit from you won’t walk to the supermarket. But unmanaged udhar quietly eats your working capital. Here is a simple routine that shop owners across India use to keep credit under control.
The basics: what every entry needs
Each line in your khata should have four things:
- Customer — name and mobile number (the number is what makes reminders possible).
- Date
- Type — Gave (दिए, udhar given) or Got (मिले, payment received).
- Amount and a short note — “atta 10kg + oil”, “cash”, “UPI”.
The balance is simply total Gave minus total Got. A digital khata works this out after every entry, so you never re-add a page.
Set a credit limit for each customer
Decide a comfortable maximum per customer based on how long they’ve shopped with you and how reliably they pay:
| Customer type | Suggested limit | Settlement |
|---|---|---|
| New, under 3 months | ₹500–1,000 | Weekly |
| Regular family | ₹2,000–5,000 | Monthly, by the 7th |
| Small business (tea stall, tiffin service) | Agreed in advance | Weekly or fortnightly |
When someone crosses their limit, collect part of the balance before giving more credit. Being consistent avoids awkwardness.
Daily and monthly routine
Every day: record each udhar and payment at the counter, not from memory at night. Voice entry helps during rush hour.
Every Sunday: scan the customer list sorted by balance and check who is close to their limit.
1st of the month: send a WhatsApp reminder with a UPI link to everyone with a balance. See our reminder message templates.
10th of the month: call anyone who hasn’t paid. Offer a part-payment plan.
Avoiding bad debts
- Don’t give fresh udhar to someone with a balance older than 60 days.
- Share a PDF statement when there is a dispute — dated entries end most arguments.
- Track your total outstanding. If it is more than one or two weeks of sales, you are funding customers with money your wholesaler wants.
Udhar, bills and GST
Udhar is a payment arrangement; it doesn’t change the GST on a sale. If you are GST-registered, issue a tax invoice for the sale as usual. DoAide Khata’s bill page calculates CGST + SGST (or IGST for inter-state), makes a PDF, and can add the total straight to the customer’s khata. To check a rate, use the free GST calculator.
Start your free udhar khata — no signupFrequently asked questions
What is an udhar khata?
An udhar khata (or bahi khata) is a ledger where a shopkeeper records goods given on credit to each customer and the payments received, so the outstanding balance is always known.
How do I calculate a customer’s balance?
Add up everything given on credit and subtract the payments received. A digital khata like DoAide Khata does this automatically after every entry.
How much udhar should a kirana store give?
Many shop owners keep total outstanding below one to two weeks of sales and set per-customer limits based on how reliably each customer pays.
Can I move my old paper khata to a digital one?
Yes. Add each customer and enter their current balance as one opening entry, then record new transactions digitally from that day.