Credit management software that follows every account on credit
Reviewed in October 2026
Credit management covers two jobs. Deciding who gets credit and making sure it gets paid on time. Makatea runs the second job for businesses that sell on credit terms. It follows every open account, reminds customers on WhatsApp and email and shows which accounts are slipping. Start free for 14 days with no card.
Every account on credit in one view
Balance, terms, days past due and the last contact for each customer.
Early warning
Makatea flags customers who paid late last month or broke a promise. You see the risk before the next order.
Reminders by stage
Preventive before the due date, firmer after it. Each stage has its message and channel.
Promise and plan tracking
Promises to pay and installment plans are saved with their dates and followed up on them.
Weekly diagnosis
A score from 0 to 100 of your collections, with the accounts that changed most.
Exports for credit decisions
Export payment behaviour by customer to review limits and terms in your own system.
The credit control cycle with Makatea
| Step | Who does it |
|---|---|
| Set credit terms and limits | Your team, in your accounting system |
| Invoice the sale | Your billing system |
| Remind before the due date | Makatea |
| Follow up overdue accounts | Makatea, then your team for the short list |
| Record payments and promises | Makatea |
| Review limits with payment history | Your team, with Makatea's export |
Signals that an account needs attention
- A customer who always paid on time is now five days late.
- A promise to pay passed without payment.
- Partial payments that get smaller each month.
- Balances moving from the 1 to 30 day bucket into 31 to 60.
- No reply to two reminders in a row.
Makatea puts these accounts at the top of the morning list. Your team calls them before the balance grows.
Example with figures
A building materials distributor in Durban sells to 400 contractors on 30-day terms. Its open AR is R3.2 million.
| Bucket | Balance | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Current | R1,760,000 | 55% |
| 1 to 30 days | R800,000 | 25% |
| 31 to 60 days | R384,000 | 12% |
| Over 60 days | R256,000 | 8% |
Reminders before the due date go to the 55% that is current. The 1 to 30 day group gets follow-ups on WhatsApp. The team calls the 31 to 60 and over 60 groups.
Credit management for B2B customers
Business customers pay through someone who reads email and someone who decides on WhatsApp. Makatea reaches both.
The email carries the invoice and the statement of account. The WhatsApp message carries the amount and the date.
A credit policy in six lines
A credit policy does not need to be long. A small business can run on six rules that everyone on the team knows.
- Payment terms. For example 30 days from the invoice date for approved customers.
- Credit limit. A maximum open balance for each customer, reviewed every quarter.
- New customers. The first orders are paid in advance or on delivery.
- Reminders. Before the due date, on the day and after it, on WhatsApp and email.
- Hold. No new credit sale when an invoice is more than 30 days late.
- Review. Limits go up for customers who pay on time and down for those who do not.
Makatea runs rule four on its own and gives you the data for rules five and six.
What to look for in credit management software
- The aging of each account in one view, by days past due.
- Payment history per customer, to review limits with facts.
- Reminders that start before the due date, not after it.
- Promises to pay with their date and whether they were kept.
- An export of balances and history for your accounting system.
- Alerts when a reliable customer starts paying late.
Makatea covers the follow-up and the history. Limits and terms stay in your accounting system or ERP.
Credit management numbers to watch
| Number | How to calculate it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| DSO | Receivables ÷ credit sales × days | How long customers take to pay |
| Current share | Balance not yet due ÷ total receivables | How much of the book is healthy |
| Over 60 days | Balance over 60 days ÷ total receivables | How much is at risk |
| Promises kept | Promises paid on their date ÷ promises made | How reliable each customer's word is |
| Bad debt ratio | Amounts written off ÷ credit sales | What credit really costs you |
Review these numbers every month. A change of direction matters more than one bad month.
Credit management without a credit team
Most small businesses have no credit manager. The owner or the bookkeeper does it between other jobs.
That works when the routine runs on its own. Reminders go out, payments get recorded and the list of accounts to call arrives every Monday.
Makatea takes the routine. The owner keeps the decisions on limits, terms and who gets credit.
Credit management for schools, landlords and distributors
| Business | Main credit risk | What helps most |
|---|---|---|
| Schools | Families falling behind on fees mid-term | Reminders before each fee date and short payment plans |
| Landlords | Rent arrears that build up month after month | A reminder before rent day and a plan at the first missed month |
| Distributors | Shops that order more while old invoices are open | A hold on new credit once an invoice passes 30 days |
| Service firms | Large clients that pay at their own pace | A monthly statement and a reminder to their payables team |
Each case starts with the same habit. Remind early, record every promise and act when a promise is missed.
Details for owners and bookkeepers
- Makatea shows each customer's payment history, promises and days late. Use it to raise or lower limits with facts.
- Makatea works for businesses billing other businesses and for those billing families, tenants or members.
- Invoices, credit limits and the ledger stay in your accounting system. Makatea runs the reminders and keeps the follow-up history.
- The follow-up history exports to Excel for the month-end review.
Pricing
| Plan | USD per month | Customers | Users | WhatsApp lines | Messages a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | 119 | Up to 500 | 2 | 2 | 300 |
| Momentum | 219 | Up to 1,000 | 5 | 4 | 700 |
| Scale | 349 | Up to 3,000 | 10 | 8 | 2,000 |
Every plan includes all of Makatea and starts with 14 days free with no card. The annual plan costs ten months for twelve. Above 3,000 customers the plan is set by volume.
Who uses Makatea for credit management
- Distributors and wholesalers selling to shops and contractors.
- Manufacturers with dealers on credit terms.
- Service firms billing companies every month.
- Schools offering fee plans by term.
Free on Makatea: proforma invoice template · promissory note template · rent receipt template · free invoice generator
Frequently asked questions
Does Makatea set credit limits?
No. Limits and terms stay in your accounting system. Makatea runs the follow-up and exports the payment history.
Does Makatea charge a commission on collections?
No. You pay a monthly plan and the money goes straight to your account.
Can Makatea work with my ERP?
Yes. Use the REST API and webhooks, or upload a CSV export.
Can I see which customers are getting riskier?
Yes. Late payments and broken promises move a customer up the morning list.
How fast can I start?
The same day. Upload your open accounts and choose the reminders.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. 14 days free with every feature and no card.
What is the difference between credit management and credit control?
Credit management covers the whole cycle, from approving a customer to collecting. Credit control is usually the collection part, after the invoice.
Can Makatea pause credit for a customer?
No. Credit limits and holds stay in your billing system. Makatea shows which customers are late so you can decide.
Your recurring collections on autopilot
Makatea sends the reminders over WhatsApp and email, records every payment and tells you who to follow up with first.
14 days free · No card
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