In our latest webinar, the Pepper team showcased exciting new ways to help distributors streamline collections and improve cash flow. Hosted by Nick Ziech-Lopez with product experts Alvaro (Payments Product Manager) and James (Payments Implementation Lead), we walked through real-world use cases of Pepper’s newest payment tools and showed how they make life easier for AR teams, DSRs, and operators alike.

Introducing Smarter Tools for Collections

Distributors face one of the toughest challenges in the business: collecting payments efficiently, without straining customer relationships - and that’s where Pepper’s new features come in. Three core updates that directly address these challenges:

• Payment Plans – break down large, overdue balances into manageable installments.
• Live Statement Emails – keep operators consistently informed about their outstanding balances.
• Pay by Link – generate one-click, shareable payment links that make it easy for customers to pay on the spot.

Inside the Distributor Workflow

Alvaro kicked things off by walking through the Pepper Management Center (PMC), the back-end portal AR teams use every day. From unpaid invoices, he showed how distributors can now:

• Filter overdue invoices by date range.
• Move customers onto tailored payment plans (weekly, monthly, or custom).
• Automatically send daily or weekly live statements, keeping balances front-and-center.

The key takeaway: these tools give AR teams more flexibility to meet operators where they are, whether that’s a structured plan for long-standing debt or a simple daily reminder email for recent balances.

Payment Plans: Relief for Customers, Predictability for Distributors

Payment plans shine when operators have large, aging balances. Instead of letting debt linger, distributors can now set up recurring installments that the customer accepts via email or text.

From the operator side, James showed how straightforward it is:

• Operators receive a simple breakdown of invoices and a clear payment schedule.
• They can use saved payment methods or add new ones instantly.
• Once accepted, both the operator and distributor receive confirmation emails.

As James put it, “It gives the operator peace of mind, and it gives you predictability in collections.”

Live Statements: Daily Nudges That Drive Action

Not every account needs a payment plan. For customers who usually pay on time but need reminders, live statement emails are the perfect tool.

Instead of waiting for paper statements or manual follow-ups, AR teams can set up daily, weekly, or monthly emails that link operators directly to their balance in Pepper. And because statements are live, they always reflect the most current status—no more confusion about what’s been paid or not.

Pay by Link: Frictionless Payments Anywhere

One of the most exciting updates: Pay by Link.

Both AR teams and DSRs can now generate secure payment links for selected invoices. These links can be shared via text, email, or even WhatsApp, allowing operators to pay immediately without logging into an app or portal.

This feature is especially powerful for DSRs, who are often on the frontlines with customers. As Alvaro explained, “The DSR might be in the store, have the conversation, and send the link on the spot.”

Trends We’re Seeing

The team also shared some early insights:

• Statement Emails drive the highest average transaction sizes, since customers often clear multiple invoices at once.
• Pay by Link payments skew smaller, but happen faster, thanks to the low friction.

The big picture? Making it easier to pay means more operators stay current, and distributors collect faster.

Final Thoughts

Distributors don’t just need software, they need software that gets them paid. With Payment Plans, Live Statements, and Pay by Link, Pepper is giving AR teams and DSRs the tools to reduce overdue balances, strengthen customer relationships, and simplify collections.