The problem
Vineyards selling to local restaurants, pubs and shops often wait well past 30-day terms, and phoning a chef during service rarely works. A vineyard raising 25 trade invoices a month, with 8 going late and 20 minutes of chasing each, spends 160 minutes, nearly 3 hours a month, and money owed by trade customers isn't paying for bottles and labels before harvest.
What the AI does
Xero is online accounting software. Its invoicing page says it flags invoices once they pass the due date, checks your bank to see which are unpaid and emails polite reminders on your behalf, and it can add a Pay now button through providers such as Stripe and GoCardless. Its pricing page doesn't say which plans include the reminders, so check during the trial. Send every trade invoice from Xero with clear 30-day terms and the delivery note number; reminders go out automatically, and you only phone the accounts that still haven't paid.
A worked example
A vineyard in Essex sells to 18 restaurants, pubs and farm shops, raising about 25 trade invoices a month averaging $532£400€476A$768C$752. About 8 a month go late and are chased by phone.
Before
8 late invoices chased by phone at 20 minutes each: about 2.7 hours a month
After
Reminders emailed automatically, with about 3 late payers a month still phoned: 1 hour
What it's worth
About $68£51€61A$98C$96 a month in time saved, against $52£39€46A$75C$73 for Xero Grow, or nothing extra if you already use it. That is 1.7 hours a month (2.7 down to 1) at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour. Grow is needed because Ignite stops at 20 invoices a month and this vineyard raises 25. Getting paid nearer 30 days matters more before harvest, but isn't valued here.
How to set it up
- Start a Xero trial, add your trade customers with 30-day terms, and check the plan you pick includes invoice reminders.
- Send every trade invoice from Xero with the delivery note number on it.
- Turn on invoice reminders and edit the wording so it sounds like you.
- Connect your bank feed so paid invoices are marked off and reminders stop.
- Each Monday, check the overdue list and phone anyone more than 14 days late.
What goes wrong
- Xero's pricing page doesn't say which plans include automatic reminders; confirm in the trial before paying.
- Reminders only work on invoices sent from Xero with a due date, and only stop when the bank feed marks them paid.
- Some restaurants pay through an accounts department that ignores the chef's inbox. Get the right accounts address when you open each account.
- Xero prices exclude VAT.