LWC Drinks: pay-by-link in the depot, and about 50% off card fees

LWC Drinks is the UK's largest independent drinks wholesaler. When you run 19 depots and thousands of on-trade customers, slow payments at the depot door are not a small inconvenience. They hold up deliveries, staff and cash flow.

About the client

LWC supplies beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks to the hospitality trade. On its own site it calls itself the UK's largest independent drinks wholesaler, with more than 15,500 customers served through 19 depots across the UK, and a range of over 8,000 products. Founded in 1979 and still independent, it combines national scale with local depot teams.

That footprint means payments happen in more than one place: at the depot, on the phone, and for ad hoc deliveries that do not fit a tidy standing order.

The challenge

Before the change, depot technology was outdated. Payments in the depot and for ad hoc deliveries were slow. Drivers and depot staff were stuck with a process that did not match how customers actually buy — especially when an order changes at short notice or a customer needs to pay away from a fixed till.

At the same time, card fees were higher than they needed to be. Fixing only the rate would have left the operational friction in place. Fixing only the tech without looking at cost would have left money on the table.

What we did

We helped LWC put a cleaner payments set-up around depot and ad hoc collection, with pay-by-link available by email or phone so a customer can settle without standing at an old terminal. Alongside that, we reviewed the acquiring deal and moved the commercial terms.

As with our other enterprise placements, the outline and contracts were completed in days — typically a week or two when the requirement is clear and both sides move.

The result

• Pay-by-link via email or phone at the depot, so staff can take payment for depot collections and ad hoc deliveries without relying on outdated kit.
• About a 50% fee cut on card processing costs.

Faster collection and a lower rate are the two outcomes that matter here. One improves the day-to-day operation; the other drops straight through to the bottom line.

How long it took

Outline and contracts were done in days — about a week or two. Rolling pay-by-link through depots still needs operational training and a sensible cutover plan; the commercial work does not have to wait months.

Next step

If depot or delivery payments are slow, or card fees look high for the volume you take, ask for a free rate review or get in touch.