The News
Next Glass, which operates Ekos and Ollie platforms, announced the launch of PaySmart, a new payment solution for U.S. alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage producers. The company is offering a $0.26 per invoice promotion for six months to customers who enroll by April 20. PaySmart does not require subscription fees, monthly platform fees, or setup costs. It integrates directly into Ekos and Ollie to streamline payments and reduce manual work.
Next Glass announced PaySmart, a new payment layer that focuses on the economics of U.S. beverage distribution rather than headline‑grabbing marketing. Operators who juggle open versus control channel mix and the cost of moving product from warehouse to cash register will ask whether this service actually reduces supply‑chain friction.
PaySmart offers a $0.26 per‑invoice promotion for six months, with no subscription or set‑up fees. That rate beats the 1 % monthly fee that BMO charges on its installment plan. In a market where North America accounts for roughly 42 % of global smart‑payment revenue and retail alone represents more than one third, the appeal lies in the frequency of small, high‑volume invoices common to craft spirit production.
The integration with Ekos and Ollie lets orders trigger electronic funds transfers automatically, cutting out manual data exports and the delays tied to paper checks. For producers already using these platforms for inventory, compliance, and reporting, the result is a more predictable cash‑flow cycle and less labor spent on reconciliation—an advantage distributors can turn into tighter depletions and better forecast accuracy.
PaySmart is a service layer, not a consumer SKU. Those already on Ekos or Ollie will find incentive to lock in the payment system for the promotion’s duration, while operators off those platforms may see the cost advantage as a springboard to adopt them more widely. Bars and retailers receive no direct benefit unless they buy from producers who use PaySmart; the channel play is strictly upstream.
With $0.26 per invoice versus the industry’s typical 1 % fee structure, Next Glass is carving out a niche in the U.S. beverage supply chain that could change how producers manage cash flow.
Original Press Release
Next Glass, which operates leading craft beverage production management platforms Ekos and Ollie, today announced the launch of PaySmart, a fully integrated payments platform designed to help U.S. alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage producers streamline collections, reduce manual reconciliations, and improve cash flow.
To mark the release of this new product, Next Glass is offering all Ekos and Ollie customers who enroll with PaySmart by April 20 special $0.26 per invoice pricing for six months. PaySmart will not require a subscription, monthly platform fee, or any setup or implementation fees.
“We built PaySmart to address the feedback of our nearly 2,000 producer customers who have consistently asked us for a lower-cost payment solution that is fully embedded in their business management system of choice, Ekos or Ollie,” said Trace Smith, CEO of Next Glass. “For too long, our customers have suffered from overpriced payments and clunky, off-platform payment solutions requiring manual exports of data from Ekos and Ollie. We are thrilled to deliver this fully embedded, cost-effective option that saves our customers time and money relative to existing alternatives.”
PaySmart transforms the fragmented order-to-cash process into a single automated workflow inside Ekos and Ollie—replacing paper checks, third-party portals, and disconnected accounting exports with a seamless, secure payments experience.
With PaySmart, producers can move from order creation to invoice settlement without ever leaving Ekos or Ollie. The moment an invoice is delivered, EFT payments are automatically triggered, improving cash flow and predictability.
PaySmart delivers measurable value across operations and finance teams, including:
Get Paid Days or Weeks Faster: Move from slow checks and manual terms to automated EFT that kicks in the moment an invoice hits “delivered,” improving cash flow and predictability.
Zero-Chase Collections: PaySmart handles reminders, invoice visibility, and collection flows so you don’t spend time emailing or calling buyers.
Automate the Busywork: Save hours weekly with automated reconciliation, invoice status tracking, and built-in bank verification—no more matching deposits to orders.
Faster Cash Flow With Predictable, Low-Cost ACH: Accelerate payments and eliminate expensive card fees with a simple, transparent ACH structure. Because payments are fully embedded within Ekos, buyers benefit as well. They can securely enter bank details once, manage invoices in a single portal, and avoid check stock, mail delays, and late-payment fees—creating a smoother experience for both parties.
PaySmart was designed for U.S.-based alcohol and non-alcoholic beverage producers with simplicity in mind. Producers pay a flat per-invoice ACH fee with no monthly platform fees or upfront implementation fees.
“In my experience of personally working with hundreds of producers of all sizes, one of the most consistent pain points I’ve seen is the gap between managing orders and actually getting paid,” says Alexandra Chason, Growth Initiatives Manager at Next Glass. “From jumping off the core ERP to use a standalone payment solution, to manually chasing down payments, to losing visibility in the order-to-cash workflow—the pain adds up fast. PaySmart closes all of those gaps. With invoicing, collections, and EFT settlement built directly into Ekos and Ollie, producers aren’t duct-taping a workflow together anymore. It’s all there, and it actually reflects how their business runs day-to-day.”
U.S. craft beverage producers can save big on PaySmart when they enroll before April 20 by capturing $0.26 per invoice pricing for six months.
Committed to being the lowest-cost payment solution on the market, PaySmart eliminates subscription and implementation fees and long-term commitments, providing a clear path for producers to reduce payment costs and focus on what they do best: making delicious products for their consumers.
Producers interested in saving money and headaches can create a free PaySmart account today.
Source: BevNET