What Is Baki? Selling on Credit in Bangladeshi Shops

What Is বাকি? Selling on Credit in a Bangladeshi Shop

বাকি (baki) is the everyday practice of letting a customer take goods now and pay later, instead of paying cash at the counter — the backbone of trust between a দোকানদার and regular customers across Bangladesh. The risk is that paper notebooks lose track of who owes what, so Tukri — a mobile-first POS and বাকির খাতা (digital due book) for small shops — keeps a running per-customer balance with SMS, WhatsApp and tap-to-call reminders. This page explains what baki is, why it gets risky, and how a digital due book fixes it.

What does বাকি actually mean in a shop?

বাকি is a credit sale: the customer receives the goods immediately but the payment is recorded as owed and collected on a later day, often at month-end or after a harvest or salary. It is built on trust and is normal for regular, known customers — not the same as a formal loan.

Goods go out now, money comes in later
The unpaid amount becomes that customer's running due
Common for daily মুদি, pharmacy and hardware shops
Built on personal trust, usually with no interest

Why is tracking বাকি on paper risky?

A paper খাতা works for a tiny shop with a few names, but as customers grow it becomes hard to know the exact balance, who has paid, and who is overdue. Pages tear, ink fades, entries are forgotten, and an awkward dispute over the amount can cost you both the money and the customer.

No instant per-customer total — you add it up by hand
Forgotten or double entries quietly leak profit
No reminder, so old dues just sit unpaid
A torn or lost page means the proof is gone
Disputes over "how much do I owe" hurt the relationship

How does a digital due book like Tukri keep a running balance?

Tukri's বাকির খাতা / তালি খাতা stores every credit sale and every payment against the customer's name, so the exact outstanding balance updates instantly — no manual adding. You can also bill on the POS and split part to cash and part to Due in one go.

Live per-customer balance, always correct
Each baki sale and each repayment logged with date
Split a bill across cash, mobile-banking and Due
A statement PDF you can share with the customer
Works in বাংলা, even offline, then syncs

How do reminders help you collect বাকি faster?

Instead of remembering who is overdue, Tukri lets you send a friendly SMS or WhatsApp reminder or tap to call straight from the customer's ledger. The receivables-aging report also shows which dues are oldest, so you chase the right people first.

SMS / WhatsApp reminder from the ledger
Tap-to-call the customer in one tap
Receivables-aging report sorts dues by how old they are
Shareable statement so the amount is never disputed

Frequently asked questions

What is বাকি (baki)?

বাকি is selling goods on credit — the customer takes the product now and pays later. It is a normal, trust-based practice in Bangladeshi shops, and Tukri's digital বাকির খাতা records each baki sale and payment so the customer's balance is always exact.

Is বাকি the same as a loan?

No — বাকি is an unpaid balance for goods already taken from your shop, usually with no interest and no formal agreement, while a loan is lent money. Tukri tracks বাকি as a running per-customer due, separate from its কিস্তি (installment) feature for scheduled payments.

Is a paper বাকির খাতা good enough for my shop?

For a very small shop with a handful of regulars, a paper notebook can be fine. Once you have many credit customers and want instant balances, reminders and a shareable statement, a digital due book like Tukri saves time and stops dues from leaking away.

How does Tukri remind customers about বাকি?

Tukri lets you send an SMS or WhatsApp reminder, or tap to call the customer directly from their ledger, and its receivables-aging report shows the oldest dues first. This helps you collect বাকি faster without chasing everyone by memory.