Restaurant Operators Are Demanding Digital Payment Options: Are Distributors Ready?

    For decades, foodservice distributors have built businesses on relationships, reliability, and quality service. Restaurant operators count on you for timely deliveries, accurate orders, and quality products. But recently, a less visible part of the business has come under pressure: how you take payments and manage accounts receivable.

    As operators digitize their operations and modernize their workflows, their expectations around payments have evolved. Distributors who don’t adapt to this shift risk creating friction in an area that’s become increasingly important to operators.

    Let’s explore what’s changing and how your distributor A/R process can become a strategic advantage, not a bottleneck.

    Paper Invoices vs. Digital Payments

    Let’s be honest: paper-based A/R processes were not built for speed. Printing or emailing invoices, waiting on checks, manually logging payments, and chasing down late balances have been the norm for foodservice distributors. 

    It's familiar. It’s reliable. But it’s also time-consuming. Paper and manual payments create friction. Checks get delayed or lost. Reconciliation becomes a guessing game. Credits and rebates fall through the cracks. And as order volumes grow, those manual steps start to add up.

    Operators are moving fast. They’re managing food costs in real time, placing orders digitally, and tracking every dollar. When it comes time to pay their distributors, they expect that same level of efficiency and control. And when they’re asked to write a check or call in a credit card payment, it slows everything down—not just for them, but for you.

    Digital payments change the game. When invoices, order data, and payment options all live in the same connected platform, the result is faster payments, fewer errors, and a better experience for both sides.

    Rethinking Digital Payments: Myth vs. Reality

    When you've relied on the same A/R processes for years, it’s natural to be skeptical of changing how you get paid. Let’s take a look at some common concerns around digital payments and myths that surround them.

    Myth: Digital payments are complicated to set up and manage.
    Reality: The right digital payment platform is built for simplicity. It integrates with your existing workflows, handles reconciliation in real-time, and connects you with restaurant operators directly.

    Myth: Checks are more reliable and secure.
    Reality: ACH payments are encrypted, traceable, and eliminate the risk of lost mail or misplaced remittance. Funds go straight to your account, with less delay and less uncertainty.

    Myth: Offering digital payments means eating high processing fees.
    Reality: In-network ACH payments through the Meal Ticket Foodservice Network – an ecosystem that includes 10,000+ operators in the US – are cost-free (yes, really).

    Myth: Our operators don’t want to pay this way.
    Reality: As operators move toward digital-first workflows, a lack of payment flexibility from distributors is becoming a clear point of friction.

    Restaurant Operators Are Doing Business Differently

    Restaurant operators today are running leaner, more tech-enabled businesses than ever before. With restaurant back-of-house management software like MarketMan, operators now track food costs in real-time, monitor inventory digitally, and optimize purchasing workflows through integrated platforms.

    In this environment, manual invoicing and payment processes feel increasingly outdated. Operators want to pay distributors as easily as they order from them—with options, speed, and minimal friction.

    Our recent operator survey found:

    • 9 out of 10 operators using MarketMan prefer to receive invoices and make payments digitally.
    • 1 in 3 operators say that distributors not accepting digital payments is a challenge.
    • 40% of operators say they would switch to a distributor that accepts credit cards
    • 53% of operators ranked ACH as their most preferred payment method.

    These aren’t just preferences, they’re shifting expectations. For operators already managing tight margins and volatile food costs, payments should be simple, flexible, and fast.

    The Operational Drag of Traditional A/R

    Most distributors still rely on a mix of systems to manage accounts receivable: ERPs, accounting tools, spreadsheets, and manual outreach to follow up on outstanding invoices. 

    While this has worked for decades, it’s not without cost:

    • Labor-intensive processes: Collecting payments, resolving invoice disputes, and chasing down missing remittances takes staff time that could be spent on higher-value tasks.
    • Cash flow delays: Checks in the mail and delayed processing mean slower access to working capital.
    • Limited visibility: It’s harder to reconcile payments when data lives in multiple disconnected systems.
    • Processing fees: Third-party providers and card processors often take a cut, reducing your margins.

    These challenges are manageable when business is steady—but they become significant liabilities when volumes grow or when operator expectations shift.

    Why Better Payment Experiences Drive Better Customer Relationships

    It’s easy to think of payments as a back-office function. But the truth is, how you collect payments affects how your customers experience your business.

    When you offer a streamlined, digital payment process, operators respond. Why? Because they trust the experience. The ordering is easy, the pricing is transparent, and the payment process feels professional and predictable.

    Operators who are used to digital systems expect a smooth end-to-end experience. And if paying you is harder than paying a competitor, that friction can erode loyalty—no matter how good your products or services are.

    Stay Connected with Restaurant Operators 

    Meal Ticket is transforming the foodservice industry by seamlessly connecting suppliers, distributors, and operators through innovative data solutions and secure payment systems. 

    A first-of-its-kind infrastructure, the Meal Ticket Foodservice Network brings together the entire supply chain into a unified platform for real-time insights, integrated payments, and smarter transactions.

    As part of the Meal Ticket ecosystem, MarketMan—a real-time restaurant inventory management platform powered by Meal Ticket—extends distributor reach by connecting them with in-network operators to enable seamless digital payments, all through a system operators already use to manage their back-of-house operations.

    With Meal Ticket Payments, the first of many product releases under the The Meal Ticket Foodservice Network, distributors can:

    • Deposit funds faster, improve cash flow predictability, and boost revenue by ensuring they get paid fully and on time, every time with integrated payments. 
    • Save time and money spent chasing receivables with an all-in-one invoicing and payment processing platform powered by Adyen, Meal Ticket’s third-party payment processor
    • Save costs, reduce errors, and increase productivity with digitized invoicing, ACH deposits, and optional credit card payment processing
    • Create value for customers by meeting their need for flexible payment options
    • Access a new channel for finding and engaging operators
    • This kind of ecosystem is a game-changer. MarketMan operators get the flexibility and payment options they want, while you get paid faster, avoid fees, and unlock clean, actionable data.

    Rethinking A/R as a Growth Strategy with Meal Ticket Payments

    By modernizing your A/R with digital payment capabilities, you’re not just reducing overhead, you’re future-proofing your relationships and positioning your business for growth. Your current and potential operators are moving fast. They’re adapting to a changing industry, optimizing every process, and expecting more from the partners they rely on. 

    Now’s the time to meet them where they are. 

    Distributors who embrace digital payments through Meal Ticket Payments aren’t just improving collections, they’re unlocking exclusive, industry-leading value that can’t be found anywhere else.

     

    Ready to modernize your A/R, accept free ACH payments from MarketMan’s 10,000+ restaurant operators nationwide, and join a foodservice network designed for long-term growth? Click here to book a call and learn more about Meal Ticket Payments, part of the new Meal Ticket Foodservice Network.