Also called customer credit, udhaar, credit book, bahi khata
Khata is the shop's credit book. When a regular customer takes goods now and pays later, the amount goes into their khata. Payments are written against it, and the balance shows what is still owed. Many shops still keep it in a notebook.
Credit brings loyal customers, but it is also where money quietly gets lost. A notebook does not tell you which balances are getting old, does not remind anyone, and is hard to settle when a customer disputes an entry. The age of a balance matters as much as its size.
Mrs Sharma owes ₹4,250: ₹2,000 from March and ₹2,250 from this month. The March amount is the one to chase first. Okount keeps a credit ledger per customer, with limits, ageing and WhatsApp reminders, and entries are reversed with a reason, never deleted.