Program · Pay Per Fill
Dedicated Keg Leasing vs. Pay-Per-Fill (PPF): The Real Economics
A keg turning 4+ times locally at $8–15 a fill costs $32–60 a year. Our fixed rental is $18. Same keg. More margin on every pour.
Stop Paying Convenience Pricing on Volume You Already Control
Pay-Per-Fill (PPF) pooled programs serve a clear purpose for long-haul freight, out-of-state distribution, or erratic seasonal SKUs. But PPF severely penalizes breweries in their home markets. Pooled providers charge $8 to $15 every time a keg is filled. When a keg turns 4 to 6 times a year in local accounts, the brewery pays $32 to $60+ annually for that single shell—while absorbing barcode scanning, compliance audits, and fluctuating invoices. Keg Capital replaces variable usage fees with a flat $1.50/month dedicated lease ($18/year total).
For Brewery Leadership & CFOs (Predictable Cash Flow): Eliminate usage-based invoice volatility. A flat rate of $1.50/month means you know your exact cooperage expense on the first of every month, no matter how fast beer moves. Retain distributor deposits as operating float rather than forfeiting them to pooled suppliers.
For Cellar Crews & Packaging Managers (Zero Red Tape): Eliminate the administrative overhead of barcode scanning, logging, and reporting lost-keg audits. Local wholesalers already return your empties for free as part of standard delivery routes—stop paying third-party providers for a problem you do not have.
Financial & Operational Metric
Pay-Per-Fill (PPF) Pooled Model
Keg Capital Dedicated Lease
Ideal Application
Long-haul, out-of-state, seasonal surges
Taproom, local distribution, high-turn core volume
Annual Carrying Cost (4 Turns)
$32.00 – $60.00 / keg
$18.00 / keg ($1.50/mo)
Turn Cost Dynamics
Penalizes fast turns; cost scales with volume
Fixed cost; margin expands as turn velocity increases
Administrative Burden
Mandatory reporting, barcode scans & audits
Zero reporting, no scanning, zero audits
Fleet Identity
Generic, shared pooled shells
100% dedicated, custom-branded brewery steel
Behind Closed Doors: How Brewers Actually Talk About Pay-Per-Fill
“PPF made sense when we started expanding, but our monthly bill is all over the place and our local turns are killing us. Does anyone run a split fleet (dedicated for local, PPF for out-of-state)?”
The Industry Reality: Paying $12 per fill on beer poured 10 miles from your brewhouse drains taproom margins. Keg Capital advocates a split-fleet model: keep PPF for unpredictable long-haul routes, but switch high-turn core volume to dedicated flat-rate leasing.
Operational & Financial FAQs
Is dedicated keg leasing cheaper than Pay-Per-Fill for local accounts?
Yes. For kegs turning 4+ times a year, dedicated leasing saves $14 to $42+ per shell annually compared to PPF fill charges.
Do we have to track Keg Capital kegs with barcode software?
No. Keg Capital requires no compliance tracking, scanning devices, or reporting audits. Empties return through normal distributor reverse logistics.