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Trade Account Due Diligence & AWRS Policy

At Love Beer, we are committed to responsible alcohol supply and to meeting our obligations as an approved alcohol wholesaler.

This policy explains the checks we may carry out when a business applies for a Love Beer trade account or places trade orders with us. These checks help us make sure alcohol is supplied only to legitimate businesses and in line with UK alcohol licensing and HMRC Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme requirements.

1. Why we carry out checks

Love Beer supplies alcoholic products to trade customers. As part of our legal and regulatory responsibilities, we must take reasonable steps to understand who we are trading with, how alcohol purchased from us will be used, and whether any additional approval or licensing requirements apply.

These checks help prevent alcohol duty fraud, unlawful resale, misuse of trade accounts, and supply to businesses that should hold approval but do not.

2. Information we ask for

When you apply for a trade account, we may ask for information including:

  • your business name and trading name;
  • company number, if applicable;
  • business type;
  • incorporation date or trading history;
  • contact name, phone number and email address;
  • billing and delivery address;
  • whether alcohol purchased from us will be supplied to another business;
  • your AWRS Unique Reference Number, if applicable;
  • whether your business or venue holds a premises licence or other relevant alcohol licence.

We may ask for additional information where required to complete our checks.

3. AWRS checks

The Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme, known as AWRS, is operated by HMRC. Businesses that wholesale alcoholic products to other businesses may need to be approved under AWRS.

If you tell us that alcohol purchased from Love Beer will be supplied, resold, distributed, brokered or otherwise made available to another business, we may ask for your AWRS Unique Reference Number.

We may verify your AWRS status using HMRC’s online AWRS checking service. We may also save evidence of that check for our records.

If AWRS approval appears to be required but you cannot provide a valid AWRS number, we may place your application or account on hold until the position is clarified.

4. When AWRS may not be required

AWRS is not usually required where a business buys alcohol from us only to sell directly to consumers, for example through a licensed pub, bar, restaurant, café, shop or event.

However, if your business also supplies alcohol to other businesses, venues, retailers, caterers, event operators, wholesalers or resellers, AWRS may apply.

A premises licence or temporary event notice does not replace AWRS approval where AWRS is required.

5. Alcohol licensing checks

If your business sells or supplies alcohol to the public, we may ask for details of your premises licence, club premises certificate, temporary event notice or other relevant alcohol authorisation.

We may ask for:

  • the licence number;
  • the licensing authority;
  • the licensed premises address;
  • event details, where relevant;
  • confirmation that alcohol purchased from us will be sold or supplied lawfully.

We reserve the right to hold or refuse alcohol supply where licensing information is missing, unclear or inconsistent with the order.

6. Business identity and delivery checks

We may carry out checks to confirm that your business appears genuine and that the details provided are consistent.

These checks may include reviewing:

  • Companies House information;
  • business name and trading name;
  • business address and delivery address;
  • website or public business presence;
  • payment details;
  • order size and frequency;
  • whether the order is consistent with your stated business type.

We may ask for clarification where details do not match or where an order appears unusual.

7. Account approval

Submitting a trade-account application does not guarantee approval for alcohol supply.

We may approve an account, approve it with conditions, request further information, place the account on hold, suspend supply, or decline the application.

Examples of conditions may include:

  • limiting first orders;
  • requiring payment from the applicant’s own business account;
  • delivering only to verified business or licensed premises;
  • requiring licence or AWRS evidence before dispatch;
  • carrying out additional checks before bulk or repeat orders.

8. Circumstances where we may hold or refuse supply

We may hold, suspend or refuse a trade account or alcohol order where:

  • required application information is missing;
  • business details cannot be verified;
  • alcohol will be supplied to another business but no valid AWRS number is provided;
  • AWRS details do not match the applicant;
  • licensing information is missing or unclear;
  • delivery or payment details appear inconsistent;
  • order volumes are unusual for the business type;
  • we believe there is a risk of unlawful resale, diversion, fraud or misuse of the account;
  • false, inaccurate or misleading information has been provided.

9. Ongoing monitoring

Our checks are not limited to the initial application.

We may review an account again if there is a change in business name, ownership, trading address, delivery address, licensing position, AWRS status, order pattern, payment method or intended use of alcohol purchased from us.

Customers must tell us promptly if any information provided during the application changes.

10. Customer responsibility

By applying for or using a Love Beer trade account, you confirm that:

  • the information you provide is true, accurate and complete;
  • your business will use the account only for lawful business purposes;
  • you hold any licence, approval or authorisation required for your activities;
  • you will notify us if your licensing position, AWRS status, business details or intended use of alcohol changes;
  • alcohol purchased from Love Beer will not be resold, supplied or distributed unlawfully.

11. Records

We may keep records of trade-account applications, due diligence checks, AWRS checks, licence information, correspondence, account decisions and order reviews.

These records are kept for compliance, audit, fraud prevention and legal purposes.

12. Questions

If you are unsure whether AWRS applies to your business, you should review HMRC guidance or seek independent advice before applying for a trade account.

You can contact Love Beer if you need to update your trade-account details or provide AWRS or licensing information.