The first overdraft facility was set up in 1728 by the Royal Bank of Scotland. The merchant William Hog was having problems in balancing his books and was able to come to an agreement with the newly established bank that allowed him to withdraw money from his empty account to pay his debts before he received his payments. He was thus the first recipient of cash credit from a bank in the world.[1] Within decades, the advantages of this system, both for customers and banks, became apparent, and banks across the United Kingdom adopted this innovation into service.