Payment?

[leofry@1966]

so do you guys charge a late fee?

do you demand payment at the time of the cleaning ? 
do you give 30 days ?
do you give longer than 30 days ? 
and if they are late do you charge a late fee.


do you think you get what you expect-

am seriously thinking of going to payment at the time of cleaning... we offer a link on our emailed invoice to pay electronically, or you can leave a check or we also accept credit cards... 
i know this is a gamble one i will lose on some jobs but i hate chasing my money. I wonder if all of us got on board with this if it would become normal 

[encapman]

First of all being polite really matters! A simple “please pay your invoice within” or “thank you for your business” can increase the percentage of invoices that are paid on time! Politeness clearly gets you paid faster.

When it comes to terms it is a good idea to offer a carrot before threatening with a stick. Here's an example...

Terms:  2/10 Net 30 (Take 2% discount if paid in 10 days, otherwise please pay within 30 days)
If the invoice isn’t paid within 60 days, a 5% “delayed payment” fee will be charged.
An additional 5% fee will be charged each 30 day cycle until the invoice is paid.
Thank you for your timely payment. It is very much appreciated!


P.S. Accepting credit card payments makes it easier for your customers to pay you more quickly too. In fact in today's business world, paying with a credit / debit card is a normal practice. 

[jsjanitorial]

Rick,

For us being a new biz, what processing method would you recommend for us to take cards? Can we just offer PayPal with our biz email to send the funds to?

[Act One Cleaning]

Or, you could always send Guido around to explain the difference between compound interest and a compound fracture.

[encapman]

Or, you could always send Guido around to explain the difference between compound interest and a compound fracture.

Hahaha - that was funny. 

[Lounge Lizards]

I found (down under), that very few businesses will pay by credit card unless they are guv-urn-mint businesses.

Everyone of my COMMERCIAL accounts, and now, many residential, pay online.

My invoice has my banking details at the base, as well as a reminder at the bottom of the work description where to find my banking details.

Most are paid daily, some fortnightly, and the larger ones, monthly.

I have relatively few non or late payers.

Living in a small community, I think, helps.