The cheque is nearly dead………..is cash dying too?

[Sean Kelly]

The cheque is nearly dead………..is cash dying too?
I am now seeing more customers paying via bank transfer. This is not a problem for me. However, the customers are now waiting until I have to ask again and again for my money.

In the not so distant past I would leave a customers house with cash or cheque payment in my back pocket. Done and dusted. I get home and send a ‘Paid Invoice’ via email.

Now I leave the customers home with ‘I’ll send payment tonight via internet banking’. The next day there is nothing in my a/c. The next day nothing. I send a follow-up email/text. Nothing. Eventually I get paid, but it’s very frustrating.

I guess the credit card option would have to be adopted, but that will mean more costs to the customer as I would have to add an extra percentage to cover costs.

 

[Gazzer]

I get paid by BACS often and wil probably be getting a credit/debit card thing for my phone soon. Its the way forward. Mind you yesterday I got paid before I finished the job !!!

 

[White Room]

I agree the cheque is slowly disappearing and bank transfers are the in thing.

 

[Qwerty]

Hahaha.....ironic but just opened an email from customer of job I have just finished and said he posted cheque today. On the same note I opened the front door today to an envelope containing cash from another customer 🙂

 

[Peter]

Would rather have a cheque in my hand when I'm leaving to be honest, people are never in any rush to pay via bank transfer. :lol:

Haven't ever been asked about mobile card payments but I reckon it'd be a good service to offer - providing the customer can trust the technology, and could see past entering their pin number into your phone. Not sure what way they work, if it takes 30 days to receive your money then it's not really any benefit, if it takes 24 hours then it'd be worth a look at.

 

[Andy Allen]

if they pay me by bank transfer I still don't leave the house till they do it .......been there and got the t-shirt....as they say..

 

[Ian]

Most of my payments are Bacs now, and I agree, some (not all) people need a gentle reminder!

 

[afright]

Most of my payments are Bacs now, and I agree, some (not all) people need a gentle reminder!

Yes the same with me ,would have to text them to get a result,but its better than being paid by cheque dont have to wait the clearing time,this week is a cash week, nice.

 

[AMA Tiling]

Either way im still waiting most of the time for it. If you are 20 miles from home ,!its half past 6 and there's nobody around then you aren't going to wait around until the customer decides to come home. Then the litany off excuses start , I'm out, I'm at yoga , I'm at football, kids go to bed at. 8, please call before thst etc etc. I did get paid by PayPal once. It's a facility on "Invoice to go" and you just add a PayPal "button" for the customer on your emailed invoice. That was great when I got notification almost immediately of payment. The joy was short lived when I realised PayPal had a chunk taken out for their fee 🙁 Bank Transfer is good but I'd run out of work soon if I stood and waited for them to do it in my presence. They'd make out like I didn't trust them to pay but there's no word of that when you ring for the fifth time looking for it otherwise. It's nice when they hand you the envelope when you're emptying the washboy 😉

 

[area tiling]

I've never been paid by a bank transfer yet, only getting cheques and cash ! But then were from co . Antrim we live in the dark ages still!

 

[Andy Allen]

Most my customers still pay cheque or cash......I find the old folks allways prefer cash for some reason. .

 

[Ian]

Most my customers still pay cheque or cash......I find the old folks allways prefer cash for some reason. .

Some of the old folk won't even have bank accounts, probably got their entire life savings under the mattress :lol:

 

[On one]

I always ask for an email address to send the invoice to.......and tagged on to the end of the invoice is my bank details.Ages since I have printed off a paper invoice and posted it. The Royal Mail are shooting themselves in the foot with all these postage stamp rises.

 

[AMA Tiling]

Most my customers still pay cheque or cash......I find the old folks allways prefer cash for some reason. .

It's more comfy to sleep on than a chequebook 😉

 

[AMA Tiling]

Oops, just seen your post Bri 🙂 Great minds and all that lol

 

[thompsonbrown]

Had a customer ask what discount I would give for a bank transfer.

 

[TJ Smiler]

Never had a cheque myself.... Always seem to get a transfer or cash, prefer getting cash myself. Am thinking of getting one of them pay by credit card things on my phone, reckon it would be really handy to some customers.

Just can't beat the feel of cash though!

 

[High Peak Tiling]

I must be slighty backward being up in the countryside then.
Cash or cheque only for me.
I think if I was to move forward it would have to be to erase cheque payment and replace with a secure card machine like [MENTION=32169]Bubblecraft[/MENTION]

 

[Bubblecraft]

I don't accept cheques unless payment is more than £10k or payment exceeds the card limit. Card is the way forward. Cash is always good though

 

[Peter]

How quickly do you get your money out of a 3rd party card handler Gus and what is the fee?

 

[Andy Allen]

And what percentage do you pay to the card companies. .

 

[stusgsx]

I get paid via BACS 80% of the time. There's usually no one in when I'm finished and I don't feel comfortable asking for a cheque before I've finished. Will normally send invoice a day or so later with BACS details. If still nothing after a week then they get an email saying just checking you got my last email and that usually prompts them to pay.
Think I might be too relaxed!

 

[Gazzer]

And what percentage do you pay to the card companies. .

I think its about 2.8% but cant be sure. I may get one soon but I will just add the cost to the bill.

 

[Bubblecraft]

And what percentage do you pay to the card companies. .

I pay 2.75% of the transaction for credit cards & 75p per transaction for debit cards. I take the hit on the cost for many reasons.

 

[Peter]

How long til you get your cabbage in the bank after the transaction?

 

[Gazzer]

How long til you get your cabbage in the bank after the transaction?

That I dont really know ???

 

[Andy Allen]

I think its about 2.8% but cant be sure. I may get one soon but I will just add the cost to the bill.

how would you do that neal, just add a certain percentage on every job, or tell a customer they can pay by credit card but it will cost x amount more........can see it being a bit of a minefield if trying to add more money on the job when finished......no dout they will end up paying cheque anyway to save money.....lol

 

[Gazzer]

I would just ask how they want to pay and add the cost on if the wanted to pay by credit/debit. If they dont accept that then they can still pay by other means. Afterall I am paying the cost of the machine and phone data.
I have been asked only a few times in the past if I took credit /debit cards but I do feel "some" will like it and "some" wont. At least nowthey have that choice.
I know I pay by debit card for most things now .

 

[Bubblecraft]

How long til you get your cabbage in the bank after the transaction?

In the bank after 3 working days. All fees are accumulated & paid at the end of the month rather than it being taken off before you get the doe

 

[gamma38]

Mostly BACS for me as well, invoice with my details at the bottom. I always ask the customer before i leave the job how they intend to pay, most of the time this gives them a nudge to either paying or sorting out payment. Touch wood i don't have too many issues.

 

[MW Smith Ceramics]

if they pay me by bank transfer I still don't leave the house till they do it .......been there and got the t-shirt....as they say..

Haha!......I just done that today andy......customer looked at me gone out but I said the jobs done now can you make payment please and she did......I don't leave until bank transfer done as had a few delays after promises in the past I also state in my quotes that payment must be made upon completion before I leave site