[Ray hatter]

Hi just starting up and would like advice on collecting payments. Have heard various methods and obviously would like not to go back to collect so looking for some advice what works well. Appreciate some we will have to go back to any tips most welcome

[Shane O Neill]

Ray
Set your stall out on your slips of paper,
Options for them;
1 standing order each month
2 Bacs (most popular!)
3 PayPal (so easy for you to set up)

Collecting is such a waste of time & resources,some don't do these options for me so I tell them to leave under mat etc as I will in the area in nxt day or so (I know still collecting but not several trips in try & catch me in game )

[8weekly]

No need to offer Paypal. Waste of money. No one has ever asked me for it. All seem quite happy with bank transfers.

[Soupy]

Forget PayPal. Gocardless.

[wpclean]

You have to make it easy for people to pay, so use all the above, and do have paypal because some do prefer to pay this way, it also looks more professional on your website.

[Soupy]

I have to disagree. PayPal is very expensive and I think it looks amateurish.

[PoleKing]

Make it easy for people to spend money with you.
GoCardless, PayPal, cheque stuck to a window if you've texted the night before (be wary of cash left out) BACS, standing order. Offer discount for advance payment. A load of flats I do take as long to get paid as to clean. In January I offer 12 cleans for the price of 10 if paid in advance.
Never ever go just collecting-It cuts your hourly rate right down.

[gary999]

nothing wrong with collecting,takes he me half hour 3times a week
most of my work is within 2 miles of home.I get to touch base
with customers and i cant count the amount of jobs i have picked up
whilst out collecting

Plus i like to dictate the terms i get paid,48hrs is the longest
i have to wait and i am owed very little.

[Jonny 87]

nothing wrong with collecting,takes he me half hour 3times a week
most of my work is within 2 miles of home.I get to touch base
with customers and i cant count the amount of jobs i have picked up
whilst out collecting

Plus i like to dictate the terms i get paid,48hrs is the longest
i have to wait and i am owed very little.

That's an hour and a half a week! 6 hours a month....... Three full (24 hour)days a year!

And that's with a very compact round like yours. Most of us don't have that privilege.

I think if I still had to collect I would have packed in all together. I was fed up walking around my work a second time to get paid.

Start as you mean to go on ray.

[gary999]

nothing wrong with collecting,takes he me half hour 3times a week
most of my work is within 2 miles of home.I get to touch base
with customers and i cant count the amount of jobs i have picked up
whilst out collecting

Plus i like to dictate the terms i get paid,48hrs is the longest
i have to wait and i am owed very little.

That's an hour and a half a week! 6 hours a month....... Three full (24 hour)days a year!

And that's with a very compact round like yours. Most of us don't have that privilege.

I think if I still had to collect I would have packed in all together. I was fed up walking around my work a second time to get paid.

Start as you mean to go on ray.

i spend longer than that on here.

Im not that obsessed with the constant breaking down of time
thankyou very much.

I started out with the s.a.e. and payments to bank and would of starved
if i had carried on,customers are dictating to you when payment is made
im very much of the mind that i have done the job and want paying as soon
as poss

I also like the banter and yap with customers,beats walking round
sainsburys with the missus,i normally drop her offand do some
collecting

[Jonny 87]

Fair enough mate. 

I suppose I'm just lucky, about 90% of my customers pay me within a couple of days.

My round is more spread out, and was spending 2-3 hours, twice a week so was a no brainer.

[Mike #1]

I have to disagree. PayPal is very expensive and I think it looks amateurish.

+1  PayPal charges 11% for money going in and they charge about the same again for taking money from your PayPal account . Mike

[8weekly]

I have to disagree. PayPal is very expensive and I think it looks amateurish.

I think that too.

[capn sparkle]

I have to disagree. PayPal is very expensive and I think it looks amateurish.

+1  PayPal charges 11% for money going in and they charge about the same again for taking money from your PayPal account . Mike

Seriously 11% to pay in and a charge for withdrawals!! Wow - glad I don't deal with PP.

That's like ripping yer pants down and spanking ya

[robertphil]

whatever you do dont volunteer that you can collect later if it makes it easier [ in the rush to please a new customer] ,you will live to regret it . i did  that in the early days,a big mistake

 cash under a doormat is ok ,cheque or cash in the post is also ok by me,but  mostly i get paid by bank transfer online as said by the other posters ,its the best  and modern way

[Clever Forum Name]

As long as i can, i will always collect money.

[Jonny 87]

I have to disagree. PayPal is very expensive and I think it looks amateurish.

+1  PayPal charges 11% for money going in and they charge about the same again for taking money from your PayPal account . Mike

Seriously 11% to pay in and a charge for withdrawals!! Wow - glad I don't deal with PP.

That's like ripping yer pants down and spanking ya

That's not the case.

I offer paypal through my website but charge them 5% for using it.

5% always covers my paypal. costs.

[Johnny B]

I still collect all mine, some on the day, and the rest later in the week or the next time. Keeps me in touch with my customers, and doesn't take that long.

John

[Perfect Windows]

I have to disagree. PayPal is very expensive and I think it looks amateurish.

+1  PayPal charges 11% for money going in and they charge about the same again for taking money from your PayPal account . Mike

Not quite:

3.4% + 20p. (only comes to 11% if you're charging £2.60 for a clean, in which case their fees are the least of your problems)

No charge for withdrawing funds.

Apart from that, you're spot on...

Vin

Sources:

https://www.paypal.com/uk/webapps/mpp/paypal-fees

https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_display-withdrawal-fees-outside

[Mike #1]

I stand corrected i was pretty sure i was charged a bit more , Just checked on last custy who paid £7.00 i was charged £0.44 .

So may consider pushing PayPal more as a lot of people use PayPal and they wont have to divulge their bank details to a company such as Go Cardless if they dont feel happy about it .

But i do have custys who would be happy to use Go Cardless as i have been testing the water as such when explaining  current and future payment options .

I am a little sceptical about Go Cardless just incase something happens with their business so i want to strike the right balance for me and custys , But i want to almost do away with collecting so i spend more time at home instead of going out 4-6 hours a week collecting . Mike