[Biscute]

Im staring to change my collecting ways for a few reasons, I was just wondering what do i need so they can pay online? How do i go about making a website?

[Trevor Knight]

Give them your bank details and your customer can pay straight into your bank.

Make sure they quote their address so you know who has paid!

Website - go to www.1and1.co.uk

Trevor

[Biscute]

I do some realy dodgy peoples windows cant they book tap dancing lessons and thing like that if they have my deatails? Iv seen the adveter lol.

[Trevor Knight]

I have never had a problem with giving details, but then it's up to you who you hand them out to??

I think that advert is mainly to do with credit card fraud?

[simon knight]

Put your mind at ease. Give them your sort code and account number (and that's all).

They can only pay in...not take out.

If you think about it, your cheque has that information on it and you'll write a cheque to somebody quite happily.

[Central Window Cleaners]

I use fasthost.co.uk for my web hosting they are very helpful and you get the web publishing software for free to build and upload your site.

[Paul Coleman]

Give them your bank details and your customer can pay straight into your bank.

Make sure they quote their address so you know who has paid!

Website - go to www.1and1.co.uk

Trevor

Just an additional note to this which you may use or discard as you wish.  I give the customer a payment reference number for when they set up the bill payment.  The reference consists of <customer's door number><customer's post code>.  I record this in my customer database.  For instance, my door number is 99 and my postcode is RH11 7DY.  Therefore my reference number would be 99RH117DY.  This still holds up when the house has a name rather than a number because all houses have numbers even if people don't normally use them.  Obviously you would have to obtain the number from the customer and to record it in your database or whatever you use.  Unfortunately, I do not get to see the reference number until I receive the monthly paper statement due to the way my bank works.  All I can see on the internet banking site is the name of the account holder.  This is fine if they have an unusual name but not so good if they don't.  Therefore, I ask customers to send a brief email when they make a payment.

[geefree]

i have a paypal account.... can i use this for customer banking ?

Gary.

[Paul Coleman]

i have a paypal account.... can i use this for customer banking ?

Gary.

I reckon so but bear in mind that paypal will take some of your money whereas a direct bank to bank transfer should be free of charge.

[dave0123]

Why dont you ask them to send you cheques?? insdead of paying online.


Dave

[geefree]

all my customers pay via cheque ... and they also pay stamp , postage etc.... one or two are enquiring about internet banking.

Gary.

[Biscute]

Yer iv just started getting everone to do that but if they put straight into my bank it is one less hassell of them saying 'well i sent it, it must have got lost in the post'.

[Majestic]

Most people use ebay and have a Paypal account, they can send you money by email from there paypal to your paypal
If you go onto my web site and click on the paypal logo feel free to send me any amount just to see how easy it is

[Biscute]

Cheers john il look into that now, also would you like me to send a chequ as well to compare the diffrence between the two 

[Paul Coleman]

all my customers pay via cheque ... and they also pay stamp , postage etc.... one or two are enquiring about internet banking.

Gary.

I've been cash or cheque only until recently.  The request to use internet banking is customer led in my business.  However, I've listened and started to adapt.  After all, the type of people who ask to pay this way are the people who want to pay promptly - i.e. the customers I really want to keep.  I just wish my bank wouldn't force me to await the paper statement to compare the reference numbers.  I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard for them to alter there web page to show the reference numbers online.

[Majestic]

I just wish my bank wouldn't force me to await the paper statement to compare the reference numbers.

Could you not alter the price of there cleans by a couple of pence then you know who has paid.Like mrs X at no 36 pays £10.01, Mrs X at 38 pays £10.02 then when you check it online you have a idea who has paid

[Paul Coleman]

I just wish my bank wouldn't force me to await the paper statement to compare the reference numbers.

Could you not alter the price of there cleans by a couple of pence then you know who has paid.Like mrs X at no 36 pays £10.01, Mrs X at 38 pays £10.02 then when you check it online you have a idea who has paid

I have considered doing just that and may revisit that idea if there is a large take up of paying via internet banking.  At the moment, the numbers are very small so I can keep on top of it.  Also I do prefer to keep the numbers tidy so prefer to work in multiples of 50p.  Yours is a good suggestion.  I even posted it myself some while back when I was batting ideas around.

[geefree]

i will stick with cheques 

thanks guys

[giftedk]

Ive heard of people having their payments on standing order, surely this must be easier?.

[Paul Coleman]

Ive heard of people having their payments on standing order, surely this must be easier?.

This is not something I would want to do myself.  This is because it is always possible to get behind with work.  There would be pressure to catch up if customers were getting in front with payments.  I don't mind hard work but I don't like feeling like a slave to my business.