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Payment systems? Advice
- Thread starter Stew
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Hey mate,
i personally use SumUp. It’s all done through your phone with a reader than can take contactless as well as chip and pin. My advice would be to compare them all and see who’s got the best rate. Use this link though and you’ll get £30 off one. Full disclosure, they’ll also give me a tenner, lol!
http://r.sumup.io/mpB3V
Most of my customer’s pay bacs transfer, a few give me cash while I’m round. Like a lot on here, I don’t do any collecting which is great!
As above except I’ve got an IZettle card machine. Think the rates are the same at around 1.6%. Handy for those who want to give you a pain in the bum cheque. Machine cost £19 delivered. If you don’t use it, it will not cost you another penny. Handy things to have. I don’t do collecting money in evenings either.
dazmond
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sumup here as well....they take 17p for every £10...i also have a virtual terminal so i can take card payments over the phone(although the transaction fees are higher)....
i use mine every week and esp when i go collecting......which is only a few hours a month these days instead of 4 hours a week like i used to do 20 years ago!?
i use mine every week and esp when i go collecting......which is only a few hours a month these days instead of 4 hours a week like i used to do 20 years ago!?
sr33ni
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Seems like most are using card readers, can I ask why you don't just ask the property owner to transfer through an online payment service. Something like PayPal.me gives you a link (like PayPal.me/yourname), which you could give to the property owner and they can then pay however they want (card details, PayPal, Apple Pay etc.). Anyone tried that? Any reasons why you wouldn't use it?
No problem with online payment some of my customers do that. If you use a card machine it’s paid there and then. Some customers say they will pay online that day or night. That may well be the day after, the day after that ,etc until your next visit when you have to remind them again because they forgot.
sr33ni
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Thanks for the reply @Stevieboy. I'm be interested to know what problems you have with payments and keeping track of who has/hasn't paid etc. (do you write it down in a notebook?). I know some web developers and I was wondering if an app would help solve the problem (if it is a problem?) of keeping track of who has/hasn't paid, having to go door to door to do collections, having to continually chase etc.
Maybe instead of dropping a note through the door saying "We've been, you owe X, see you soon", the note would say "Go to www.xyz.com and type code 1234". From customer side they would go to website, they'd see a screen requesting payment to "John Doe Windows" of "X amount" and then some options to pay it (BACS, card, Apple Pay etc.). From your side you would go to the website (or App) and see a map of houses on the street (think google maps), you'd click the house and then choose the amount they owe (maybe you could snap photos with your smartphone and add them as proof of visit?), you click submit and the app would then give you the code you need to write on the note you post through the door. Seems something like that would stop you ever having to go door to door for payments again - would also give you all the info you need on who pays on time, who pays late, maybe it could alert you if you click on a house and they haven't paid for the last 3 cleans etc, maybe you can send an automatic reminder email etc.?
Don't know if any of the above sounds useful, but would really appreciate your (and everyone else's) honest feedback on the idea.
Maybe instead of dropping a note through the door saying "We've been, you owe X, see you soon", the note would say "Go to www.xyz.com and type code 1234". From customer side they would go to website, they'd see a screen requesting payment to "John Doe Windows" of "X amount" and then some options to pay it (BACS, card, Apple Pay etc.). From your side you would go to the website (or App) and see a map of houses on the street (think google maps), you'd click the house and then choose the amount they owe (maybe you could snap photos with your smartphone and add them as proof of visit?), you click submit and the app would then give you the code you need to write on the note you post through the door. Seems something like that would stop you ever having to go door to door for payments again - would also give you all the info you need on who pays on time, who pays late, maybe it could alert you if you click on a house and they haven't paid for the last 3 cleans etc, maybe you can send an automatic reminder email etc.?
Don't know if any of the above sounds useful, but would really appreciate your (and everyone else's) honest feedback on the idea.
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Squeegee, clear planner, etc, all track who’s paid. Either automatically through go cardless or manually inputted if it’s card, cash, bacs etc. Most of my customers are bacs. A few pay be cash at the job. I use my card reader for one offs and late payments I’ve been chasing when I turn up at their door. I have used it occasionally for regular customers. One who had to go get cash out and it was pouring it down with rain, stuff like that. Though I’m now offering it as a normal way to pay. Happy to pay the few pennies if it means I’m paid there and then.
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Hmm I think you are looking into research for an app, as mentioned by @Master Jedi Alejandro there is apps already out there, personally for me card payments are dead and done GoCardless direct debit has seen to this for me and thousands of others along with Cleaner Planner which is a round tracking app, basically what you are proposing has been done already and very well done indeed
dazmond
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lots pay by BACS already,no charges either but its always handy to have a card reader for one off add on jobs,getting paid there and then and chasing up late payers/non payers,etc.....
i use cleaner planner which is an excellent window cleaning program to keep track of jobs/debts/worksheets etc......
also some of us have been window cleaning many years and still have rounds that we collect from(its ingrained in us!)esp if its estate work with lots of work close together....so its easy for the customer to pay via contactless as most jobs are under £30.....increasingly customers dont have cash on them so the card reader comes into its own.....
Here's a novel idea, chaps. What about trying the queen's currency? I thought I'd try it and it works a treat. Been using it since I started 5 or 6 years ago.
My method :
Price a job at an agreed frequency (usually 6 weekly).
Tell the customer that they will be notified the evening before each wash to remind them to leave the gate unlocked and the payment (cheque or cash) under something out the back.
I leave them a small Ziploc sandwich bag.
Inside the bag, is one of my business cards with the frequency and prices written on the back.
For example £18 six weekly and
£12 front only (if they forget to unlock the gate.
Result : I get my wages on the day I worked for them.
My wife doesn't have to work late into the evening checking to see who has or hasn't transferred payment.
No third party company knowing my business and charging me a fee.
No dependancy on a third party and their computer system.
Keeps the business tight and controlled.
My method :
Price a job at an agreed frequency (usually 6 weekly).
Tell the customer that they will be notified the evening before each wash to remind them to leave the gate unlocked and the payment (cheque or cash) under something out the back.
I leave them a small Ziploc sandwich bag.
Inside the bag, is one of my business cards with the frequency and prices written on the back.
For example £18 six weekly and
£12 front only (if they forget to unlock the gate.
Result : I get my wages on the day I worked for them.
My wife doesn't have to work late into the evening checking to see who has or hasn't transferred payment.
No third party company knowing my business and charging me a fee.
No dependancy on a third party and their computer system.
Keeps the business tight and controlled.
Yep I agree the software is out there. I use George and in my van a good old fashioned diary. I know my round inside out but always put a +1 beside the customers name if not payed. Update the planner on the PC in the evening. My preferred payment choices are: Cash, Bacs or online, card machine and then cheque. The last two are least favourite because of the costs. I know some on here will love cheques because they either clean the local bank or work in one or go to the bank everyday but to me they are a pain. Definitely would not say the card machine is dead and done ?????? Very handy bit of tech to have. If it’s a case of getting paid there and then and costing me 1.7% that’s still cheaper than door knocking in the evenings. Something I never have or will do.
Glad every single one of your customers never ever forget to leave it out for you. A lot of customers don’t have cash to leave out In the real world where I work.
dazmond
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this is just not viable in this day and age IMO......i have a few who leave the money out for me every time but tbh id rather they just pay me by BACS
BACS is my preferred method of payment and i push it with every new customer
sr33ni
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Thanks everyone for the responses, I've had a look at the Cleaner Planner software and you're right - it looks pretty good and seems to do everything it needs to for those that want to take advantage of it.
DJT
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I bank with Lloyd's and on their mobile app you can take a photo of a cheque and deposit it there and then without visiting a bank. Amazing stuff!
I don't see where I said "No one ever forgets", of course it happens sometimes but we get round it. I never call back in the evenings. When I'm finished my days work I'm off duty. They pay next time or more often than not they drop the payment to my house. When they've done that a few times they learn to remember to leave it when they unlock the gate. I price for one visit. If I have a tradesman do work for me he doesn't have to call back for payment.
As for not being viable and being in the real world. It is, it works well for me, and I am. ?
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dazmond
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you will have to change as the years go on mate im sure of it...we are moving more and more to a cashless society as every year goes by......only about 25% of my customers pay cash these days and thats dwindling....
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For me it is and I think moving forward for our industry it will soon be dead and done, the vast majority of my clients are never home and some I have never met in over 3 years, for other businesses it's an essential thing market traders for example it's easily banked in an instant and no risk of carrying cash
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I agree, I live in a town were there is no longer a bank and cash to a point is a p.i.a as it means going into the city to bank it, although we usually get something to eat or my wife can always find a shop to go into. I currently have 291 client's on GoCardless and the rest is bacs or cash which is trusted long term client's and the older generation
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Gone from more or less, receiving payment in the Queen's currency can't be done, to won't be be possible soon, in some of the comments.
I won't be submitting to handing my payment running to any third party company unless and until I have absolutely no choice.
Each to their own.
Peace, harmony and prosperity, to us all. ??
I won't be submitting to handing my payment running to any third party company unless and until I have absolutely no choice.
Each to their own.
Peace, harmony and prosperity, to us all. ??
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