If you’d booked a babysitter

Then you should have enough cash on you to pay the babysitter in cash before she leaves. You are archaic banking system is not her problem.

I don’t. I would happily pay for a sitters cab. I would also pay them on the night.

Babysitters for late nights out are mostly a luxury, if you can’t afford one, stay in.

When our nanny 'babysits' she issues an invoice which includes the time period she expects payment and late payment fees. This makes it very transparent. We always pay well within 48hrs anyway out of courtesy though as she is good and we want to keep her. It's so easy to do these days with banking app on your phone. Always have a conversation with parents about when and how for payment to avoid this (I mean you shouldn't have to, but unfortunately people will always take the p*ss).

We have never used a babysitter for various reasons, but I used to babysit as a teenager. It seems to me that babysitting has slipped into this weird in-between world where it’s not the teenager from next door getting paid £10 to sit and watch TV anymore, so you’re paying a lot more for professional childcare but the childcarer is still expecting the ‘extras’ that parents used to give the teenager (a taxi/lift home; drinks and pizza; pay-on-the-day). In my view you have to decide: are you a professional who can command a professional rate for your work? If so, behave like every other professional, i.e. pay for your own transport (factor it into your rates), bring your food and drinks with you and have a standard payment period (most invoices do not require immediate payment - professionals must manage their cash flow appropriately). You’re not a teenage babysitter and so shouldn’t expect to be treated as one.

Fab! Sounds like you've got a system that works well for you.

Other families do other things and that works for them.

Eh. We have used babysitters for many years, they have always been quite keen to work for us, never had any issues retaining them, so it obviously doesn't matter that much.

We pay well and our kids sleep well and early so I think that matters more than having to bring your own food - which every babysitter we have ever had does automatically

They should pay on the night. Just like they paid the restaurant, the taxi, the bar bill etc.

The families that are good to work for ask what you'd like.

When you agree the booking, tell them "just so you're aware, my payment policy is cash on the night or payment by bank xfer within 24 hours, would you like to proceed with the booking?". Then just remind them again on the day. At the end of the day it's a business transaction, so long as you've made your expectations clear I don't think anyone can complain.

Lots of banks let you send a WhatsApp link to settle up for a specific amount (I use Starling). I'd do that as soon as the people returned home and just say "I've sent you the bill". If they didn't pay in 24 hours, I'd send it again and then if they didn't pay immediately I'd not work for them again.

Well of course you can't nip out for a sandwich but you can bring what you like to eat with you.

I don't have the enthusiasm to stock a range of food to be "nice" - I pay a small fortune for babysitting as it is, they can sort their own food!

I do offer tea and coffee, not biscuits as we don't eat them

You can send a PayPal link too but you will pay fees for that .

I expect to pay babysitters on the night and their taxi home. However if we agreed a bank transfer, I would say within 24 hrs is ok. I would be cross about a late fee and wouldn't use you again if you threatened this.

I think good babysitters are hard to find so you can dictate payment on the day if you are willing to say so in advance and be clear about it. I think a clear reminder the day after to say, could you pay me today please as the payment hasn't arrived would be fine to send.

Are you serious? You begrudge a woman getting home safely?

If parents are too cheap to make sure she gets home safely then maybe they should be home when public transport is still running.

I think the problem is baby sitting used to be a favour for a couple of quid in which case you'd expect cash on the night. But what you are talking about is a business transaction so it needs an invoice, a formal agreement for how and when you will be paid and proper records for tax reasons. There's many, many trades that would have several weeks as payment terms so they may not expect to pay there and then. I think you need to put some formalities in place with an agreed timeline for payment and ensure your customers are aware before they contract you so you can then be justified in chasing them for late payments. I don't think you can charge them a late payment fee though unless you are absolutely clear this will be the case in advance.

I find the food stuff really weird - I don't leave food for the babysitter either because how am I supposed to know what they like to eat? Maybe they don't like pizza or are gluten-free or vegan or on a diet?

If I was the babysitter, I wouldn't want or expect someone else to arbitrarily decide what I am eating that evening, I would actively much prefer to bring my own. Tea/coffee/milk of course appreciated.

I expect to pay them before they leave.

However, if I had to wait for an invoice, that would delay it. I probably wouldn't find time to deal with that during the day, so even if it arrived at 9:30am, I might not pay it until 9:30pm.

I think they should be required to pay within 24 hours and then a late fee will incur. Extra charge for every hour they are late.

Personally I would have paid before I went out if it was a set fee.

I think it would be helpful if you could make your payment terms clear up front. So, when you're booked say something like "I'd prefer cash on the day, or a bank transfer within 24 hours". If they don't have enough cash because they're late and/or they also have to pay for the uber, they could then transfer the extra the next day, but at least you'd have the majority. Personally, I'd then give them 48 hours to pay (but say 24 hours!!), especially at a weekend where they may be busy on a Sunday. If no payment was made by the end of the day Monday, I'd prompt them.

Regarding doing the bank transfer in front of you, before you leave, I've had this happen to me twice recently (no babysitters, but tradespeople). One was for an oven clean, and one for window cleaner. Personally, I find this a bit awkward. I feel like I'm not trusted. I would always make the payment the same day or the day after. I think that's reasonable.

I think it makes complete sense and then people can decide to get back before 11 if it’s a charge they don’t want to incur.

We always pay cash on the night.

I don't pay taxis home for babysitters though - I expect them to charge a rate that works for them, including their transport costs.

Our regular babysitter is picked up by her partner.

I always pay immediately. Once ever I realised In the morning that the payment hadn’t left as I hadn’t pressed confirm, was mortified and paid immediately and added an extra £5