Parents not paying for tutoring, getting beyond a joke now

My DD tutor sends a PayPal request, I pay. Done.

I also have a 24 hour notice cancellation policy. Obviously, if I have to cancel at short notice I offer an immediate refund or for the session’s payment to be deducted from the following term.

It would be better to charge in advance - and preferably for a set number of lessons so that you are assured of your income for a while.

Agree with others that taking payment upfront for a month is the best way forward backed up with your t&c’s. Chasing customers for payment is soul destroying so you should consider cancelling this one. I’ve had similar problems in the past (not tutoring) and with hindsight I should’ve refused to continue with some of these people. I didn’t cancel them because these customers were recommendations from my existing customers and I didn’t want any problems.

Why are you creating so much extra admin for yourself by having people pay weekly? Get them to pay monthly or even termly. Much easier, and you're always in a stronger position if you have the money up front.

I’m a tutor and my clients pay upfront for the whole term by bank transfer or cash but it HAS to be the full amount.
When I first started tutoring, I also trusted clients to pay weekly on time. Very quickly, I realised I had to toughen up!

It's standard when you have problem customers to request payment in advance.

If they don't like it/want it then they probably aren't worth the bother.

It might be worth pointing out that if the standard terms are within 24 hours, there is little difference between PIA and payment after in terms of funds availability/cashflow.

Otherwise if they refuse that you could just charge them more for taking on the credit risk/payment chasing.

One alternative might be that they simply find "life admin" a bit of a pain, so maybe suggest them paying for a batch of lessons up front.

My DCs have a tutor she was new to it at the start so it was quite casual but I’m assuming she had similar issues (not from me) so now we get an invoice in the school hols for the next half term which is paid in full in advance.

I know it’s annoying but having something more formal is easier for all parties.

When I tutored I got paid cash as I left. That was a long time ago now so it will obviously be by bank transfer now, but I would definitely say payment up front.

And if you don't need them as a client give them one last chance and then drop them. When you are providing an ongoing service it's easier to insist on prompt payment because you can say you won't do any more work for them until they pay up. But it's even easier to ask for a term or half term in advance.

But have a fair policy if you have to cancel at short notice, too. Give the customer the option of a refund or a lesson credit, don't just make it a lesson credit.

I take a half term’s payment upfront. Your time is valuable.

We pay termly in advance. Half term is a good opportunity to change things.

I spent 10 years previously as a private tutor and the best decision I made was to manage my bookings via pre-payment.

Everyone paid for their lesson as they booked it. I set out a learning agreement with the bill payer that clearly stated the terms and conditions, including a 24hr notice cancellation policy.

My diary was limited, so people paid to book my time. If they cancelled with less than 24hrs notice, they were charged. If they forgot about their lesson, they were charged. Setting it out clearly in writing and verbally to people made sure I wasn’t bothered by time wasters.

There was only one situation where a student’s family member died, and of course, under the circumstances I didn’t charge them. That was the only exception to the rule. It was very rare I ever had to implement the cancellation policy, so we all worked well together.

I looked after my customers and they in turn looked after me. It worked very well and I would really encourage you to think about implementing something similar. Good luck!

I tutor too. I do ask for payment to be made 24 hours beforehand, and I usually have to send a reminder. However I offer a discount of £5 per session if they buy a block of 10 lessons, so they tend to do that then it’s sorted for the next 10. If I had to remind them every single lesson, I’d probably stop tutoring them!

Of course they would if they could get away with it.

The reason they don't "forget" those things is that they are reminded, usually physically as well as being told - shops put their checkouts right there, everything leads you to pay, and security on the door. Coffee shops take your money before they even make your drink. Haircut - right there. Garage give you your keys after you pay.

Retailers and service providers have to deal with this. It is part of doing business. Stop whining about it and get on with putting a process in place that ensures you get treated better.

This.
I have paid for all music lessons and tennis coaching in advance for the past 20 years.

Respect yourself OP or no one will.
In advance from now on.

No one would tolerate that messing about.

I'm having Physio at the moment, i pay up front, we know each other socially but the idea of paying him after the session just wouldn't occur to me or him, its payment in advance.

I think paying per half term is a bit silly though, what if something happened to you?

I have to admit I might struggle to remember to make the payment each week, and would prefer to pay for a block (say 10 sessions or per term) upfront. Can you agree this with them?

All of mine have to pay for a block of 5 lessons in advance. During the last week of the block I send out the invoice for the next block. No payment, no lesson.

I don't have the time nor inclination to be chasing up people who can't/won't pay on time. There are plenty of others waiting for lessons.

You have to be really tough and have terms and conditions in place so that it's clear to everyone and then if someone doesn't pay repeatedly like this person hasn't, they are out the door.

You’re a business. Start acting like one.

written terms/contracts signed.
payment up front or sessions don’t happen.

Most tutors I know now charge up front some are 4 weeks in advance others are 6 mainly because of the problems you are having I know one of them had a nightmare of a time chasing payments and then refusal of payment it’s awful and so annoying they wouldn’t do it for other services like a hair dressers/barbers or petrol station

Tbh i think you should make them pay the full half term in advance so you don’t have any on the day cancellations that you can’t make the money up elsewhere

I don't want to let the pupil down as it's not their fault.

I would suggest asking the parents to pay 24hrs in advance. If they agree, great, but if they say that won’t work for them, sack them off and remember it’s their parents letting them down, not you.

My dog trainer has started enforcing her payment policy after a few no shows. It's specialist training, two dogs and handlers plus trainer . But I had a one-to-one the other week, due to the other pair not turning up. It isn't your fault the pupil will lose out, it's the parents.

@Sashavelour65 I tutored for 20 years- GCSE and special needs. At my busiest I had 15 hours a week which included some adults and home - ed pupils.

Can you imagine if I'd not been paid by even half those parents?

I had cast iron T&Cs.

It was payment for half a term, paid in advance.

It was my income to pay the mortgage and my kids uni costs!

I had written T&Cs which each new parent received and I gave them all an invoice at the end of each term for the next term.

I expected a cheque for 6 lessons at the first lesson of each half term.

If you want to make this a business, you need to start running it like one.

I do online postgraduate tutoring and my students pay in advance. No payment, no session. Sometimes they ask for extra time and the money must be in my Paypal or bank before the session begins. Those are my terms of trade.