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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To stop allowing my clients to pay via bank transfer?

129 replies

BusinessMama · 03/05/2018 20:43

I am a single mum and self-employed cleaner and have been allowing some of my customers to pay via bank transfer. This is fine for some clients as they pay straight away, but others don't.

I frequently find myself texting my clients to remind them to pay and some don't pay for days! I rely on this income to pay my bills and it is really raising my anxiety when I have to wait 3, 4 sometimes even 5 days because someone 'forgot' to transfer the money.

Would I be unreasonable to introduce a blanket ban on all bank transfers? I am considering sending a text message at the start of the May half term (most of my clients are off for the week, as am I), to tell them that I will no longer be accepting bank transfers, cash only.

I do feel bad for the ones that do consistently pay on-time via bank transfer. The issue is many of my clients are friends with one another, so I couldn't say to an unreliable one 'cash only' and let their friend continue with bank transfer IYSWIM.

OP posts:

Evangeline3 · 03/05/2018 23:21

It's not unreasonable but you may lose business.
I never carry cash so when I require a cleaner I have to make sure they accept BACS as for me, going out of my way to a cashpoint is another hassle and defeats the purpose of it being easier for me.
Could you not make sure they make the transfer there and then?

falang · 04/05/2018 06:20

Fair enough Businessmama. They are extreme CF. I pay my window cleaner the enormous sum of £4 immediately to save him the trouble of calling out to me loads of times to catch me in so I can pay him. If people are rich enough to be able to afford a cleaner they could at least pay on the day. It's not like they won't have noticed you've been. My hairdresser doesn't take any cards. Cash only. Always have to remember to go to cashpoint before I go there. It's not a big deal.

randomuntrainedcuntowner · 04/05/2018 06:30

Cheque?

BigGreenOlives · 04/05/2018 06:33

All those saying they don’t like cash, it’s a lot easier to go to a cashpoint than clean a house. You could get money when you fill up your car or cash back at a supermarket.

InfiniteSheldon · 04/05/2018 06:40

Don't get a card machine they really cut into your profits when you add it up. I would tell late layers you are going back to cash or cheque only as cash flow is becoming a serious issue for you.

Leafyhouse · 04/05/2018 06:56

Why not take the money via Direct Debit? The charges are so much lower than PayPal etc, only 1%. Easy to set up with GoCardless, that's what we use. If they cancel at last minute, you can always offer to refund.

lottiegarbanzo · 04/05/2018 07:18

It doesn't matter how easy, or relatively easy, anyone else thinks it is to get cash. The business of businesses is not to tell their clients how to run their lives or how to feel about things. (Unless it's a life coaching business perhaps).

If the customer finds getting cash a pain, it may be one reason why they chose to let you go and find another cleaner. If that's a risk you're prepared to take, as over all it works out better for you, that's ok.

lottiegarbanzo · 04/05/2018 07:22

Another variation, though my only similar-ish comparison is paying for children's activities, is that I'd be happy to be billed monthly in advance. Then, if you had to miss a week, you could make the adjustment on the next bill.

Kidssendingmenuts · 04/05/2018 07:32

I'm self employed as a dog walker and have some clients pay cash and some transfer. They know now no payment no Walkies. All has to be paid at the beginning of the week. This is after one client kept promising to pay me but never did. I explained this to them all and said payments must be made on the Sunday/Monday of the week commencing there dog walks. Works perfectly. X

witherwings · 04/05/2018 07:39

Can you text each client as you’re leaving saying job done and x amount due within 24 hours?
Say it’s new system due to non payment. Perhaps notify clients of this system and late payment charge before starting it up but then you can continue with cash and bacs payments. I prefer to pay by bacs because I never have enough cash.

witherwings · 04/05/2018 07:43

Sorry, I missed your post about the weekly reminder texts. You will need to get tough with these ones and ask for advance payment. Agree with others that say treat each client as needed depending on how they pay.

WatchoutDSisdriving · 04/05/2018 07:52

I think Heedmore’s message is perfect.

I pay my cleaner by bank transfer and it is way more convenient than cash.

Get yourself something like the basic version of QuickBooks online and it is dead easy to connect to the bank and see who has or hasn’t paid.

sashh · 04/05/2018 08:12

So would I but I would call it a discount.

So put up fee by £5 but if paid within 24 hours you get a £5 dicount.

Rubberduckies · 04/05/2018 08:41

I think it's a bit unfair to be annoyed for people paying 'late' when you haven't told them when they have to pay by!

I know that you say you text them each week but they might just see it as a handy reminder if you have never told them you expect payment on the day.

I agree that you should send out a letter to everyone explaining that from now on, your terms are payment by cash or Bacs on or before the day of cleaning and that late payments will incur a charge.

Cash only definitely sounds like a tax dodge, and penalises people currently paying on time with Bacs. I never have any cash and find it such a pain to go out of my day to drive 10miles to a cash machine.....I always pay by Bacs!

Most services I've used (tradesmen, window cleaner, gardener etc) have all had terms on the bottom of the invoice saying how many days I had to pay, usually 7-14 days, so people may assume that's what you want.

crispysausagerolls · 04/05/2018 09:11

Come on people saying you don't know when to pay a cleaner by...a regular cleaner is to be paid on the day. This much is clear - it's not the same as a one-off workman. I think it's incredibly cheeky that people are consistently paying late, and you need to call them up on it. Some excellent message suggestions have been given. I would be mortified if my cleaner came one day and I didn't pay her - the cash is always waiting for her on the side when she arrives.

DoraJar · 04/05/2018 09:18

You don't live near Penge do you? Need a cleaner and happy to pay cash

morespaceneeded · 04/05/2018 09:39

actually I think you are being unreasonable to need to be paid that day. You are running a business. Absolutely people should not keep you waiting a week or longer (ie should not be in arrears but online banking can be a real pain with some banks and you do need to find time to do it.

You say you are a premium rate cleaner - I would be annoyed to receive that message from you. As it happens though I pay my cleaner in cash every week (to avoid having to do online banking).

Evangeline3 · 04/05/2018 10:21

@BigGreenOlives I wouldn't draw out cash when I'm doing something else. Why? Because I don't pay for anything in cash.
We're in the era of digital currency, lots don't pay in cash nor carry it.

BigGreenOlives · 04/05/2018 10:41

Debit card in supermarket- offered cash back. Atm at petrol station. Do you really not have it in you to plan to have £50 a week or so of cash?

LupinsNotBluebells · 04/05/2018 11:00

How much are you charging your customers OP? Please pay in cash - it's £10 / £15, that's fine. Please pay in cash - it's £12.75, that's a pain in the neck to sort out.

I would maybe text now that an increasing number of clients are not paying promptly by bank transfer and, if this continues, you willl have to move to accept cash only (presuming it's an easy enough amount to sort out) from 1st June, so it gives the cheeky beggars time to pull their finger out. Ask for the transfer within 24 hours of the work being completed. People can set alarms on their phones to remind them to send it.

The other option is to give people 2 / 3 chances and then decline to accept them as clients because of their poor payment history. LEave the reliable ones to pay by bank transfer and let the rest find another cleaner.

VelvetSpoon · 04/05/2018 11:06

Debit card in supermarket- offered cash back. Atm at petrol station

What about people who don't drive and get their shopping delivered?

I pay for shopping and petrol by credit card. There's no ATM at my local petrol station, and I always pay at pump to save time, plus I only need to put petrol in my car every couple of weeks. I never have cash on me or need to. Pretty much the only time I would ever use cash was to pay the cleaner therefore involving a separate trip!

Evangeline3 · 04/05/2018 11:29

@BigGreenOlives It's not for you to say really.
I have a chronic illness and I'm currently suffering from hyperemesis, I've only been able to go out a couple of times whilst pregnant so no, I don't have it in me to draw £50.
It's not for the cleaner to ask why they can't go to the cashpoint. You don't order clothes online and the postman says "Why don't you go to the shop?"
It's not your business!
We are in a modern age, digital currency, contactless payments, a lot of people do not carry cash.
OP also said she is premium rate so I imagine a lot more than £50!

SmallBlondeMama · 04/05/2018 11:35

Just send a blanket statement saying a sealed envelope of cash left out on the counter for you. This is what my cleaner did and it works fine.

crispysausagerolls · 04/05/2018 11:39

Evangeline3

If people aren't paying the cleaner on time then yes, it is for her to ask why they can't pay her cash. It's not fair on someone to expect them to come and clean your house without knowing when they will be paid. If you aren't able to pay on the day via transfer or get cash out, for whatever reason, don't hire a cleaner.

BigGreenOlives · 04/05/2018 11:40

I’m sorry if you are suffering ill health, long or short term. I assume you would change cleaner if they stopped accepting bank transfers? If the client and the service provider can’t agree mutual terms the relationship cannot continue.

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