To stop allowing my clients to pay via bank transfer?

[BusinessMama]

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.

@crispysausagerolls Not necessarily. They would do the same with cash.
Whenever I have a cleaner they do not leave until I've made the bank transfer.
If I wasn't there and I didn't make it within the time frame as per their t & c's then I highly doubt they would return.

Like others have said, they may not be clear on time frames. When I send an invoice the condition at the bottom is payment within 7 days. OP says she doesn't have this on hers so how are they supposed to be sure?
Also if every time she cleans their late payments are accepted then they'll continue.
We all know if you don't lay boundaries people will take the Michael.

I don't think you should move to cash only. It has drawbacks and isn't guaranteed to sort your problems out. I think you should send a letter out saying that you now expect payment within 24 hours and there is £x late fees after that. There will be no reminder. I actually think you should have it so that after a certain amount of time the late fee goes up.

On your invoices for clients, put the deadline fairly large and bold at the top, saying that payment is due within 24 hours. At the bottom, write that late payments will incur fees and there will be no further reminder. Have the late fee schedule printed at the bottom (£x 1-14 days, £xx 14 days plus).

@BigGreenOlives
Yes I would. This is something I always ask before they begin cleaning but like I said, they do not leave my property till I've paid aside from one occasion where they texted me ten mins after leaving.

Oh, its not hard for someone to keep some cash in their house. I just have a jar with my cleaner money in there, and just keep topping up when it gets low. Time is money and the time you have to spend searching through bank accounts and sending chasing emails is wasting YOUR money. Just tell them its cash from now on. Anyone that doesn't like it, doesn't have to use your services.