To want to pay cleaner by bank transfer not cash.

[Starryskiesinthesky]

Cleaner wants paid in cash but I never have cash so would prefer to pay by bank transfer. Fact she wants cash makes me think she’s not declaring it. What do others do and do you care if they are not declaring it? £15 per hour if it makes a difference. Thanks.

DD's tutor preferred cash, which would have been ok if her price was a multiple of ten. Instead it was £28 which meant the night before I would go to the cash point and withdraw £40, then pop into a shop and buy a pack of gum to get a fiver and 3 pound coins. Every week. Bank transfer would have been much less faff.

If I was happy with the service I probably wouldn't stop just because of that, but it is certainly something that would make me less likely to hire someone to begin with now that I have had the experience of paying in cash.

I'd pay her they way she wanted or look for another cleaner
, she may want you to pay her in cash as she too finds it hard to get to a cash machine

I can’t be bothered with cash. We have switched to a service that takes it all automatically basically for this reason.

Also I wouldn't care about the declaring as not my business but I do care about it being an inconvenience when the whole point is to make my life easier.

Love the way so many posters assume cash = tax evasion. At this level its more likely to be a way to ensure payment and avoid bad payers who "forget" to do the cash transfers.

Pay through bank transfer so you can keep track of how much you’ve paid her and when you paid. You don’t want her to turn around and say “you didn’t pay me last week” etc.

I pay my cleaner in cash too. It's easier for her and she's a fab cleaner so I am happy to accommodate her wishes.

It's a bit of a leap to think that cash = not declaring it.

And although I know some people never leave their home, the vast, vast majority do and go to places with or near a cash point, it’s ridiculous that people are pretending it’s so difficult. Cash points are common. I live rurally and have access to cashpoints as I drive my kids to school/college/ go to the shop/garage/supermarket. As I said, some people are ridiculously hard work.

If she’s worried about not being paid then couldn’t she request clients to pay beforehand?

@MrsColon

We take out a couple of hundred at a time and keep it in the car - cash is sometimes handy to have. You don't need to take out cash every week, just every couple of months. Not a big deal, surely?

As PP said, she might be in debt or have a huge overdraft so anything that goes into the bank is swallowed up.

I do this for my lovely window cleaner. He will do odd jobs for me and also keeps the gutters clear and so on. Drawing cash every few months because he likes to be paid in cash is a very small thing to do.

I'd find someone else. Not because I think she's not declaring it but because I never have cash and couldn't be bothered to faff around making sure I'd got it.

Life is so hard for some people. What on earth do you all do with your time that it is such an effort to get some cash once every month to pay someone

One issue with bank transfer is having to chase people who forget to actually pay you

Bank transfer is fine if the client pays beforehand or on the day but it gets really tiresome having to chase people to pay you - it's almost demeaning, actually.

I suspect she's had bad experiences with people not paying so it's easier to insist on cash upfront, that way she can't be messed around.

Cash is a faff, I'm nowhere near a cash point so would have to make a specific trip in a car.

You can choose a supplier on any number of factors. Including methods of payment accepted. It's not "sacking" someone.

some people are ridiculously hard work.

I second that!

@hennybeans

DD's tutor preferred cash, which would have been ok if her price was a multiple of ten. Instead it was £28 which meant the night before I would go to the cash point and withdraw £40, then pop into a shop and buy a pack of gum to get a fiver and 3 pound coins. Every week. Bank transfer would have been much less faff.

If I was happy with the service I probably wouldn't stop just because of that, but it is certainly something that would make me less likely to hire someone to begin with now that I have had the experience of paying in cash.

but that's easy to sort...tell the tutor that you are happy to pay cash but getting change is difficult so can they make sure they bring a couple of quid to give you change.

We have the same with our most recent cleaner. I hardly ever carry cash on me, as its so rarely necessary in this day and age. I also mostly work from home, have all groceries etc. delivered. (Also cash machines are disgusting but that's neither here nor there). So for something that's meant to make my life easier it's suddenly turned into a big inconvenience.

I think it is fair to say that if someone insists on cash then it is highly likely they do not intend to declare any or all of it. It is up to you whether you are bothered. Technically it is theft, stealing from HMRC that funds schools, hospitals etc but that's their call not yours.

Your options are simple. Pay your cleaner they way they want or get another cleaner who accepts bank transfers.

@Aderyn21

It’s not a gaff to get cash - supermarkets do cash back. I find it hard to believe that you’d not ever be anywhere where you could get hold of money! Do what she prefers. Agree with pp that her tax is her business.

People use SS tills, or get their groceries delivered. I don't even bring my wallet out with me anymore, I use my phone to pay for everything.

So many of MN think paying someone in cash = them not decaring it.
I imagine this is the case for a lot of things but its not a certainty.
There are scenarios where a person might prefer to have cash, but I can see its annoying if its not convenient to get to a cashpoint.

Perhaps she is trying to get her ducks in a row. She could be scamming the tax man or she could be trying to keep her money to herself. You just don't know.

It's not always what you think. My old cleaner wanted cash to hide it from her abusive husband.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Her declaring it or not is none of your business- if it’s a faff don’t use her- for a good cleaner I’d prob just make sure I have the cash.

Reputable cleaners have insurance. For that to be valid they need to declare that they actually work for you. If course it’s the OP’s business.

People use SS tills, or get their groceries delivered. I don't even bring my wallet out with me anymore, I use my phone to pay for everything.

So do I. But I can get cash if I want or need it, as can most people.

@TwoLeftSocksWithHoles

How about a cheque (remember them?) That way you don't have to go to the bank (but they do) and they've got a piece of paper to waft about and can pretend it's a £20 note.

I get paid by cheque (and yes I'm a cleaner). Luckily I can now pay it in via my banking app so it clears very quickly but not all banks do that. Before that it was a pain in the bloody arse as I'd not only have to go to branch and pay it in but it would also take ages to clear.

I'm all for bank transfers but I'd take cash over cheque (which could be cancelled or bounce) any day.