How do you accept payment?

[phou62]

Hi there! My name is Pierre, I am new to this forum. I created an account as I am a starting my freelance career as electrician and I am struggling to get paid in time as my clients say bank transfer is a hurdle. They ask me if I could accept cash or take the card, but I don't want to pay any extra fees or carry cash with me. Do you know any other free payment solution? I heard of apps called Banked or Cash on the App Store. Have you tried them before? Can I trust them, or do you know any other easy solutions? Thanks a lot

 

[James]

Pay pal do a card reader thing that connects to your phone I think.
Any form of card payment will involve paying a transaction fee.

Most companies prefer bank transfer
Domestic work it is sometimes easier to just accept the form of payment they want to give you.

If they want to pay cash, take it and bank it.

 

[Midwest]

I took cash and cheque (yes some people still use them). Most of my other customers used online banking.

 

[Lister1987]

You can get card readers for not a lot these days; Square, PayPal and others do various incarnations.

You could if you have a website, set up an e-commerce section (WooCommerce on WordPress for example) and clients buy your services/time and pay online, again you may find transaction fees apply but it's another option at least.

 

[ipf]

BACS, cash, cheque......if someone wants to pay, just take it.

 

[Midwest]

You can get card readers for not a lot these days; Square, PayPal and others do various incarnations.

You could if you have a website, set up an e-commerce section (WooCommerce on WordPress for example) and clients buy your services/time and pay online, again you may find transaction fees apply but it's another option at least.

Guess that’s good for small payments, think anything over a few pounds, people wouldn’t want to trust some guys card reader?

 

[buzzlightyear]

BACS, cash, cheque or 5 magic beans or a cow or maybe beans stalk if someone wants to pay, just take it

me too.lol. three tillle pigs

 

[ferg]

Bank transfer, cash or cheque.
Almost all of my clients pay by bank transfer.
Cash and cheque are extremely rare.

If my clients wanted to pay by card I'd get a card reader and find a way to charge the client the fee. Either by adding the same fee for card transactions or adding it to the job as a whole.

 

[ipf]

me too.lol. three tillle pigs

A but past the 'favour for work' game though, these days...……..since that Chatterley woman

 

[James]

there are times when its hard enough getting paid, don't put any hurdles (excuses) in the way of them paying you.
as said above, if they offer to pay you, take it.

Just imagine the scenario where you have turned down £1000 cash when you have completed a job and left them with your bank details to pay it online.

get home that evening, not been paid
call customer

I WILL DO IT LUNCH TIME TOMORROW, GOT TO PUT THE CASH IN THE BANK FIRST

get home next day, not been paid
call customer

INTERNET NOT WORKING, WILL DO AS SOON AS ITS FIXED

leave it 2 days
not been paid
call customer

UNEXPECTED BILL WENT OUT, ONLY GOT 850 IN BANK. GET PAID IN 3 DAYS WILL SORT IT AS SOON AS I AM PAID.

this can go on for weeks, whilst you regret not taking the cash in hand offer.

BOTTOM LINE, if payment is offered, take it, don't make it hard work for yourself.

 

[buzzlightyear]

new year money or your life customer ,if you pop down to Tesco's ask them can you take out a trolley of shopping and pay next year ,and see the answer . stand and hold your ground or tell them I will just nip in the van for the hammer .

 

[123]

Cash, cheque, BACS I'll take them all.

Also have a Sumup card reader, the rates are low (1.69%). I bought it for a job where customer was fretting about not having the money available to do the job but could pay by credit card. Factored the fees into the quote, including cost of buying the reader, job done and paid. Not used it much but it's always there just in case.

AS @James says, if they are offering you payment, take it.

 

[Baddegg]

I use an iZettle card machine no contact seems to work fine

 

[SparkySy]

Yes iZettle here too excellent bit of kit well worth getting!

 

[Phil Thompson]

Cash, cheque, BACS I'll take them all.

Also have a Sumup card reader, the rates are low (1.69%). I bought it for a job where customer was fretting about not having the money available to do the job but could pay by credit card. Factored the fees into the quote, including cost of buying the reader, job done and paid. Not used it much but it's always there just in case.

AS @James says, if they are offering you payment, take it.

Same here, bacs, cash, cheque, PayPal and sum up, I think it's cheap and very handy, you can add on virtual terminal which allows you to accept card payments over the phone, or card not present payments as they refer to it as. Good for call outs etc.
Plus if you take card payment its not really costing you anything to lose 1.69 per £100 when you consider going to lodge cash or cheque can take 2 hours of your day by time you find a space to park and stand in queues in the bank and get ba k to where you need to be again.