Client refusing to pay options

[britechguy]

Yes, but AIUI the norm is now electronic payments

Indeed. I haven't received paper checks from the governmental entities for which I occasionally do work for years. It's all electronic funds transfer. But it is still exactly the same principle and payment is always AFTER service is rendered (usually well after).

Not all the world uses, or wants to use, credit cards.

I've never, once, had a check bounce (and I mean real, paper checks from residential clients or very small business clients that still issue them from their check ledgers).

 

[Nathan Igo]

Dear lord, what is it, the 1980's? I don't accept checks and haven't for decades. It's your business. You can demand upfront payment and refuse checks. By not doing this, you open yourself up to the sort of BS you're experiencing.

I actually encourage the check or direct deposit method for ALL of my business clients. These are business clients on contracts not some residential thing. Like others have said it it impossible to know the payment upfront for clients on an hourly rate. I did a quick glance and estimate at my current monthly billings and if I were to swap all those check/dd clients to credit cards like you imply I would be throwing away about $500 a month in credit card fees just at 2% which would be near impossible to get.

edit: Either way, the story is done. I got the equipment back and lien placed. They are already in talks on how to pay it off and get it lifted so while it was a hassle I didn't bow down to a larger company so hopefully they learned something. The thread is starting to go sideways on payment options and what not so can a mod lock it and let sink to the archives.

 

[britechguy]

The thread is starting to go sideways on payment options and what not so can a mod lock it and let sink to the archives.

I don't see it as "going sideways," I see it as evolving along a reasonable path (but I also think it was pretty much done prior to your reply).

The topic was not hijacked, as your initial query was long ago addressed, and the topic migrated into "closely related territory." It's known as thread drift, and it happens. So long as the topic was not hijacked before the initial query was addressed, there is no logical reason to stop it if what's evolved out of it remains of interest to other participants.

 

[Blues]

I got a restaurant maybe 15 minutes from my house that only accepts cash or checks and will even let you mail your check to them if you didn't bring cash or check. I can tell you many people still pay many things with checks and cash and I don't see that going away all that soon I know many people who have side hustles and hobbies looking to going to cash and check online thanks to the new reporting on PayPal and the likes.

 

[britechguy]

going to cash and check online thanks to the new reporting on PayPal and the likes.

I have a client who is a senior citizen who actually pointed me to Zelle (although I'm not using it). She hates PayPal and is trying to "write a check without writing a check" for all practical intents and purposes.

The service is great, in that the transfer is instant, but that's it's drawback, too, as once you've sent money it's well nigh impossible to call it back by any means, so you have to be absolutely sure you're sending it where you think you are.

People ask me about alternatives to PayPal, and I honestly cannot suggest any that have anything near to as wide acceptance as PayPal does. Another of those "first to market and cornered it" situations.