supernova77

  • Posts: 3547
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #20 on: August 03, 2006, 10:00:45 am »
Hi Trevor,

Nochex charge 2.9% plus 20p per transaction received.

Also... If you transfer money from your Nochex account to your bank account and the sum is less than £50 then they charge you 25p. If you transfer £50 or more then it's free.

Andy

Trevor Knight

  • Posts: 1825
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #21 on: August 03, 2006, 10:03:26 am »
Hi Andy,

Thanks for that, I will look into this as that is cheaper and seems easier for the customer to use than PAYPAL.

Many thanks,

Trev
Covering Hampshire, Dorset, Surrey, Berkshire

mgba_78

  • Posts: 436
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #22 on: August 03, 2006, 10:07:15 am »
NOCHEX details here http://www.nochex.co.uk/merchant-accounts.htm

Used his before paypal was big when i was into ebay, at the time was easier and cheaper than paypal but may have changed may be worth checking the paypal web site as well and comparing overall costs.

HTH
Andy
Oooooo that is shiny!!

ecowasher

  • Posts: 59
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #23 on: August 03, 2006, 10:20:34 am »
Something i will be considering  (once the round is big enough),  is incorporating an online method (via my website) which i used successfully with a previous business venture.

It worked via paypal,  the online payment system.

Basically the customer goes to your website and pays from there,  by whatever means they see fit,  ie, credit card, current account card, etc etc.

The amount then appears in your paypal account,  together with payers details. Its easy to reconcile from there.  The money can then be transferred to your own accounts whenever you see fit.

Its not the easient of things to set up at first,  but once in place it is fantastic, and the % charged by Paypal is cheaper than what the credit card clearance companies charge, with no setup fee either.

The details of how a customer pays in this way can be written down and printed on a slip and handed to them,  with a reminder slip following each visit.

Not all customers are 'internet' savvy,  but most are these days and are happy to make payments via it (the internet outsold the high street last year)!

Worth considering.

Beer!

ecowasher

  • Posts: 59
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #24 on: August 03, 2006, 10:31:54 am »
Guy's

Do any of you have domestic customers on DD payment?

If yes, can I ask if you find it works and how you set it up regarding date you clean to date you collect payment?

Many thanks,

Trev

From this post,  and a few others that i have read from you Trev,  it sounds like you have a thriving business that has gone from small to medium,  and you are now coming across the growing pains of managing the actual operation of the business as opposed to the work itself.

Maybe you need a business focussed Ops Manager to take you through this stage - In a previous life I have seen this stage of growth and the effects it can have many times. 

Possibly now is the point to go down the deaded creation and review of 'operational policies and proceedures' route,  to ensure efficiency, accuracy, and most importantly scaleability in preparation for the forthcoming years.

I,  on the other hand,  have the reverse.  All i need is the business through the door!
Beer!

Mike George

  • Posts: 105
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #25 on: August 03, 2006, 08:12:42 pm »
I am going to go to my customers and offer this facility to pay by Standing Order. The payment will be taken on the 28th of each month regardless of when I clean them during the month. This way they will have had their windows cleaned and I just have 1 day a month to check the payments have been received.

None of my customers have yet taken me up on using standing orders, but when I've been going for a few months and they can see I'm trustworthy I'll push it more. I was planning to set them up for the 15th of the following month, which gives them at least a week to cancel if I don't turn up.
Don't recognise people?
Mike's face blindness blog

Mike George

  • Posts: 105
Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #26 on: August 03, 2006, 08:20:39 pm »
Something i will be considering  (once the round is big enough),  is incorporating an online method (via my website) which i used successfully with a previous business venture.

It worked via paypal,  the online payment system.

Basically the customer goes to your website and pays from there,  by whatever means they see fit,  ie, credit card, current account card, etc etc.

I've got one customer who pays with Nochex, and I prefer to send them an email request when I've cleaned his windows. That way I don't have to rely on the customer remembering to go to my web site and make the payment.

I just log in to Nochex and send the request, he gets the email and clicks the link to make the payment, and I get the confirmation email.
Don't recognise people?
Mike's face blindness blog

jinky230

Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #27 on: August 04, 2006, 07:45:58 am »
guys it seems the perfect dream in reality but would customers just not bother their behind paying and then you are left with more outstanding cash

windows cleaning domestic is like the milkman, people are used to paying at the door, some will go on line but I recon most would just find it a hassle in their already present rat race life

just my opinion-- I would like to be proved wrong

jinky

Paul Coleman

Re: Customer Paying by Direct Debit
« Reply #28 on: August 04, 2006, 08:38:56 am »
guys it seems the perfect dream in reality but would customers just not bother their behind paying and then you are left with more outstanding cash

windows cleaning domestic is like the milkman, people are used to paying at the door, some will go on line but I recon most would just find it a hassle in their already present rat race life

just my opinion-- I would like to be proved wrong

jinky

I thought this too about people paying by cheque.  However, a lot of people send mr cheques each visit which is more hassle than going online.