[geefree]

Phew,

internet banking is certainly the way forward, and it beats collecting on these dark winter nights,

But, now that around 65% pay me online, it certainly keeps me on my toes,

keeping a tab on all the payments coming in can be time consuming, especially when half a postcode is used as a ref, or none at all...

and maybe just a name is used like "Smith",

Do you guys have the same?

still beats collecting though , but i need a secretary lol.

 

[formb]

Do you have software?

Mine assigns a unique customer number for each customer get them to use that and hey presto!!

[supernova77]

About 80% of my customers pay me via internet banking now...

All of them use the first line of their address, or house name as a reference so I never have any problems.

I check my account every evening and if someone has paid that day I mark it as paid on George straight away.

Andy

[geefree]

Yes i use george and postcodes , but even though i state on my slip 1st line of address  or postcode , sometimes it comes through as one long number or justa name,

i have told certain customers and they say they DID use poscode but it sis not show on my bank account,

teething problems i know.

[formb]

Yes i use george and postcodes , but even though i state on my slip 1st line of address  or postcode , sometimes it comes through as one long number or justa name,

i have told certain customers and they say they DID use poscode but it sis not show on my bank account,

teething problems i know.

Postcodes are a bit unreliable, what if you have them wrong? I know that I have inconsistencies in my customers postcodes.

Even with unique customer reference numbers the general public tend to be idiots and can't even get that right. 

[Paul Coleman]

Phew,

internet banking is certainly the way forward, and it beats collecting on these dark winter nights,

But, now that around 65% pay me online, it certainly keeps me on my toes,

keeping a tab on all the payments coming in can be time consuming, especially when half a postcode is used as a ref, or none at all...

and maybe just a name is used like "Smith",

Do you guys have the same?

still beats collecting though , but i need a secretary lol.

 

I actually have a printed sheet to give them with my bank name, sortr code and account number followed by (in very large, bold type) the reference I wish them to use.  This is typically house number+postcode or first 4letters of housename+postcode.  The next bit is making sure that you have a bank that displays that reference to you in its entirety - such as the free Co-op business bank via FSB.  Avoid Santander for incoming BACS payments.  They persistently refuse to show any of the reference - presumably because they are idiots.

[formb]

Phew,

internet banking is certainly the way forward, and it beats collecting on these dark winter nights,

But, now that around 65% pay me online, it certainly keeps me on my toes,

keeping a tab on all the payments coming in can be time consuming, especially when half a postcode is used as a ref, or none at all...

and maybe just a name is used like "Smith",

Do you guys have the same?

still beats collecting though , but i need a secretary lol.

 

I actually have a printed sheet to give them with my bank name, sortr code and account number followed by (in very large, bold type) the reference I wish them to use.  This is typically house number+postcode or first 4letters of housename+postcode.  The next bit is making sure that you have a bank that displays that reference to you in its entirety - such as the free Co-op business bank via FSB.  Avoid Santander for incoming BACS payments.  They persistently refuse to show any of the reference - presumably because they are idiots.

Really?

I use A&L they show the ref no probs. The website is slowly changing though.

[Paul Coleman]

Phew,

internet banking is certainly the way forward, and it beats collecting on these dark winter nights,

But, now that around 65% pay me online, it certainly keeps me on my toes,

keeping a tab on all the payments coming in can be time consuming, especially when half a postcode is used as a ref, or none at all...

and maybe just a name is used like "Smith",

Do you guys have the same?

still beats collecting though , but i need a secretary lol.

 

I actually have a printed sheet to give them with my bank name, sortr code and account number followed by (in very large, bold type) the reference I wish them to use.  This is typically house number+postcode or first 4letters of housename+postcode.  The next bit is making sure that you have a bank that displays that reference to you in its entirety - such as the free Co-op business bank via FSB.  Avoid Santander for incoming BACS payments.  They persistently refuse to show any of the reference - presumably because they are idiots.

Really?

I use A&L they show the ref no probs. The website is slowly changing though.

Yes, really.  I even went through the formal complaints system with them about this matter as it was the only way I could get a response from a reasonable level.
I had to scrap a load of printed paperwork because they withdrew the references after I did all the printing but, fortunately, before I had distributed it to most of my customers.  They used to show the references then suddenly withdrew them.  No warning at all.  Very amateurish IMO.  Luckily I had only converted a few customers to BACS at that time so I was able to mostly keep track without too much difficulty.  Surname shows.  Amount shows.  Sometimes these are replicated though in that I might have three or four Smiths/Jones who pay identical amounts.  Therefore the reference is important.
All but two domestic BACS payers are now converted to Co-op bank but there's never likely to be any confusion with such unusual surnames.
With commercial work it's not an issue because the company name tends to appear where the surname field is located.
It may well be that Santander resolve this issue when they merge all their new acquisitions but I can't trust them not to remove them again later.  Their IT structure is seriously flawed IMO.

[dave0123]

Im trying to get most of my customers over to BACS and some are doing it and some aren't think the people who dont have it.. still alot that dont have it in my customer base.

great for the people that do though i find there paying bit quicker? maybe because they forget about envlopes or loose them.

Avoid Santander for incoming BACS payments.  They persistently refuse to show any of the reference - presumably because they are idiots.

I am with A&L and there just moving over to Santander i hope they dont get rid of the refrances 

[dave0123]

Oh some banks dont even let you enter a refrance? such as lloyds TSB

[Helen]

Oh some banks dont even let you enter a refrance? such as lloyds TSB

Yes they do. The details are keyed in through "pay a person" and after sort code and account number is an entry space for reference.

Custie ref need only be for example "Bates 22 Tulip Way"
Don't let your custies make up their own ref, issue it to them yourself.

[Davie T]

We get the last4 digits of their bank account and enter them in to a book in numerical order
If only an account No. shows up on the payment transaction, simply look up the book for their name.

[formb]

Oh some banks dont even let you enter a refrance? such as lloyds TSB

I used TSB for years (admittedly not for a while) they do let you enter a ref on payments (or at least they used to).

[tom2009]

My missus does the track keeping - she's really good at that sort of stuff, that and cooking and one or two other things 

[dave0123]

I used TSB for years (admittedly not for a while) they do let you enter a ref on payments (or at least they used to).

Oh right well i carnt type any refrance in when trying to transfer money to someone.

[formb]

I used TSB for years (admittedly not for a while) they do let you enter a ref on payments (or at least they used to).

Oh right well i carnt type any refrance in when trying to transfer money to someone.

Maybe they changed it.

Swines.

[chopsie]

I use lloyds tsb and I payed myself into my business account (which is just a normal account through lloyds tsb which I keep as a business account), I did it so I could see if you could put a reference in, and how much you could fit in it. You can put a reference in, But its quite limited, so I ask for house number and post code.
But I have just seen today after I updated George for the first time in 10 ish months, That it now seems to give each customer an individual reference number, So I might swap over to that if its easy to find the reference numbers on george after being payed into bank account.

[dazmond]

any of you guys got an account at the co op?and do they show references?as im thinking of opening an account and using this for my tax bill.ill get more and more moving over to online bank transfer as cheques slowly get phased out.



dazmond

[Clive McDonald]

Phew,

internet banking is certainly the way forward, and it beats collecting on these dark winter nights,

But, now that around 65% pay me online, it certainly keeps me on my toes,

keeping a tab on all the payments coming in can be time consuming, especially when half a postcode is used as a ref, or none at all...

and maybe just a name is used like "Smith",


First off it's called reconcilliation .

If you don't do this already this is how it's done.

Go to online bank. Download statement in excel spread sheet format.

Open spread sheet down load and make the info column wider so you can read it all.
Open wc software and move it lower down the screen so you can see george/pro and have the spreadsheet above.
Go to search and start knocking debts off.

Apologies if you already knew this.

Do you guys have the same?

still beats collecting though , but i need a secretary lol.

 

[andyjm1]

If you get a customer with a very common name like SMITH instead of charging them say £10 call it £9.99 or better still £10.01!
The next Smith you get charge them £10.02, this way you'll always know who's paid.