How To Make Customer Payments Smoother On The Job

Let’s face it: running a trades business can be tough work. Besides mastering the craft of the job itself, you’ll also need to be adept at several business functions, like marketing your business and keeping track of your finances.

While you may have developed a functional system for your business, it’s more than possible to encounter bottlenecks along your journey. One particularly common bottleneck is dealing with customers who are unable to promptly pay for your services.

Delayed payments, unclear pricing, and a lack of convenient payment options can all create friction when it’s time for customers to settle the bill. These delays and setbacks can make it tremendously difficult for you to scale your business, as you’ll have less capital on hand to pay debt obligations or purchase new equipment.

However, you shouldn’t lose all hope. There are a couple of ways you can improve your business setup to ensure that customers make payments smoothly and promptly.

If you’re looking to learn how to get customers to pay quickly, then you’re in the right place. Here are some useful and strategic tips to help you streamline your trade business’s payment processes. Let’s jump right into it.

1. Use portable payment machines

One of the best ways to get your customers to pay quickly and smoothly while on the job is by using portable payment terminals.

Instead of asking your customers to fork over cash directly, you can create a smoother and more professional experience by handing out portable EFTPOS (Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale) machines to them. This machine helps process, transmit, and authorise customer payments on the site where the work has taken place. Read this article to learn more about this machine.

This gadget is easy to get as a business owner, and it can create a much more seamless payment experience for both you and your customers, wherever you are located. This payment system electronically facilitates the safe and quick transfer of funds from the customer’s mode of payment to the merchant’s account.

It doesn’t matter if the job site is at their home, at a pop-up booth, or at your physical store – an EFTPOS machine can support digital and credit card payments as long as it’s connected to the internet.

For businesses that primarily serve customers out of the traditional storefront or office setting, having a portable EFTPOS machine reduces the back and forth of transactions. With it, you don’t need to bring loose change in the event that your customer doesn’t have smaller bills.

You simply have to inform them in advance to carry a working credit card or digital payment account with them (which they’ll likely already possess), and then, granted that they follow through with this easy instruction, you’ll have no worries in receiving payments after the task is complete.

2. Set clear payment expectations beforehand

The next crucial tip is a deceptively simple one, but it’s one that many overlook. That tip is to clearly communicate the payment terms to your customers before rendering services to them.

Customers don’t want to be met with a surprise additional fee when you’ve laid out terms beforehand. This is bound to cause pushback eventually, which can cause otherwise decent customers to leave scathing reviews or not return to your business anymore.

Similarly, you wouldn’t want to undersell your services, as you spent honest time performing the service and learning the craft. You don’t want to just hand out discounted services each time a customer requests it.

The solution to avoid any awkward financial exchanges is to set expectations early. Set the terms of the quote and contract before services, and agree on a set price before proceeding. You can consider accepting modes of payment to your liking, like partial payments or full payment beforehand. You should also be clear about late payment fees or refund conditions.

When customers get a clear picture of how your business’s payment structure works, they’ll likely respect it and pay on time. This, in turn, allows your mind to concentrate on the more pressing matters of the job instead of sweating the little things.

3. Send digital invoices promptly

Another way to make customers pay promptly is by sending out digital invoices promptly.

Online payment can still be the fastest mode of payment if you don’t own a portable payment machine. And the good news is that software like PayPal Business can easily create invoices with a clear breakdown of the service.

These invoices are superior to manual receipts as they are faster to create and record. Your customer will also be immediately notified through their app or email about the pending invoice, giving them the ability to pay when they deem fit.

Sending an invoice promptly also ensures that the service is fresh on the customer’s mind. This makes them more likely to follow through with the payment. But in case they do delay, digital payments can be made even if you’re not in the same room together, and follow-ups can be configured to ensure that the customer doesn’t forget about their debt.

In any case, having a digital invoicing setup is a good way to get your clients to pay for your services without hassle. It also makes it easier for you to manage things behind the scenes, as through invoicing software, you can easily view past invoices sent to ensure proper verification via a paper trail.

4. Let customers pay their preferred way

Another way to ensure that your customers pay without a hitch is by giving them the freedom to choose how they want to pay. Customers have different payment preferences, and they tend to stick to what they’re used to.

As a tradie serving the local community, it’s important to recognise these differences and provide options for your customers to pay how they want, whether it’s through a mobile wallet, credit card, bank transfer, crypto, or cold, hard cash.

A portable EFTPOS machine can handle a variety of the aforementioned payment options, making it a great tool to have to conduct trade. Similarly, having an invoicing app and digital wallet with a business bank account can also make accepting payments easier.

At the end of the day, offering the ability for clients to pay how they want can make for a more seamless process on both ends. This can make conducting the business a whole lot smoother on your part.

5. Offer discounts for prompt and full payment

Another way to incentivise customers to pay as soon as possible is by giving them a discount for paying in full ahead of time. The discount doesn’t have to be too drastic – even a measly 2-5% discount on the full quote can reap results and motivate customers to settle their dues earlier than normal.

That said, be sure the conditions of acquiring the discount are clear and easy to understand. For instance, you should clearly state that the discount is only available if the customer pays within 7 days of the agreement to start. Having a contract for both parties to sign is a good way to ensure that both the tradie and the customer are accountable for things on their end.

In any case, this discount should be something that your business should be able to handle as well. By offering discounts for fast payments in full, you can focus on your task without worrying about non-payment or delayed payment at the back of your mind. This, in turn, can make it easier for you to perform your task optimally, leading to better results, happy customers, and potentially more work.

Keep your cash flow strong and your business running smoothly

Getting paid on time is essential for running a successful and stress-free trades business. By implementing simple changes like offering flexible payment options, setting clear expectations, and using digital tools to streamline invoicing, you can remove common barriers that delay payments. These strategies don’t just improve cash flow – they also enhance your professionalism, build customer trust, and free up your time to focus on delivering great work. With the right systems in place, you’ll be in a much stronger position to grow your business with confidence and consistency.

We hope we’ve clearly laid out strategies to help you get paid faster. Best of luck in your trade!