Advance Payments - Deposits - Credit Cards

Wondering what others are doing to reduce uncollectibles.

 

No deposite or prepay for mowing. At least half down for landscape services. No credit cards. Check or even better cash. Cha ching!

 

pay in advance one month. no credit cards

 

Scheduled lawn service, pay one month in advance - credit cards OK

Landscape installs, deposit required payment due upon completion.

 

This year I have been trying to push the paying in advance issue...we will see how it goes

 

Depends upon what service you are referring to.

For lawn mowing - no advanced payments. Pay at the end of each month. Do not accept credit cards.

For fertilization packages we like prepay and give a discount if paid early before March 1st.

For anything that requires materials, we like to get a deposit before we purchase what we need. (Not talking about a yard or two of mulch, I'm talking about larger jobs.)

 

i voted for the #1 option. seems to work fine...i have had minimal deadbeats thus far.

 

Lawn programs - prepay or pay as you go

Mowing - billed monthly

Irrigation - turn on/ blow down = pay once at the end of the year

landscaping - 50% down/10%when 50%completed/remainder due upon completion

Plowing - billed monthly

Add on services - billed at time of service

Credit cards welcome (preferred for plowing since many clients don't occupy the house in the winter)

Cash welcome (what cash?)

Checks welcome

 

Maintenance i just bill at the first of the month, for that month. Landscape installs i require a deposit for work thats more than $2,000. So far, knock on wood, ive never been stiffed with this method.

 

We bill after the month's services, take credit cards, and rarely need a pre payment / deposit for anything other than installs. Installs we get 30% down at contract signing,30% the first day our trucks pull into the site, and the remaining 40% net 14-30 days on completion without a pre arranged payment plan.